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January 26, 2010
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time [January 31, 2010]
Consider, my friends the following scenario: Let us say that a young Catholic man decides to go off to the seminary. He has been an exemplary student, amicable in character, well liked by all.
So, he heads off to the seminary. Eight years later he returns to the home parish for his first Mass. All the eyes in the church are upon him expecting a pleasant word from the successful hometown boy. He steps to the ambo to speak: His first words are: “Folks, this is the lousiest parish in the entire diocese. The Christian spirit is completely lacking in this community. I hope that the bishop assigns me to this parish for my first appointment; believe me, I’ll clean up this community like you have never seen it cleaned before.”
Well, given that bit of excess hubris and arrogance, the people in the pews are astonished. They start walking out by the pew-full. After Mass some of the more critical individuals even stand on the porch step and boo him as he comes out. Obviously, this guy is not starting out in the most favorable of conditions. Of course, it is all fiction. I could not imagine it happening in real life.
But it has happened in our church at certain points in history. Even popes and bishops who were well liked in their early tenure became intensely disliked later on because of the overbearing manner in which they chose to govern the church.
I realize that there are certain questionable comparisons in this story, but the scene resembles that described in the two readings for this Sunday’s liturgy. It is about prophetic speaking and working.
From the book of the prophet Jeremiah, the first reading we hear, the author is speaking about his call to prophecy and the anguish it will cause him. In contemporary language, the text says: “I God have formed you to take on the powers that are in place. I will make you a pillar of iron, a wall of brass. Do not worry, however. I stand beside you; kings and priests will not prevail against you. Put on your armor and go do battle with them.
That was Jeremiah’s charge: Take ‘em on, Jeremiah; clean up this unholy scene. That is exactly what Jeremiah did, and he took the heat along with it.
The scene in the gospel follows the same pattern: Jesus comes home from “seminary.” Filled with all this new knowledge, he is asked to read the scriptures and preach. Much to the great satisfaction of the synagogue attendees, Jesus chooses a soft passage from Isaiah the prophet and applies it to himself: He proclaims his role as a preacher of good news, advocacy for the poor and the oppressed. The audience was impressed. “Go get ‘em,” they say.
But then comes the surprise: “Get this folks, I’m not doing any of this good work among you folks; you are not worthy of God’s gracious words. I’m going on to other towns!
Ah, the anger that arose at that point. Here is a local young man, fresh from seminary, telling these people that they are not worthy of his prophetic preaching.
They kick him out of their town, threaten him with brute force. So much for the brave work of prophets.
It is important to notice, however, that these two scenes are not time limited. They are models of human reaction that could occur in any community when a prophetic speaker comes into their midst and preaches hard words.
Unfortunately, I believe that there are few people today, whether in secular of religious communities who pay much attention to prophets. Often they are considered as odd, or as crackpots or as people who always have an issue to settle. In short, they are considered bothersome people.
In this regard, I think of former Vice President, Al Gore who was one of the first to speak for greater control over climate change. He was mocked and is still considered something of an extremist in the scientific community. Any critique of a present condition that will make people uncomfortable is bad news.
All this may sound rather esoteric to most folks. Rarely do we consider it our business to speak out in public about a serious issue, which affects the community at large. Who wants the heat? Who wants to be bothered? After all, there are people elected to deal with such issues
The late Senator Thomas (Tip) O’Neill said it best: “All politics is local.” How true this is: Most issues that affect the common citizenry are local. The Supreme Court is not needed as judge in ordinary issues between on person and another.
The question, then, arises: Do prophets like Jeremiah, Isaiah, Jesus or even contemporary local prophetic types need to be considered rare? My ideal instinct tells me no, but reality speaks otherwise.
All that prophetic speech, therefore, leaves us not only with a question, but also with a charge. Who has the wisdom and insight to see the questions that will affect our futures? I hope it is not “the other person.”
The scriptures: Jeremiah 1: 4-5, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 12: 31-13-13;
Luke 4: 21-30
Posted by Cindy Lentine at 03:24 PM.
