Catchy Quotes9/30/2021 Thursday of the 26th Week in OT/ Memorial of St. Jerome Did you know that the quote, “Good, better, best, never let it rest, till the good is better and the better, best.”is attributed to St. Jerome? I was not able to find any evidence for this but certainly in Latin, “Bonum, melior, optimum” is not as “catchy” as “good, better, best.” In fact, Jerome has many “catchy quotes” that are evidenced by his writing. “Bonum, melior optimum” is not one of them. This search for the “good, better, best” phrase led me to reflect on how Jerome was completely caught up in the word of God in scripture, He devoted his life to translating from Hebrew and Greek into Latin. You could certainly say that the Word of God was his daily bread! He had an insatiable appetite for the Word of God. He was not only “good” at his work of translations but was so much “better” than others that we could claim him as the “best” of his time. Today, on this “feast” of St Jerome I am sharing the reflection that one of our spiritual directors, Dr. Philomène Péan will be giving this morning as our retreatants leave after 8 days of prayer and meditation on the Word of God. All I can say is that “Philomène is the BEST!” She truly embodies the joy of the Gospel! Are you hungry? De la misa a la mesa I was preparing something to eat before mass. Wait a minute. I’ll go and get it… Would you like to see what I brought [ the Bible – surprise?] The word of God is food for our lives. Today is the feast of St Jerome. Jerome was a young priest of the 4 th century. He was commissioned by Pope Damascus to produce a Latin text of the Gospels for liturgy. He inspires me to talk about the word of God. Are you hungry? When I was in my 20s, I went to a small village called Luly in Haiti. What struck me was that people used to have mass only once a year. Their church was abandoned. People used the building to tie up animals before going to the public market. No priest wanted to go there because it was so poor. There were only 4 people at the annual mass. I felt that God wanted me to do something for that village. Like Isaiah (6,8) this word of God spoke to me: “Whom shall I send? Then I said Here I am”. It was a joy for me to answer God’s call. However, It was not easy. There was a lot of political unrest in Haiti. To the point that there were people who wanted to kill me. My living conditions were precarious. I did not have a place to stay, no food, not even a stick. I rented a small room from someone. Each week I returned to my mom to get enough food that would last me through the next week. But even having food, I had the obligation to share with those who didn’t have. So often I would go hungry. When people noticed that, they sent me food every day even when I had several visitors. This act of kindness reminded me of the Angel bringing the word of the Lord to Elijah (1 Kings 19, 5-18) and telling him: “Get up and eat because the journey is not over”. What kept me in ministry for 10 years at that village was the word of God. I experienced it in: daily meditation, liturgies, spiritual direction, sacraments especially confession, monthly recollection and annual retreat. Over the years, my physical hunger helped me to realize that although I was hungry, I never lacked the true bread which was the word of God. Like Mary, the people received Jesus in the word of God. We transformed the village by building roads, a school and repaired the church building. More importantly all the people from children to elderly were involved in this transformation. I formed and empowered youth and young adults to become leaders. I implemented catechetical preparation at all levels. I led funerals as well as other liturgies. I oversaw the complete administration of that church except in the distribution of sacraments. We had days of evangelization as well as excursions. We were like a family. God blessed me because that church of 4 became a vibrant church of 200 members and it still exists today. Like Isaiah, Elijah, Nehemiah in the Old Testament; like Jesus, Mary, the Apostles, Jerome in the New Testament followed the word of God and acted on it, can we do the same today? Are you hungry? I will leave you with 3 ? -Are you hungry for the Word of God? -Do you believe like Mary that you carry the word of God within you? -Do you feel like the apostles that you are sent to proclaim the word of God in your life and deeds? A brother of Charles de Foucauld living in Brooklyn would say after each celebration of the eucharist: “ De la misa a la mesa” (From the altar to the kitchen table) So let’s enjoy this meal ….
