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homily – July 23

Sunday, July 23rd, 2006

Mark 6:30-34

Just picture the scene in today’s gospel. Last Sunday we heard of how Jesus sent the Apostles out two by two to preach the good news of God’s kingdom – he gave them power over unclean spirits and the power to heal the sick.

Today we hear of the excited return – they couldn’t wait to tell Jesus and one another all the wonderful things that happened on their first missionary journey. They were probably into ‘one up man ship’ – each trying to out tell the other with their success stories. Remember how your children came home from their first day of school, or from their first venture at a summer camp – they were just bursting with things to tell you.

Jesus was happy with all this news – he knew they been hard at work, traveling from town to town – preaching and healing. They’d been so busy they didn’t even have time to eat. So Jesus suggests they take some time out – time to relax, time to pray and time to reflect in a deeper way on what went on during the past weeks – all summed up in the invitation -‘ come away to a deserted place where there will be no distractions, no interruptions – and rest a while.’

But the best laid plans of even the son of God can go astray. By time they got to where they thought they would have some peace and quiet people were already there – wanting to hear more, see more. Seeing the crowds Jesus had compassion on them – he knew they were a searching people, people anxious to hear what he had to say about God’s love for them – words that lifted their spirits and gave them hope – so he put aside his plans for r and r and began to teach them many things.

The image of the shepherd is very present in today’s reading. Jeremiah excoriates the unfaithful spiritual shepherds of his time – those men who should have been giving good leadership to the people – but men who abused and exploited their position among the people. Jeremiah promises a time when true shepherds will lead the people to green pastures and still waters – who would be with them in the valley of the shadow of death. Jesus was conscious of the constant image of shepherd in scripture and calls himself the good shepherd – the shepherd who would lay down his life for his sheep.

Shepherds never took vacations – shepherds didn’t work 9 – 5, they never had a 40 hour week. Theirs was a 24/7 reality. Theirs was a life of vigilance, companionship, guidance, and protection to those in their care – the attitude and lifestyle of the shepherd had to be one of absolute availability – the modern farmer, for all the technology involved in farming today – still is pretty well tied down to the farm. I have a nephew in Sussex who runs a dairy farm – they milk over a hundred cows – all done by automation – but he seldom if ever gets away for a few days. Anything could go wrong -he’s got to be there.

Parents of new born children have a 24/7 reality – they have to be present to that child all the time – the same with young children – availability is the name of the game. Same thing with those caring for aging parents – there are times when you know you just have to be there. There’s no getting away.

But our life style today is really placing too many people in this 24/7 mode. The cell phone, the blackberry seem to be running peoples lives. People can’t seem to turn off the cell phone – have some peace and quiet. I’m expecting an important call, there might be an emergency. It can get to be an addiction. It can be a means of avoiding silence – Jesus had a plan – he wanted to get the apostles away by themselves, take time to eat, relax, share experiences and to pray – to get in touch with God and open their busy lives to God’s power and presence. He backed off this plan when he came across all these needy people. He put his plan on hold. Eventually they did get away to a quiet place. Availability is one of the messages of today – but taking time out is the other. Even Jesus couldn’t be available 24/7 – I love that song Mary Magdalene sings to Jesus in the musical ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ – let the world spin without you tonight.

There was a saying in a book written years ago on ministry and the caution of the author to those in church ministry was – try not to lose the God of good works in the good works of God. Life is so hectic, so demanding on people today – how often have you seen a person coming home from a long day’s work, talking on the cell phone and carry a lap top – the message is, my works not finished. Because life is so hectic and frantic, because it is so 24/7 – we need to take the time and accept the invitation – that even our common sense offers us – come away and rest a while – chill out – get in touch with what is going on in our lives – In the course of a busy day – take ten minutes to be still – place before God the stress you are under, the concerns you have, the joys you have – make these our prayer of need and thanksgiving.

As we continue this Mass we can pray for ourselves and for each other that we be graced with the insight we need to accept the invitation of Jesus in today’s gospel – come away and rest a while – an invitation to care for our physical and spiritual well being – and as I’ve mentioned before – it helps keep things in perspective when we remember – cemeteries are filled with indispensable people – try to not make yourself one of them.

