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December 31, 2008
Epiphany of the Lord [January 4, 2008]
One thing I have noticed here on the Notre Dame campus is that practically all the students walk around with wires hanging from their ears. So, one day I stopped a young lady and asked her what that stuff was hanging out of her hair. “Oh, she said, “that’s my iPod. I listen to music all the time when I’m running around the track or from class to class. We also often listen to a program produced by campus ministry called ndprayercast.org. It’s a 15-minute combination of sacred music, a gospel reading and a homily by the Holy Cross priests on campus. Neat material! It helps you get ready for Sunday Mass.
Well, after that I went right to Best Buy and got myself an iPod and took the young lady’s advice and listened to ndprayercast.org and, of course, some jazz I had on my computer.
All this was an epiphany to me, a great revelation about how with modern technology one can proclaim and hear God’s word.
I just wanted to relate that little encounter with the iPod because today we celebrate the great feast of the Epiphany, that moment in history when Jesus Christ became manifest to all the world and not to the Jewish nation alone.
All this is related not in theological terms but rather by way of a lovely story of some wise men, also called kings who came out of the East one day looking for this newly born king of the Jews who was rumored to be in the small town of Bethlehem. After an altercation with a Jewish King named Herod, they finally arrived at Bethlehem and offered this Jewish child-king their symbolic gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
The interesting part of this story is that the narrator has the three kings guided by a star, by God’s light, eventually to find the Christ, the light of the world.
Whether the incidents of this story ever happened as described is of no consequence here because Christian revelation happens in several different ways: Historically, theologically, fictionally and analogically.
The point that the biblical authors wished to communicate to us is that Christ, the savor, is the light for the entire world. His good news is for Jew and gentile alike.
All this plays out later in His life when he invites his disciples not hide their gifts their light, their wisdom from the world, but rather to go forth and proclaim the good news everywhere.
And thus has it been from Christ’s time until our own. It is still our responsibility to proclaim this gospel in all ways that we know how. What shame it would be if the good news managed through human means to reach our own times and then be forgotten.
And so, we are back to the iPod and ndprayercast.org. The proclamation of the word is being spread abroad more effectively than ever through modern technology. Who would ever have thought it so even 10 years ago? Of course, technology can do only so much. At a certain point, the human tongue, the human person has to come in and handle the rest.
That’s where each of us comes in: It is our responsibility to try by whatever means we have at our disposal to spread this news, which is so good, so effective in making this world, a better place.
If you think having an iPod would help out, Best Buy is the place to go. I know, I’ve been there.
The scriptures: Isaiah 60: 1-6; Ephesians 3: 2-3a, 5-6;Matthew 2: 1-12
Posted by Cindy Lentine at 12:39 PM.
December 22, 2008
Holy Family [December 28, 2008]
One of the pleasurable features of the Christmas season is the opportunity to learn what has been happening in the lives of the families that we love and write to, call or deliver e- mail messages to each year. Some of the news is “so-so,” nothing much new this past year. Much of the news, of course, is happy news: “We have a new baby daughter.” “Our son graduated from college with honors.”
But tragedies are also told: “Grandpa died this year.” “Our son is in prison for smuggling drugs across the U.S. border from Mexico.” “Our daughter nearly died of an overdose, but she’s okay now.” “Mom and dad separated this year.” “Economically, things are really tough here. Dad has been out of work for several months.”
You will recognize these as typical family stories, good and bad. They deserve to be told because they are part of our human condition. People look for understanding from their friends: When one member rejoices, all rejoice, when someone is experiencing sadness, all are sad. No matter what family we belong to, no one should ever need to rejoice or cry alone. In short, we are naturally glued to one another and there is nothing we can do about it, fortunately.
Each year our Catholic calendar of feasts celebrates a special day to remember the holy family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus, but it could just as well be the holy family of Bob and Mary, their son Jason or daughter Cindy, or whatever other family you might want to choose.
Such families may not wish to be called holy, but the very fact that they cling to one another, sometimes scold each other, weep with each other, defend each other, tells you immediately that this is, indeed, a holy family.