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Triple Treat9/29/2021
Triple Treat
Feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels I entitled this reflection as Triple Treat since we are treated to a celebration of the three Archangels who play an important role in the Judeo-Christian story of salvation. In that light, I thought I would treat you to some stories, poems, dances that try to capture the role of each. Gabriel is, of course, the messenger in the Annunciation and so I share with you the link to the dance “Gabriel’s Message.” (The photo above is of Erina Tanaka as the Angel Gabriel in 2016 at the Sheen Center in NY.) vimeo.com/488241229 Michael is noted for his battle with the powers of evil. In the book of Revelations, he’s the “dragon slayer” in his cosmic battle with Satan. Today I was speaking with one of my retreatants about the poem “Had” that was inspired by the Emmaus story. You’ll see the references to the “dragon” and God’s “slaying death’s dragon through the Risen Jesus. had.docx I’m also attaching the story of “Michael, the Unimportant Angel” which I wrote many years ago for the family Mass community at St. Ignatius. michael_the_unimportant_angel.pdf And then there’s “Raphael” who is featured in the Book of Tobit. He’s a healer who removes the cataracts from Tobit’s eyes so that he can see clearly. Two years ago on this day, September 29th, I was preparing to move from Cape Cod, after my year long "sabbatical" to Eastern Point. I made the video to capture what I had seen during the four seasons I spent from September 2918 through the end of September 2019. It helped to remove the "catarcacts" that were keeping me from seeing and knowing God's healing power in my life. (The video is long but I think it's worth seeing and hearing the first part, "In the Quiet.") In the Quiet from Robert VerEecke on Vimeo. Home Springs Eternal9/28/2021 Tuesday of the 26th Week in OT
And all shall sing, in their festive dance: “My home is within you.” Singers and dancers alike say, “All my springs are in you.” I wish I knew how to read Hebrew! Above are two translations of the last verses of psalm 87. At first, they don’t seem to have anything in common. What does “home” have to do with “springs?” (There is another translation “all my fountains are in you.”) However you translate it, it is an invitation to rejoice at the knowledge that God’s spirit is alive in each of us. God’s dwelling is with us. In the Eucharist, Jesus makes our body his dwelling place. The Spirit of God makes her home in us and we have within the wellsprings of eternal life. It has been pouring all day here at Eastern Point, but above and below are photos of how the day began. When I see them, something within me wants to sing and dance. Hmm… Ooh! Be Caritas9/27/2021 Monday of the 26th Week in OT/ Memorial of St Vincent de Paul
On this memorial of St Vincent de Paul who is noted for his charity, I invite you to pray with the words of the familiar hymn, Where Charity and Love Prevail (above) It’s a wonderful reminder that we are part of the human family, embraced by God in love in Jesus Christ. The Latin for "Where Charity and Love are, God is" is "Ubi Caritas et Amor, Deus ibi est." At first, I thought it could "You be Caritas" but then i decided on "Ooh! Be Caritas" or "Ooh, Be Charity and Love!" Today is also the birthday of the Society of Jesus 481 years ago (27 September 1540), Pope Paul III signed a papal decree entitled Regimini militantis ecclesiae that established the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) as an official religious order within the Roman Catholic Church. When the proposal for the Order was first read to the Pope by one of his aides during the previous year, the Pope is said to have replied: Digitus Deus est – The finger of God is here. One's Sighs Fits All?9/26/2021 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
In addition to being the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, it also is the feast of St Therèse Couderc, the foundress of the Congregation of Our Lady of the Cenacle. The photo above is taken from the Mother House in La Louvais, France. As chaplain for the Cenacle in Brighton for many years, I am particularly grateful for the ministry of the Cenacle sisters and the charism they share with the world. The reflection today is the homily I will be giving twice today. 26th Sunday in OT More than 30 years ago when I was working in the theater department at Boston College, a student asked me if I would direct him in a one-person performance of St Mark’s Gospel. He would memorize all of Mark over that summer of his senior year and in September, I would work with him staging it. When he returned to school, he had, in fact, memorized the first half of the Gospel and was working on the rest. He had chosen the King James version. The first thing we worked on was his Jersey City accent. King James and Jersey City were not a match made in heaven. 