January 21, 2010
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time [January 24, 2009]
There is something fascinating about having the opportunity to listen to a really good speaker, someone who can truly hold your attention and make you wish that you had the same skill at the podium.
In the successive ages of history when public orators were rare but polished at their trade, even commoners would gather in courtyards to hear them and be mesmerized by the smoothness of their art.
In the Romano-Greek age of history, for instance, scholars like Aristotle, Demosthenes, Cicero and even Paul of Tarsus were recognized as classical speakers. The fact that we have the records of their rhetoric still in existence today gives you some insight into the importance of these speakers.
Later in history we find Martin Luther and John Calvin fascinating the crowds and changing history. Later still such people as Susan B Anthony, Woodrow Wilson and Winston Churchill come to mind. Of course, who can forget the great Roosevelt’s: Teddy and Franklin, the presidential speakers.
So what about contemporary religious orators? Every Catholic will remember watching Msgr. Fulton Sheen on television (Uncle Fultie) as we called him. He was the great “Communist fighter” of his time. He also made the most of the scarlet cape that he would whip back as he entered the stage. Hiss speeches can still be found in libraries.
My pick for the greatest American religious orator of our time, of course, goes to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Not a man woman or Child can forget the famous “I have a dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. Here truly was a speaker who moved a nation.
With all that now said, let us take a brief look at two biblical orators referred to in the scriptures for this Sunday: Ezra, the scribe and Jesus the orator.
Let us say, for instance, that you had drifted from the church long ago and had not seen a catechism from your childhood. Then one day you discovered one in a used bookstore. You began to read it and suddenly fond memories of your catechism days returned. Perhaps tears came to your eyes.
That is the situation we find in the selection from the Jewish Testament of Nehemiah. The Jewish people had just recently returned from Babylonian exile. A sacred scroll was found buried in the rubble of the ruined temple. Ezra, the scribe, called together the entire Jewish congregation and read from the scroll beginning at daybreak and ending at noon. The text says that all the people wept and blessed the great God in thanks for being able to hear The Word once again. Ah, the power of the Word and words!
The gospel text tells of an incident in Jesus’ life that turned out to be prophetic. He returns one Saturday to his home synagogue in Nazareth. Seemingly his skill as a religious orator had preceded him. He is asked to stand, take the scroll and read. He chooses a passage from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah: It read, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor…” He replaces the scroll in its cupboard, sits down and says: “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” In other words, Jesus is saying: “I am about to make Isaiah’s prediction my own. I am going to fulfill what Isaiah foretold. I will bring good news he poor, the downtrodden, the dispossessed.” Everyone in the synagogue was astonished at his claim. Nonetheless, this is exactly what Jesus began to do: He preached good news and did marvelous signs of healing throughout his short career. Interestingly, we are still listening to those captivating words and signs each Sunday throughout the year.
Finally, whether we consider ourselves great orators or not, we all say words every day, some good, some not so good. They are simply a chain of syllables that we form with our lips. In themselves they have little meaning. But in the way they are used they can either do tremendous good or terrible evil. It is up to us to decide. We could follow the steps of MLK and bring justice to others or we could simply keep our mouth shut up and do nothing. It’s our choice to decide.
The lesson we draw from these scriptures, therefore, is that words have astonishing power for good or evil. We can change the little world around us for the good, or we can sit around and gripe that nothing good is happening.
Our words have an effect on others whether we know it o not. So, let those words always be good and constructive, loving and hopeful. The world will thank you for it.
The scriptures: Nehemiah 8: 2-4, 5-6, 8-10: 1 Corinthian 12: 12-30;
Luke 1: 1-4, 4: 14-20
Posted by Cindy Lentine at 09:40 AM.
January 13, 2010
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time [January 17, 2009]
Contrary to what many people may think about the daily life of priests, it is really not such a bad life. Priests, like anyone else, of course, have their down days, but they also have their individual interests, hobbies, travel, sports; they usually get a day away from the madness of the parish office or the classroom. We all need to get away from the daily grind occasionally.
