20th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle A - August 20, 2017

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Cycle A

August 20, 2017        8:00 and 9:30am Mass

Saint Mary Parish, Pylesville

What a Story!

Well, that’s quite a gospel!

Jesus’ first responses to this woman are downright shocking!  They are inconsistent with everything else he does.

The question is: Why?  What’s going on here?

Some Scripture scholars say that a likely explanation is that Jesus is the Son of God and is divine, but he is also fully human.  And so, even Jesus has to work through the prejudices that can infect all of us. 

Breaking Through Prejudices

If we look at this entire incident, we see that Jesus eventually breaks through the prejudices of his day.

First, there is gender.  He is talking with a woman when women are viewed as second-class and are not to be recognized if they are unaccompanied by their husband.

Then there is religion.  This woman is a not a Jew, and that’s why she is called a “dog” – the demeaning expression of that day for all non-Jews.

Next there is culture.  This woman is of a different culture and probably dresses differently and has different social customs.

And finally there is nationality.  This woman is a Canaanite and they are viewed as enemies.

Well, Jesus comes to see this woman as a person with needs and feelings and hopes like anyone else.  And it’s this that leads him to break through all of these prejudices.

A Lesson on Prejudice

What a gospel story for us today!

The event in Charlottesville has highlighted prejudice in our own country.  I decided that I had to speak on this topic today to be true to the gospel and true to what I personally believe.

This is a spiritual issue.  It is an issue of faith.

White supremacy, hatred and prejudice directed at blacks, Jews, Muslims or members of the LGBTQ community – we’ve seen all of these prejudices emerge in the past week.  All of this is wrong, immoral and sinful.

Personally I have especially grown in my empathy with the life experience of African Americans in our country.  I have had some personal experiences which I see as gifts from God.

For example, several years ago, when I was pastor at Saint Margaret’s in Bel Air, an African American man whom I know well was racially profiled, right in Bel Air.  He and his wife are both professional people, highly educated, and rather affluent – and yet, he was a victim of racial profiling.

I had the privilege of walking with this couple through that experience.  There was a respectful conversation where reconciliation was achieved and the need for some change to prevent racial profiling was recognized.

Last Sunday, I had the 8am Mass here and then I went into Baltimore and did the 11am Mass at Saint Matthew’s Parish.  That parish is about 65% African American.

Many people talked with me after Mass, and one African American woman – a wife and a mother – told me that in recent months, she has not felt as safe for herself and her family.  She was not alone in that feeling. 

A Recommendation for Us

So, where do we go with this? 

What do we do?  I don’t know nearly all the answers, but I do have one recommendation.

Each of us needs to honestly examine whether we have prejudice toward certain kinds of people, and right now, especially toward African Americans.  Do we have feelings of dislike, suspicion or even hatred? 

Do we ever participate in conversations where racist statements are made?  Do we tolerate those statements, or do we remain silent, or do we try to redirect the conversation or walk away from it?

These are not comfortable questions, but I believe we need to ask them.  Today, let’s ask the Lord to give us the grace of realizing our communion with all persons as God’s daughters and sons. 

Let’s ask the Lord to remove any feeling or attitude or mindset of white supremacy.  Let’s ask the Lord to replace that with a feeling and attitude and mindset of human equality.

As I said last Sunday at Saint Matthew’s, it’s got to start with our being a light in our own community.  Being a light is the only way to dispel the darkness of prejudice.

19th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle A - August 13, 2017

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Cycle A

August 13, 2017       

4:00 pm and 8:00 am at Saint Mary Parish, Pylesville

11:00 am at Saint Matthew Parish, Baltimore

Physical Balance

This past Monday, I participated in a strength and balance class at a fitness center.

This particular class is designed especially for seniors.  So, I qualify!

One of the balance exercises was to stand on one foot.  We were to concentrate on placing all of our weight on one foot – let’s say my left foot.

Then we were slowly to raise the right foot about six inches off of the floor, touching the side of our left leg.  We were to try to stand that way, with all weight on one foot for about ten seconds. 

But, to succeed in doing this, the trainer advised us not to look at ourselves or others in the mirror or at anything in motion.  Instead, we were to keep our eyes focused on a fixed, still point on the floor.

And doing that, at least for me, was important.  Keeping my eyes focused on that fixed, still point helped me to maintain my balance standing on one foot. 

Peter’s Balance in the Storm

Well, I am not here today to lead us in exercises for physical balance.