15 years later, when he was working at the IREPM at Boston College, he asked if we could work on Mark again as part of an anniversary program for the Institute. This time he used a contemporary translation. Thanks be to God! I’m thinking of Mickey, my friend and former student and colleague today not only because it happens to be his birthday, but because of the Gospel passage we just heard. I have to be honest and say that I would have preferred to “cut it out” and end with the simple gesture of the cup of water. Do you folks on retreat in this beautiful and serene place really need to hear these dramatic, threatening words from the lips of Jesus? Yes, we know that it could be Mark putting them on the lips of Jesus, and we know that it’s a classic example of hyperbole, or exaggeration. But did you notice how I read the passage? I remember talking to Mickey and asking how he thought these words should be delivered. Is this an angry Jesus? We thought that if there were a questioning in the voice, it would ask the listener to examine themselves rather than just “cut him off” and not listen to him. . Jesus in today’s Gospel really challenges us to acknowledge how and where we “Scandalize” or place obstacles in the way of others. But there is another voice of Jesus in today’s Gospel. It’s calmer, and yet challenging in another way. He answers the whiny voices of the disciples who want to take all the credit for themselves and fail to see “whoever is not against us is for us.” You can almost hear a “sigh” of frustration in Jesus’ voice. “When will they ever learn?” In Mark’s Gospel, the disciples don’t get it. They are clueless. They are about taking credit, jockeying for position and power. Jesus is always needing to remind them that God’s reign is about service and self-gift, not power and self-congratulation. You can hear a similar sigh in the voice of Moses in the first reading. Would that all the people of God were prophets! Would that the Spirit of the Lord come down on all of them! Ojalá que todo el pueblo de Dios fuera profeta y descendiera sobre todos ellos el espíritu del Señor”. Ojalá/ I love that expression in Spanish! It feels like a sigh from the depth of one’s spirit. “Would that” in English doesn’t quite capture it. If only… is a little better but not as captivating as Ojala! In the scriptures today there are the whiny voices of Joshua and the disciples who don’t want to include those formally “ordained” in the charisms and largesse of the Spirit. There is the angry voice of James, taking to task the wealthy. And then there is the voice of Jesus, both comforting and challenging. My prayer led me to focus on the “sighs” that come from the heart of Jesus, rather than the challenges. Here’s where the Spirit led One’s Sighs One size fits all, sometimes, when it comes to something worn. One’s sighs do not fit all when one is worn and weary. Sighs come in all sizes and shapes. Who has not sighed with grief and disbelief these world-worn days? Sighs sound from the depths of one’s despair or longing for something Or someone to bridge the chasm between what is now and what we wait and hope for. And what size are the sighs of a world where cries of little ones cut to the heart at the border of compassion? Do the world’s sighs fill the skies? Does each drop of rain contain A sigh the size of a mustard seed? Can something as small as a sigh Be sign of seismic change? Can such a sound break the barrier between despair and hope? Can heart break, quake and quiver When Spirit’s sighs are heard As Christ’s cry for all? Shake on it!9/24/2021 Friday of the 25th Week in OT
There hasn’t been a “whole lot of shaking goin on” in terms of handshakes the past year and a half. Even though some people extend their hands to shake, there is still a resistance, an internal “shaking” from anxiety and fear to have that kind of physical contact. The reflection that I wrote 2 years ago was “pre-covid” so the “shaking” theme was benign. In fact, the title was a fun one, “Hokey Pokey” If this reflection sounds “hokey,” I agree. And as for “pokey,” I don’t mind your “poking” fun at me for the crazy connections I try to make with the daily scriptures. Do you remember the Hokey-Pokey? It’s a circle dance that keeps changing parts of the body; hands, elbows, shoulders, legs, feet etc. And finally: You put your whole self in You take your whole self out You put your whole self in And you shake it all about You do the Hokey-Pokey And you turn your self around That’s what it’s all about! So, what’s the connection with today’s scripture from Haggai? Well, there’s a “whole lot of shaking” going on! For thus says the LORD of hosts: One moment yet, a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will come in, According to the prophet Haggai, God is “shaking things up” and yet in the people’s rebuilding a new temple, there will be stability and peace. God faithful and steadfast