I am sure that Joseph, Mary and Jesus never imagined themselves a holy family, no holier than any other family in their neighborhood in Nazareth. Doubtless, they attended synagogue each Saturday morning and made a living as best they could.
Of course, their neighbors did not notice anything different about them either. This special recognition of Jesus as Messiah and savior only came later when he began his public life by preaching the kingdom of God.
At the same time, I am convinced that families are holy by nature. According to the Book of Genesis, it all began when Adam and Eve recognized each other and, as the text states, “clung to each other.” That is basically what every family in history has done; they cling to one another whether for good or ill. In a sense, every family knows that if they do not cling to one another, support each other, no one is going to do it for them. There is a mysterious, inscrutable bonding among the members of the human race that seems to have its source in the very act of creation itself.
Of course, it is true that not all individuals choose to be part of the natural family, as we understand it, dad, mom and the kids. Some choose partners for life because of a natural but different sort of longing and attraction.
Others also choose a religious family. There is something unique in this sort of larger bonding. Individuals choose it for the spiritual support it offers in prayer, meditation and just the ordinary activities of daily life. I can say from experience that this life is far from perfect but we struggle and muddle our way through it joyfully. It is the only option we have.
So, we are part of families of various sorts. If we did not have this option we would die of loneliness and despair. With no one to laugh with, no one to cry with, life can become nearly unbearable.
The story of Joseph, Mary and Jesus as we read it in one or other of the three versions we find in our lectionary is a close match to the families I described above. Their lives were filled with the same joys, same sorrows, same tragedies that families in our own age experience: Migration problems, poverty, the power of the state and temple always looking over their shoulders. Today we also have migration problems: People turned away from the border; raids on factories, husbands, wives and children separated from each other, terrorism destroying the fabric of family life, millions struggling to find food and shelter in Third World Countries. Is anything so different than it was in the Holy Family’s time?
So, what defense is left? What security can this natural bonding of human beings look to? It is a great puzzle in this age in which we live, where outside forces constantly threaten to break us apart.
Nonetheless, it would seem that the natural instinct of clinging to each other, protecting each other, supporting each other, even reprimanding each other with love, such acts can make life in this world not only bearable, but actually enjoyable.
Did God create it all this way, this attraction, this bonding, this grouping and supporting? It surely seems so. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel tells it this way: “Just to be is a blessing, just to live is holy.” If there is any better option, I would surely like to hear of it.
The scriptures: Sirach 3: 2-7m 12-14; Colossians 3: 12-21; Luke 2: 22-40
Posted by Cindy Lentine at 11:41 AM.
December 15, 2008
Fourth Sunday of Advent [December 21, 2008]
In my young and bold days, it was my custom to spend my summer vacations climbing mountains in the West with my friends. There is a habit or practice among mountaineers to place a small cairn of rocks at the very top of the mountain they have just climbed to prove that they have, indeed, climbed the peak by a particular route; they were there. To leave evidence of this they also write a short note with name and date on it, put it in a tin box and place it under the rocks, ostensibly to let the next climber know that they had, indeed, been the first to summit that particular peak. I did that on many an occasion.
Believe me, however, there was no religious significance attached to the practice; it is just a sign of pride in the climbing community.
Let it also be said, however, that ancient people have been placing rock cairns on high places for centuries, mainly to offer homage to God or the gods. The custom is mentioned many times in the Jewish Testament. The Jews often referred to this as pagan worship. Nonetheless, even the Jewish people themselves worshiped God in high places. There is reference the Jewish people “going up” to Jerusalem and to the temple to worship. The temple itself is set on the highest point in Jerusalem.
The thought, of course, is that God inhabits the high places, perhaps because these seemed closer to the heavens. At any rate, this is where people found and worshiped their God. This is also the place where Moses went to receive the Commandments. It is called Sinai or Horeb. This was also the custom of the prophets when they would go to hear what God meant to say to the people. High places, therefore, are considered fascinating places. (Even I can vouch for that.)
All of this is to say that for centuries people of the East have discovered their God in some particular place. God always makes his home among his people. The Ark of the Covenant, for instance, was always carried with the Jews while they were on pilgrimage. Later, the temple itself and the Holy of Holies in the temple were considered to be the places where the people could meet their God.