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homily – July 16

Sunday, July 16th, 2006

Mark 6:7-13

You know we begin each Mass calling to mind the blessing with which we’ve been blessed – this is meant to keep us in an attitude of gratitude. Our second reading reminds us of that blessing that is the basis of all our other blessings – our reading starts with an act of thanksgiving – blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ – why? Because, before the world began God chose us in Christ – – God destined us for adoption to be his sons and daughters. All this – before the world began.

It’s difficult to get our heads around such a wonder –

I tell this story at every baptism – I was having coffee with some friends one morning. This woman had just come back from a trip to Rome and was loaded down with photos – she was showing us pictures of St. Peter’s – then she stopped and said – isn’t this amazing – I’m Anglican, Paul you’re Catholic, Lowell you’re Jewish – and then she said to the fourth member of our group – Jack what are you? – and Jack answered – I’m nothing – that answer hung in the air for a bit and then we went back to the photos. The next day the reading for the morning Mass was from this letter to the Ephesians – and I thought of that conversation from the day before – and Jack’s response “I’m nothing” Jack meant he had no religious affiliation – but so often too many people think for whatever reason – they are nothing – they have no worth, no value. Maybe they’ve been told they are a disappointment, they haven’t measured up to a mother or a father’s expectations of them – maybe they feel they are nothing because they have disappointed themselves, maybe they feel they haven’t lived up to their own possibilities – they blew it.

One of the hardest death watches I ever had was with a man who was convinced til his last breath that the world would have been a better place if he had never been born. For whatever reason he was convinced his life was a total waste.

None of us can say “I’m nothing” Not if we keep in touch with that amazing grace – this original blessing – before the world began God chose us in Christ to be his adopted sons and daughters.

I visited a family recently and one of the daughters and her husband had just returned from China where they went and adopted a little girl. They chose her and offered her a love and a life and a future that would never have been hers in China. Hopefully this beautiful little girl will always be grateful for having been chosen to live in a new land – hopefully she will take advantage of all the opportunities that will be hers.

Hopefully we will always be grateful for having been chosen by God before the world began, to be His own. In one of his letters St. John writes – this is the wonder, not that we love God but that God first loved us and sent his son to be our savior. – How can be best show our gratitude for such a gift – we best show it in our daily awareness of our giftedness – we best show it by our daily trying to put on Christ – to be a Christ like person and rid ourselves of all those un Christ like ways of living and thinking and relating to family, friend and stranger – its not easy but it is possible because we know that the God who began this good work in us – before the world began – will bring that work to completion.

We can continue the Mass praying for ourselves and for each other that we always be mindful and grateful for our original blessing – before the world began God chose us in Christ to be his sons and daughters.

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homily – July 9

Sunday, July 9th, 2006

2 Cor 12:7-10

Just a few words on the second reading for today’s Mass. As you know St. Paul was a powerful figure in the beginnings of the church. He started out as a persecutor of the Christian community, witnessing and approving of the killing of Stephen, the first martyr of the church. He saw this new community of believers as being apostates from their Jewish faith – something he could not abide. Paul was on his way to Damascus to arrest men and women who followed this new way. Christ had other plans for Paul. Thru a deep religious experience Christ turned Paul’s life around. Because of the personal encounter with Christ, Paul would say of himself – I know nothing else but Jesus Christ and Him crucified – for me to live is Christ. We know of his great missionary journeys – the Christian communities he established – the persecutions he faced. Paul’s is a dramatic story.

In the short reading we just heard taken from his letter to the Christian community at Corinth, Paul reveals an awful lot about his personal life. He wrote of the great spiritual experiences he had – intense visions and insights into the mystery of God. But as we heard today – lest all these great gifts buff him up, make him too proud, too self assured, Paul lets us know about his famous “thorn in the flesh”. He never tells us what his thorn, his torment was. There have been all kinds of speculation about it – a physical disability, a chronic illness that limited his ability to work, a moral weakness, his inability to put up with those who opposed his preaching. No one really knows, in a way it’s not important.