love can be trusted, even when things are “shaken up.” Greater will be the future glory of this house than the former, says the LORD of hosts; And in this place I will give you peace, says the LORD of hosts! Sometimes when our world and our lives are “shaken up,” it’s a challenge to trust in God’s steadfast love. And yet when “you put your whole self in” and “turn yourself around” the shake shock is not so bad. And since this is a circle dance, you’re not alone. There is the strength and support we receive from others and the knowledge we have that in Jesus Christ God’s doing the “hokey-pokey.” In Jesus, God sings and dances You put your whole self in You put your whole self out You put your whole self in And you shake it all about You do the Hokey-Pokey And you turn your self around That’s what it’s all about! And God says to us “Let’s shake on it!” The image above is a circular stain glass that was given to me as a gift for the 25th anniversary of A Dancer’s Christmas. The “biblical” dancers are not doing the “Hokey Pokey” but all the dancers I worked with over the years would put their whole selves in to the dance to express the power of God’s “moving and shaking” in our lives. Re: Re-Ray9/23/2021 Thursday of the 25th Week in OT
“Re” is on my mind this morning, praying with the passage from the Prophet Haggai; re: the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. Haggai is on the case of Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah and Joshua the high priest, to commit themselves to building again what had been destroyed. Over the past months, we have seen images of so many people whose homes have been destroyed by wildfires and hurricanes. How does one find the wherewithal to rebuild and start over? It must be overwhelming for those who see their homes and their possessions in ruins. The question reverberating in their minds and hearts surely would be “Where do I even begin?” It may not be a lost home, but some other kind of loss; the death of a loved one, a crippling illness, the loss of employment and income. It may be a spiritual loss that wonders if “All things work for good for those who love God.” How often in life to we have to pick up the pieces of what’s left in ruins and “rebuild?” For those of us who are eternal optimists, who do believe that God’s spirit is always about “recreating” our hopes and dreams, we look for a “ray of light” that may lead us to see how we can reform, rebuild, recreate in ourselves what God desires us to be. And then there is “re” in the musical scale, or as the song goes “a drop of golden son.” Today’s psalm can be that “ray of golden sun” Let them praise his name in the festive dance, let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp. For the LORD loves his people, and he adorns the lowly with victory. And here’s the link to “All Things Work for Good” from For the Greater Glory of God. I hope it’s a ray of sunshine for you! vimeo.com/265442500#t=4920s Berry Beautiful9/22/2021 Wednesday of the 25th Week in OT
The title of my reflection on this day two years ago was “Bittersweet.” It was inspired by the beautiful berries on a Kousa Dogwood tree. I discovered that they are “bittersweet.” I didn’t taste them but read about it! The reflection speaks of the mix of bitter and sweet in the reading from Ezra. Today, however, I have placed two photos of the tree; one at the beginning of summer and one at the end. Can you believe this is one and the same tree? Both beautiful, but so dramatically different. Don’t you marvel at God’s creation? And how about ourselves at different times and seasons of our lives? And how is it that the exilic experience of “one and the same” person “Ezra” is such a mix of sin and grace, desperation and hope, woundedness and healing? And aren’t we all? So here’s the reflection from two years ago…. Are you tempted to taste the beautiful berries of the Kousa Dogwood Tree? Do you wonder if they are bitter or sweet? To be honest, I have never noticed that some Dogwood trees with lovely white flowers in the spring produce beautiful red berries at the end of summer. After some research I found that the berries are bitter although edible. (They are also nuisance if you have to clean up after they fall!) Bittersweet. Does this word capture the experience of exile? In their captivity in Babylon, they must have known the bitterness that comes from betrayal, banished from their homeland, ripped from what was precious and familiar and yet was their sweetness as well? Did they have their eyes open to new vistas and their ears opened to other tongues and voices? Did some perhaps fall in love with an “other” who was not of their own kind? Did the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of a foreign land captivate them in their captivity? The truth is that life is always a mixture of bitter and sweet. Life is not one or the other. It’s both/and so much more. I wonder as well, what the exiles carried with them as they were on the move. What did they take and what did they leave behind? Certainly, they would take the necessities of every day life but also precious mementos of their time in exile. In my imagination, I see an exile in Babylon seeing for the first time a Kousa Dogwood Tree (or something like it) Perhaps they had tasted the bitter berries but were captivated by their beauty. And they filled their pockets with the berries to plant in their homeland as a reminder of Bittersweet. With a “bittersweet” reflection, I can’t help but posting the photo below. Chocolate in its nature is "bitter" but add a sweetener? Voila! Levi-tation9/20/2021 Feast of St Matthew -September 21st