But, I am suggesting that the trainer’s guidance to keep our eyes focused on a fixed, still point is also excellent spiritual guidance.  Look what happens to Peter in today’s gospel.

Peter steps out of the boat to walk onto the water.  At first his eyes are on Jesus and he is okay.

But then, Peter takes his eyes off of Jesus and gets focused on the wind and the waves.  He gets focused on the storm and quickly starts to sink. 

The crucial point here is that when Peter keeps his eyes fixed on Jesus, he keeps his balance and is dealing fine with the storm.  But when he takes his eyes off of Jesus, he’s in trouble. 

Our Storms

I believe that there are storms in all of our lives – no exceptions!

For me, the one I remember very well is when I was thirty years-old.  I had been a priest for four years and seemed to be doing pretty well.

But all of a sudden, I began seriously questioning my vocation.  Eventually things got sorted out and resolved, but wow, that was quite a storm for me for the better part of a year.

There are lots of other possible storms.  A doctor’s report that we have cancer, a heart attack, the death of your husband or wife or child or parent, an addiction to alcohol or drugs or gambling, the loss of a job, the break-up of a marriage, and on it goes.

Our Balance in Storms

I believe that keeping our eyes focused on Jesus in these storms is crucial.

It’s something like what the trainer told us to do to keep our physical balance.  It’s what Peter needed to do when he stepped out of the boat into the stormy water.

We need to keep our eyes on Jesus as our fixed or stillpoint.  He will help us to keep our spiritual balance and get through the storms.

Practically speaking, I offer one recommendation.  At the beginning of each day, pray.  It can be your own prayer, right from your heart.

It can be a prayer you have learned.  It can be a prayer in a prayerbook.

It can be one of the psalms or a short passage from one of the gospels.  It doesn’t have to be long – maybe five minutes or even less.

But every day – no exceptions – pray in the morning.  And then, from that prayer, take one word or a phrase that you can repeat throughout the day.

For example: “Jesus, be with me.”  Or, “God of love.”  Or, “Emmanuel” or what that word means: “God is with us.”  Or, “Do not be afraid.”

They are just examples.  The idea is to pick a word or phrase, and then, repeat it throughout the day – wherever you are, whatever you are doing.

It is a good way to keep our eyes on Jesus as the fixed or stillpoint of our lives.  It is a good way to keep our balance and get through the storms of life.

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Cycle A - August 6, 2017

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Cycle A

August 6, 2017 

4:00pm at Saint Margaret Parish, Bel Air

9:30 and 11:15am at Saint Mary Parish, Pylesville

The Message: Beloved  

The message today is clearly about Jesus himself.

But, of course, this focus always leads to us.  So there is also a message about us.

Jesus: Beloved

The gospel passage says that Jesus is “transfigured.” 

He himself doesn’t change but his appearance changes.  Peter, James and John see him differently.

Now, these disciples are probably aware of the description of “the Ancient One” – that’s the expression used in the Book of Daniel, our first reading.  Daniel has this vision of “the Ancient One” – God the Father.

He sees light and brightness surrounding the Father.  “His clothing was bright as snow, and his hair white as light.”

In a similar way, the disciples see Jesus’ “face shining like the sun and his clothes as white as light.”  So, they must have made the connection with “the Ancient One.”

They now know that Jesus has a unique relationship with God.  Then a voice from a cloud really nails it down for the disciples.

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”  “This is my beloved Son.” 

These words confirm what the disciples are seeing.  This man whom they have been following, Jesus, is the Son of God.     

We: Beloved

One of our Catholic theologians takes the words spoken from the cloud a step farther.

He says that God is saying the same words to us.  “You are my beloved daughter.  You are my beloved son.”

God is speaking these same words to all of us who are connected with Jesus through baptism.  And God is speaking these words to all human beings because all are connected to the Father in the very act of creation.

So, “You are my beloved daughter.  You are my beloved son.”  

These powerful words form the foundation of our self-worth.  They give us a strong basis for our self-esteem.

So, maybe each day it would be good to prayerfully remember God speaking these words to us.  They give us a footing for the day – to live out of that sense of self-worth.

And maybe we can especially hear God saying these words when we feel down or put down, when we feel failure and when we feel left out.  If we recall these words in those moments, we can continue to live out of our inherent worth as persons.

This will help us not to give up on life and not to strike back at others.  We will know intuitively that we are okay and worthy no matter what is going on.

Others: Beloved

Now there is one more message here about Jesus and about us.