We had this senior priest who enjoyed poor health for years. His favorite saying was ‘If I only had my health, the things I’d do for the Lord.” He died of bed sores. Paul was saying much the same thing – if I could only get rid of this thorn, the disability, this thing that torments me – I could get so much more work done, I could preach the gospel in so many more places. Maybe Paul had a ‘god complex’. He tells us he pleaded with the Lord three times – that’s another way of saying he pestered the Lord – to rid him of this thorn, this torment, this weakness that was such an embarrassment. The response was – my grace is sufficient for you – for power is made perfect in weakness. So Paul learned to deal with his thorn, his torment, his weakness – he handed himself over to his higher power. Gladly will I glory in my infirmity that the strength of Christ may dwell in me. Paul came to realize that any strength he had, any ability for doing good, came not from his own abilities but from the power of God that was alive and at work within him, in spite of this ‘thorn’. Paul came to know that his thorn, his torment was like a magnet drawing to him the power and grace of God. The Lord decided not to take away Paul’s thorn so that Paul could come to understand that it was the struggle that was important, his willingness to deal with his weakness that was important – God would use Paul’s weakness to accomplish His own designs. Paul came to understand that his weakness was the perfect setting in and thru which the works of God would be accomplished – God grace was enough for him.

We all gave our thorn in the flesh – some trait of character, some mind set, some struggle that seems to keep us from being the person we would wish to be, keeps us feeling we are not as close to God as we should be. Our thorn could be a struggle with bouts of depression, doubting our self worth, questioning our abilities as parents, spouses – our thorn might be our inability to let go of painful memories of past hurts – our inability to forgive ourselves for past wrongs – our thorn might be our incapacity to trust the truth that we are unconditionally loved by God and that when God forgives, God forgets. Like St. Paul we can imagine that if we were free of our thorn – if this equation was removed from our lives – we would live better, holier, more useful lives.

Like St. Paul we are invited – by the Lord – to rejoice, even boast of the thorn that reveals our weakness, our neediness. For when we admit we need help that’s when God’s grace can act more powerfully in our lives.

In the Mass Christ says to us – take – this is my body, this is my blood – this is my life – take. When we hear these words – conscious of our own thorn, our own weakness – we can respond to Christ – take – this my body, this is my blood, this is my life, this is my thorn – take – we offer ourselves as we are – we trust the truth – God’s grace is enough for us – thru our weakness God’s power can do wonderful things.

As we continue this Mass we can pray for ourselves and for each other that we be able to say with St. Paul – gladly will I glory in my infirmity that the strength of Christ may dwell in me.

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homily – July 2

Sunday, July 2nd, 2006

Mark 5:21-43

The two gospel stories we’ve just heard – one of the long suffering woman and the other of the father pleading for Jesus’ help – speak to me of desperation.

Someone referred to this good woman who worked her way thru the crowd just to touch Jesus’ clothes – as a bent woman – bent and burdened by her years of chronic illness and her chronic disappointments at the failure of her many attempts to be cured – desperation.

Jarius – facing the harsh fact that his child was dying had to be at his wit’s end. He begged and pleaded repeatedly for Jesus to come to his home and just lay his hand on his daughter – do something, do anything – desperation.

Both had great hope and trust in Jesus as each reached out to touch him – hoping that he would answer they desperate pleas for health – for life. Both Jarius and the bent woman had that faith to trust that Jesus has the power to confront their desperate life circumstances and make a difference.

We can say that the two stories in today’s gospel are success stories, everything worked out. Jarius’ and the bent woman’s trust in the power of Jesus ‘ payed off’. But what about all those times when there is no Jesus there to touch and heal – no Jesus to take us by the hand and tell us ‘get up’?

A few nights ago I was called to the emergency at NYGH – a three week old baby was dying. The staff at emergency were doing everything to keep a little girl alive – her mother keeping calling her name – encouraging her to fight, fight – finally a decision was made – nothing more could be done – the mother pleaded with them to keep working on her daughter – desperation – the deep sobbing of both parents really took its toll on all of us – everyone in that room had such a sense of helplessness. Actually I thought of today’s gospel that night. – I wished I had the power to turn that disaster around with the simple words – little girl get up. – That young mother and father were absolutely inconsolable. Maybe some future memory of how hard that staff worked to save their daughter – some future memory of how they were supported that night – will help them know they experienced the presence and love of Christ in the people who were with them at the desperate time.

There can be many times in our lives, or in the lives of those we love, when we are desperate – devastated by the unfairness of life – the meanness of people – the infidelity of friends – an injustice suffered – the death of someone we love. So many life situations can bring us to the brink of desperation – cause us to cry out like Job – why? – this is so unfair.