One of the pleasant features about being a priest or minister is that you have the opportunity to take part in the celebrations of others: weddings, baptisms, anniversaries, family gatherings.
Personally, the celebrations I like best are weddings. One will usually find people at their humanly best on such occasions. Watch how they dress, for instance. It will be fancy, fancy. How comfortable they feel in a gown or in an ill fitting tuxedo is questionable, but they will wear them, not to show off, but rather to let the bride and groom know that this affair is special for them. Of course, by the end of the reception some may look a little bedraggled, clothes wrinkled, eyes a bit drowsy from the fine food and drink, but, all in all everyone has a good time. It’s a celebration
I am sure that it will not be news to most people who have heard the gospels read in church Sunday after Sunday that often they tell about ordinary things that happen in life. The life portrayed in the gospels was not so different than it is today. But we need to remember when reading the gospels that a story, which seems so ordinary will often have a deeper meaning, something we need to think about before it becomes clear what this story is trying to convey to us, what the author had in mind. It’s called analogy. Jesus often used analogies to convey a lesson. He would say, for instance: “The kingdom of God can be compared to a farmer or a vintner or a rich man who gave a banquet for his son. Immediately, of course, you will know that the story is not about a farmer or a vintner or a rich man. It is about something with a deeper meaning and importance. It is the task of the reader or listener to figure out what that. means So, with all that, you may have noticed the theme of marriage or a wedding banquet running through the readings for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Isaiah the prophet and poet in the first reading is attempting to console the Israelite exiles. In so many words he writes: Some day you will return to your homeland because your God has made you his bride; you are his espoused; you will wear a diadem of gold and diamonds.
Of course, we know that God does not marry anyone. This is an example of an analogy of something precious. Generally, in those times, an entire village might attend weddings whether invited or not. In this instance there was such a crowd that the wine that was supplied by the groom ran out. Then, you see, we have this interesting little conversation between Jesus and his mother. Let me paraphrase it: Mary: “Son, did you notice that the wine is getting low?” Jesus replies: “Hey, mother what business is that of mine?” Mary tells the waiters: “Do whatever he tells you.” And what does he do? He changes 180 gallons of wash water into the best tasting wine you could find.
End of story? Well, not quite. We need to get back to the notion of analogy. Again, as before, the new wine is of supreme taste, not something off someone’s traveling cart. Not only that but the amount of wine is overwhelming: 180 gallons. Extravagance in the extreme!
Now, however this event took place, the early Christians remembered it in some form and passed it down for future ages. They remembered it because it was a sign to them of God’s gracious and abundant goodness. Life in God’s kingdom is like the most glorious feast you can imagine. God wishes only the best for his people, especially those who are poor, destitute, living in depressing conditions. So, this is a good news story for people who could expect little out of life.
Ultimately, it is not very important how this event took place, how much wine was produced. What is important is to realize that God provides abundantly for his people. God’s love is overwhelming,
The final point, of course, is this: God does not change water into wine at every wedding or any wedding. It is simply a story of God’s goodness, God’s will for us. God leaves the “miracle-working” up to us. It is our responsibility to bring some semblance of abundance to the little world we live in: Food, water, housing, medical care and the rest. The fact is that we can do “miracles” if we wish. On the day I wrote this hundreds of delegates are meeting in Copenhagen Denmark to determine how the world’s nations can clean up the universe for a future generation. If they are successful, it may well be a miracle.
None of us are at that meeting, of course, but in many, many different ways we can help to keep our earthly home livable.
Finally, we must say that gospel stories are not simply cute little anecdotes in which everything always works out for the best. They are stories with theological lessons: The lesson is this: Do something so good that it will seem like a miracle to others. Let the vintners take care of multiplying wine.
The scriptures: Isaiah 62: 1-5; 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11; John 2: 1-11
Posted by Cindy Lentine at 02:25 PM.
January 05, 2010
The Baptism of the Lord [January 10, 2010]
Contrary to what many people may think about the daily life of priests, it is really not such a bad life. Priests, like anyone else, of course, have their down days, but they also have their individual interests, hobbies, travel, sports; they usually get a day away from the madness of the parish office or the classroom. We all need to get away from the daily grind occasionally.