But the question is how have Christians met their God in history? It is all laid out for us in the gospel for this fourth Sunday of Advent. Luke tells us that the power of the Most High overshadowed a young woman named Mary, and she conceived a Son whom we name Emmanuel, God with us. For the first time in human history, therefore, we, people of flesh and faith, can say that God is truly with us in the flesh, in our flesh and blood.
In some sense then, all humankind becomes holy because God’s Son, Jesus, the Christ, has come to make his home with us. For the first time in human history a human person becomes the temple of God.
Finally, what all this should mean to us is that we can meet God in one another. Abraham Joshua Heschel, the Jewish rabbi, once said: “Just to be is a blessing, just to live is holy.
So, now that we are close to the feast of the Incarnation, God with us, we can begin to see more and more clearly that we need not climb mountains to experience God. God is as near to us as that person you are standing near to you or that person standing somewhere across the world. God is in us and with us. Emmanuel.
The scriptures: Samuel 7: 1-5, 8-12, 14-16; Romans 16: 25-27;
Luke 1: 26-38
Posted by Cindy Lentine at 02:26 PM.
December 14, 2008
Third Sunday in Advent - December 14, 2008
At the house where I live here at Notre Dame we have 40 priests and most of them read the newspapers each day. I believe that we must receive at least 10 copies every morning. Fortunately, Notre Dame is a recycling community so when the papers have been read, they are used again in some other form. That’s always been good news, at least to me.
On the other hand, after scanning at least the New York Times each day, I have to say that there surely not much good news to read.
Ever since the Vietnam War there seems to be an increasing amount of very, very bad news. Perhaps it seems all the more evident to me because of the increasing sources of communication: News papers, television, Internet, e-mail, blackberry devices and others too.
I think there has been so much bad news; most of us do not even think much about it today. Perhaps we simply say, like Walter Cronkite used to say: “Well that’s the way it is” Unfortunately, that is the way it is.
Nonetheless, despite the preponderance of bad news, there is also some good news, but it is usually not in large print on the front page. Its down inside between pages 4 and 10 in the local or community section: “Boy Scout saves kid from drowning.” “Policeman saves dog from fire.” “Grade school kids collect cans or paper for recycling.”
None of those examples describe actions are spectacular;The editorial board probably would not dwell long on their importance. But they are all real human deeds; someone benefited from someone else act of charity.
My hunch is that if one were count up the day’s news stories, there would be more good deeds than bad. It’s just that good deeds don’t seem to attract much attention. Violence always seems more interesting than human charity.
I say all this because the liturgy of this Third Sunday in Advent speaks several times about good news. Isaiah the prophet claims that his reason for speaking out is to bring glad tidings to the poor, healing to the broken hearted, offering liberty to captives and release to prisoners.
Interestingly, Jesus uses those very words of Isaiah in the famous scene in the synagogue when he was asked to stand and preach.
Now, obviously, in Jesus’ time there was a lot of bad news, just as there is today. Indeed, some of it might have been worse given the political unrest in that time. Did Jesus do much about those political conditions? Not much. However he did do quite a few personal good deeds that we call miracles. But, over all, Jesus did not change the world of his time very much. It was the small, personal deeds that counted for more.
Given, however, that Jesus set the tone for his time; given that he was satisfied with doing something, individual and personal, it is still a model for us today.
Nobody is asking us to change the political inequities of our say;, nobody is asking us to stop wars or overcome global violence.
Our task, following the model of Jesus, is simply to be satisfied with doing small and personal things that we find possible to do here and now. God can still take care of the rest.
The scriptures: Isaiah 61: 1-2a, 10-11, 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-24, John 1: 6-8, 19-28
Posted by Cindy Lentine at 09:03 AM.
December 06, 2008
Second Sunday of Advent - December 7, 2008
The aftermath of the 2008 political campaigns and the elections left me thinking about something that I have never personally experienced: What does it feel like to lose? Mind me now; I have never been a big loser at anything. However, I still asked myself: What would it feel like for a man or woman to lose the opportunity of a lifetime the opportunity, for instance, to become president or, indeed, governor, senator, representative for the state or the nation? It seems like an interesting question to me because I watched the process occur during the past year, often wondering how certain individuals felt being left behind while others forged ahead.