I posted this a day early since I am attending a funeral tomorrow for a wonderful man, husband, father, grandfather, friend. Frank Faggiano was a "gem," a pearl of great price and we will miss him. I’ve been looking forward to this feast so I could use my poem on St Matthew, also called Levi, the purported author of the Gospel. His custom was to rise early in the morn. No night owl, he but desert owl’s hoot would wake him from dreamless sleep. No dreamer, he, when day’s drudgery awaited. His custom table would soon be taxing his patience with queues of the querulous quarreling, questioning, cursing him. And he, accustomed to their disgust and disdain, would return insult with injury, a counter, a tax charged sum for himself to balance the scales of their scorn. Accustomed he was to dreamless sleep lest day’s burdens be night’s as well No rest for the weary, yoked, as he was to table and chair, counting coins with Caesar’s countenance until day’s end. But, dream, he did, Joseph-wise one night. A cloak of many colors, custom made, he wore the weave in dream’s day. A “magi-cal” mantle it was! When worn, a “seer” he becomes, a star in the East he sees “Hee-haw,” he divines, Balaam-like, now His fortune told, wrapped in this mantle of prophetic voices, mingled with Moses’ mountain ascending desert crossing, a face seen, a voice heard, “Come” Command or invitation? And then, an owl’s hooting An Awakening! His custom was to walk a pace, quickening his step, shunning shouts of “Unclean” shoulders cold, avoiding the sinner at all costs This day, though he finds the tables overturned no money changing hands someone is waiting, a face seen a voice heard, once upon a dream. His name heard His soul soars, On eagle’s wings He leaves his Custom-aerie And he follows. The painting at the top is Caravaggio's Call of St Matthew. Exile--Exhale9/20/2021 Monday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time Retreatants who have been to Eastern Point on their return, always seem to take a deep breath and "exhale" their worries and concerns. So many describe it as a "home-coming." I think this is why I chose the title "exile-exhale." Read on to find out why. The scriptures for the next few days come from the book of Ezra, which narrates the Jewish exiles return to Jerusalem from Babylon to rebuild the Temple and their lives. A people who were banished from their homeland separated from all that they knew and loved, spending years in exile will be allowed to return. Soon they will be a people “on the move.’ Although “exile” refers to the “state of being barred from one’s native country, typically for political or punitive reasons,” it has come to mean a kind of “displacement” that separates someone from their “home.” If the expression “Home is where the Heart is” makes any sense, your “home” is not always a geographical place. You may be living at home but feel like you are in an emotional and/or spiritual exile. You are separated from God, from others and even from yourself. As painful as an experience of exile can be, it’s often a time of great creativity that stems from the longing to return “home.” Many of the psalms express the depth of that longing to return. Today’s psalm 126 is one of the most poignant, filled with hope and promise. When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion, we were like people dreaming. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with rejoicing.. Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad indeed. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the torrents in the southern desert. Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing. Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, They shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves. Here’s a link to psalm 137 which is another classic “exilic” psalm: https://vimeo.com/346707624#t=990s AuthorAs an ordained Catholic priest for 45 years and a member of the Jesuits for 57 years, I've had a great deal of "spiritual" experience! This is a place where I can continue to share my thoughts about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and what it means to live the "mystery of God." Categories |
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