The passage says that Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus.  

Moses is the giver of the Law and Jesus says that he comes to fulfill the Law.  The Law says that we are not to kill, and now Jesus says that we are not to act out of any kind of destructive anger.

Elijah is the last great prophet and Jesus says that he comes to fulfill the prophets.  The prophets tell us to care for the poor, and now Jesus says that when we care for those in need, we are actually caring for him.

So Jesus respects Moses and Elijah, accepts what they say and then takes it farther.  He doesn’t bash or trash them as a way to assert himself and his teaching.

The message for us is that we also are not to bash and trash.  We are not to shame and humiliate others. 

We are not to do this in our one-on-one relationships.  And we are not to do this in any group or public setting. 

We don’t have to do this to feel worthwhile and good about ourselves because our self-worth comes from God.  We are God’s beloved sons and daughters.

And we don’t this to others because they also are God’s sons and daughters.  We just need to recall those words from the cloud.

Conclusion

So, quite a passage of Scripture this morning.

A great statement about Jesus and who he is.  And a great statement about who we are and how we are to live.

17th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle A - July 30, 2017

17th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Cycle A

July 30, 2017 

8:00am at Saint Mary Parish, Pylesville

11:00am at Saint Matthew Parish, Baltimore

King Midas

Some years ago, here in the Baltimore area, there were the Midas Muffler Shops.

They were a pretty good place to have a new muffler put on your car.  Somewhere along the line, Midas Muffler became Midas Auto Repair and now they do more than just muffler work.

What interests me this morning is the name Midas.  That was the name of a king in Greek mythology and there is an interesting legend about him.

The story goes that one day a stranger visits Midas and finds the king in his treasure room.  Surprisingly, Midas is sad that his wealth is so limited. 

The visitor asks him, “King Midas, what would you like?”  And Midas replies, “I want everything I touch to turn to gold.”

The next morning, the king wakes up and discovers that his wish has been granted.  At first, he is elated, but almost immediately, there are problems.

His bed has turned to gold and now it isn’t very comfortable.  His glasses turn to gold and now he cannot see through them.

His biscuits and coffee turn to gold and now he cannot eat or drink – I mean, just think how awful it would be if for our Dunkin’ Donuts to turn to gold!  Well, Midas realizes that his wish was a mistake and that he cannot live on gold alone.

King Solomon

This legend from Greek mythology helps us to appreciate today’s readings.

In the first reading, King Solomon, something like Midas, is invited to ask God for whatever he wants.  Maybe surprisingly, Solomon asks for wisdom.

He wants to lead his people wisely.  Well, Solomon’s request helps us to understand Jesus’ point in today’s two parables.

Both parables are about persons who sell everything they own to have enough money to buy one thing that they really want.  Jesus explains that both the field with the treasure and the pearl symbolize the kingdom of heaven.

This expression – the kingdom of heaven – means the presence of God within us or our having a close relationship with God.  Jesus’ point is that we should make this the priority or value underneath the important things we do in life.

Three Standards in Solomon

If we go back to Solomon, we can see three standards for knowing if we are really seeking the kingdom of heaven.

You know, throughout our lives, there are lots of things that we want to do or accomplish.  And by the way, I am thinking of the more significant things that we want in life, not simple things like my wanting to stop for a frozen yogurt on the way home today.

Well, what I am saying is that embedded in Solomon’s request for wisdom are three standards.  And these standards can help us to evaluate if what we are doing is really part of seeking the kingdom of heaven.

Three Standards for the Kingdom 

First, notice that Solomon wants something that is for himself and also for the good of others.  So, for example, does our desire for a promotion at work also include our hope to provide well for our family or to contribute something to the Mason–Dixon Food Pantry/parish immigration ministry?

Second, notice that Solomon wants something that will develop the gifts God has given him. So, do we see our goal of getting a degree in computer science or whatever it is as a way of using the God-given gifts that we have?

And third, notice that Solomon wants something that has more to do with who he is as a person than with what he owns.  So, even though we want to get that new SUV, deep down are we really working to become a more patient, thoughtful, truthful, fair and compassionate person?

Conclusion

So, Jesus wants us to make the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God the priority or value underneath the important things that we do.  And Solomon gives us three standards for evaluating if we are doing this.

1.    Are the significant things that we want not just for ourselves, but in some way also for the good of others?

2.    Are our passions and drives really about developing the gifts God has given us?

3.    And deep down, are we invested more in who we become as a person than in what we own?