Think on this – despite their desperate situations both the bent woman and Jarius continued to trust in Jesus – trust that He could make a difference in their lives. The bent woman and Jarius stand forever together as witnesses to Jesus’ power to heal and give life – There can be times in our own lives or in the lives of those we love, when we are with desperate, frantic people caught up in some life disaster – and as helpless as we may feel – we do have the power – by our silence presence – to support, sustain, heal and give people trust in the basic goodness of life. They can experience God’s presence and love in our presence and love. Just as we have experienced God’s presence and love in the presence and love of family and friends.

Years ago a woman was telling me of how she got involved in the AIDS ministry. She took all the courses on pastoral visiting etc and then she made her first visit to a young man dying of aids. She told me she was terrified as she opened the door to his room – she was shocked by the sight of this wasted young man. She forced herself to walk to his bedside and sit down – then she took his hand in hers and admitted to him,” I don’t know what to say.” He looked at her and said, “you’ve said everything, you touched me.” We touch people in so many ways and more often than not in those desperate times in our lives or theirs it is the touch of presence that says everything and is life giving.

As we continue to celebrate this Mass with these two powerful stories before us we can pray for ourselves and for each other that we realize the truth that by our presence and support we can reach out and touch family and friends and strangers who find themselves in desperate situations – because our God is a God of the living who sees, cares and in God’s great mercy and wisdom has given us the power to be His loving, caring and healing presence to others.

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homily – June 25

Sunday, June 25th, 2006

Last Sunday in Old Church

As you know officially this is our last Sunday Mass in this church. We will still be celebrating Mass here in July until we can make the move to our new church. At the end of Mass we will ritualize this event by carrying our parish records of baptisms, first communions, confirmations, marriages and funerals out of this church as a sign of our movement to the future.

Reflecting on today’s scripture can support us as we move on to our new church. Today’s portion of Mark’s gospel comes at the end of a long series of parables Jesus used to teach the people the good news – Mark tells us that great crowds came to hear him – Jesus felt himself in danger of being crushed by the crowd so he asked his disciples to have a boat ready for him so he could preach from the boat. Jesus taught the people in parables – stories about the seed growing, the yeast fermenting, always stories about growth, becoming. Having finished his preaching Jesus knew it was time to move on – He had other cities and towns to visit.

So we have today’s gospel of crossing over to the other side, the violent storm and the calming of the sea. In a way we could imagine that the disciples were quite happy with the way things were – crowds were coming to hear Jesus, this was a good scene, they were getting comfortable with the situation. But Jesus gives the order – we’re moving on – we’re crossing over to the other side where there will be more work to do, more challenges to meet.

Moving on is not always an easy thing to do – moving out of a home you’ve lived in for years can be heartbreaking – leaving behind so many memories. Moving on from grade school into high school or from high school into university – these changes can be fraught with anxiety of what is ahead. Moving on from a single life to married life – moving on from a job you’ve held for years and going into retirement – moving on from independent living to home care – in all these situations we tend to think more on what we are leaving behind than the possibilities of what lies ahead.

As a parish family we are in the process of moving on, crossing over to the other side – we leave behind this holy place and space that has been our home these 54 years – we have memories of great celebrations and tragic funerals – in these past 54 years we celebrated 6,606 baptisms 3,838 first communions, 3,327 confirmations, 2,203 weddings, 1,363 funerals – occasions of joy – times of sadness.

Maybe we can see in the turbulent seas of today’s gospel the mixed emotions we all have about our move – I’ve been a priest 47 years – 35 of those years have been here at St. Gabriel’s and its not easy to say good bye to this place with its many memories – its not easy for any of us – but – we can make our own the first words of our second reading tell us – the love of Christ urges us on, urges us on to cross over to the other side – we can make our own the last words of Paul – in Christ there is a new creation – everything old has passed away – see everything has become new – We want to grow as a community of faith – our new church expresses in the way it was built, in the way we will gather in it – in the way we will worship in it – a new sense of God’s good creation – hopefully we will be put us in touch with a new way of looking at creation – a deeper awareness of our connectedness with all God’s good creation – a greater gratitude for the beauty of the earth – a deeper sense of our personal commitment to the healing of Earth.

Christ chided the disciples for their lack of faith – that they doubted he would leave them to their own resources in that troubled sea – We can continue this Mass giving thanks to God for all that has happened in our church these past 54 years – and asking for the faith we need to trust that Christ is with us as we go through the troubled seas of our own emotions – crossing over to that other side that will be full of new life and new possibilities.

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