Of course, I cannot even imagine the agony that they must have experienced. Politicians seem to put their entire heart and being into the possibility of holding public office. They spend immense amounts of energy and millions of dollars. But for what? Partly, I should imagine for the opportunity to be in first place, for public recognition, for the opportunity to do some good for the state or nation. But now that the election is over and the people have spoken, some candidates have won, others have lost. Back they are again at what they were doing before the whole process started more than a year ago.
Happily, at least from my own slight research, many of those who “lost” have gone on to other things. Many continue to be loyal political servants. Others proceed into public life and do much good there as well. I think, for instance of former senator Al Gore and his efforts to curb global warming.
Nonetheless, one must try to imagine what goes through the minds and hearts of those who were passed over. There was such great hope, so much physic and physical energy was expended and now many people cannot even remember who the candidate was back when the campaigns began.
Of course, this experience happens not only to people who run for government office. I should imagine that many of us ordinary folks have had our hearts set on some particular goal. Perhaps we too spent immense effort to succeed, but in the end someone else came out on top.
The question is: Like the politicians, what goes through our minds when we lose? How do we recover? What do we even think about the whole process on which we have spent so much time and effort? What do we think of ourselves, about our person, our character? Do we now consider ourselves ultimate losers, or can we still be winners, at least in our own eyes?
It would seem to me that recovery from losing some important post can either be a disaster or a sign of something greater, pride of person, for instance, the determination that, despite losing, we have left something to the world. People will still benefit from our efforts in some fashion. So, perhaps we must say, “nobody’s a loser, everyone wins in some fashion or other.
Reading the story of John the Baptist in today’s gospel brought all this political meandering to mind. For sure, John was not a man running for office in the sense that we know it today. But he was running for something more important than the presidency or the governorship. In an odd sort of way, he had his this great vision that he would be the “campaign manager” for Jesus of Nazareth, the man who would preach the kingdom of God. Surely, for anyone who might want to be well remembered in Israelite society, this would be a great sacrifice. Without doubt, however, John saw Jesus as the one who could make momentous changes in the history of Israel and, indeed, in the world at large. So, like many in our recent political campaigns, he forgot his own self, his own ambitions and threw his efforts behind Jesus.
Again, like some political candidates, perhaps John had an insight about being the “winner” that the ordinary citizen did not have. He was willing to sacrifice his life and ambitions for something greater, something more lasting.
But, how difficult it is to set one’s self aside, to forget about our highest goals and wait for another day. For those of us, for instance, whose lives are devoted to ministry, I’m sure there have been occasions when we have put our total effort into a program we thought of as having great potential. Then we are moved to another job and someone else comes in to change everything. What do our hearts have to say then?
I do not know if there is an answer to such a dilemma, but my sense is that each of us can be winners, successful individuals, if we have the courage to set aside our own self, our own pride, our own great hopes and think about how our little “project” fits into the whole picture of church, state, or world. Yes, my success is important, but what I have done, what effort I have expended somehow makes the world a better place.
In some sense, therefore, our task, in whatever life ambition we are involved, is to have the graciousness to stand aside, like John did, and let someone else continue on with what we began
Perhaps we should even be so bold as to say that if we have lost what we sought to achieve, our task is to make the winner look good! I think Senator John McCain did that very thing in his short talk on election night when he congratulated Barak Obama as the winner. Sometimes losing can make for greatness of soul and character if we believe that we can make it happen.
Finally, it might it might not be too much to say that we are all called, like John the Baptist, to be gracious even in losing, in second place. The world is larger and more important than our win or loss. Like John the Baptist, we should have the greatness of soul to see beyond our personal campaigns and ourselves. Everyone will be the better for it.
The scriptures: Isaiah 40: 1-5, 9-11, 2 Peter 3: 8-14, Mark 1: 1-8
Posted by Cindy Lentine at 03:48 PM.