One of the pleasant features about being a priest or minister is that you have the opportunity to take part in the celebrations of others: weddings, baptisms, anniversaries, family gatherings.
Personally, the celebrations I like best are weddings. One will usually find people at their humanly best on such occasions. Watch how they dress, for instance. It will be fancy, fancy. How comfortable they feel in a gown or in an ill fitting tuxedo is questionable, but they will wear them, not to show off, but rather to let the bride and groom know that this affair is special for them. Of course, by the end of the reception some may look a little bedraggled, clothes wrinkled, eyes a bit drowsy from the fine food and drink, but, all in all everyone has a good time. It’s a celebration
I am sure that it will not be news to most people who have heard the gospels read in church Sunday after Sunday that often they tell about ordinary things that happen in life. The life portrayed in the gospels was not so different than it is today. But we need to remember when reading the gospels that a story, which seems so ordinary will often have a deeper meaning, something we need to think about before it becomes clear what this story is trying to convey to us, what the author had in mind. It’s called analogy. Jesus often used analogies to convey a lesson. He would say, for instance: “The kingdom of God can be compared to a farmer or a vintner or a rich man who gave a banquet for his son. Immediately, of course, you will know that the story is not about a farmer or a vintner or a rich man. It is about something with a deeper meaning and importance. It is the task of the reader or listener to figure out what that. means So, with all that, you may have noticed the theme of marriage or a wedding banquet running through the readings for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Isaiah the prophet and poet in the first reading is attempting to console the Israelite exiles. In so many words he writes: Some day you will return to your homeland because your God has made you his bride; you are his espoused; you will wear a diadem of gold and diamonds.
Of course, we know that God does not marry anyone. This is an example of an analogy of something precious. Generally, in those times, an entire village might attend weddings whether invited or not. In this instance there was such a crowd that the wine that was supplied by the groom ran out. Then, you see, we have this interesting little conversation between Jesus and his mother. Let me paraphrase it: Mary: “Son, did you notice that the wine is getting low?” Jesus replies: “Hey, mother what business is that of mine?” Mary tells the waiters: “Do whatever he tells you.” And what does he do? He changes 180 gallons of wash water into the best tasting wine you could find.
End of story? Well, not quite. We need to get back to the notion of analogy. Again, as before, the new wine is of supreme taste, not something off someone’s traveling cart. Not only that but the amount of wine is overwhelming: 180 gallons. Extravagance in the extreme!
Now, however this event took place, the early Christians remembered it in some form and passed it down for future ages. They remembered it because it was a sign to them of God’s gracious and abundant goodness. Life in God’s kingdom is like the most glorious feast you can imagine. God wishes only the best for his people, especially those who are poor, destitute, living in depressing conditions. So, this is a good news story for people who could expect little out of life.
Ultimately, it is not very important how this event took place, how much wine was produced. What is important is to realize that God provides abundantly for his people. God’s love is overwhelming,
The final point, of course, is this: God does not change water into wine at every wedding or any wedding. It is simply a story of God’s goodness, God’s will for us. God leaves the “miracle-working” up to us. It is our responsibility to bring some semblance of abundance to the little world we live in: Food, water, housing, medical care and the rest. The fact is that we can do “miracles” if we wish. On the day I wrote this hundreds of delegates are meeting in Copenhagen Denmark to determine how the world’s nations can clean up the universe for a future generation. If they are successful, it may well be a miracle.
None of us are at that meeting, of course, but in many, many different ways we can help to keep our earthly home livable.
Finally, we must say that gospel stories are not simply cute little anecdotes in which everything always works out for the best. They are stories with theological lessons: The lesson is this: Do something so good that it will seem like a miracle to others. Let the vintners take care of multiplying wine.
The scriptures: Isaiah 62: 1-5; 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11; John 2: 1-11
Posted by Cindy Lentine at 11:50 AM.
