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April 28, 2010
Fifth Sunday of Easter [May 2, 2010]
My mother Cecelia died at an early age…in her forties as I recall. She was the mother of 8 healthy, happy children; I happened to be the eldest. The most personal memory I have of dear Cecelia is a very short conversation shortly before she died. Lying in her hospital bed, she stretched out her thin, feeble hand to me and said: “Lee, I cannot take care of you kids any longer. You are our oldest; I want you to promise me that you will take care of your brothers and sisters when I am gone.” I could hardly imagine what life would be like if she were gone, but, amidst some tears, I said, “Yes, Ma, I’ll sure try. I had no idea how this promise would be kept (I was a high school freshman) but I was so proud that she would ask me. Those were the last words I remember her saying to me before she died. Without doubt the last words of anyone who is dying are especially unforgettable.
I am sure that those of you who are reading this will have lasting memories of your own father or mother’s last words. No doubt, they will also have special meaning for you; we all have personal feelings for those we love.
Now, this is a bit of a jump, but the gospel of John you have been hearing for the past several Sundays is a remembrance by Jesus friends of his final words at the Last Supper, the night before he died. (Don’t ask me how the disciples could have remembered all those words!) They must have been important to the disciples to be remembered. Obviously, these men were not relatives of Jesus, but he called them his friends, his compatriots, the ones who had traveled with him and heard his words during all those previous months.
At that Last Supper, therefore, Jesus made a rather strange remark; he called it a command. “I give you a commandment that you must love one another as I have loved you.” Now, I suspect that most of us take that phrase as a pious saying that can only be understood in Hebrew, or could be used by Jesus because he is God!
Rarely do people, even lovers, command their friend to love them. Even more rarely do men use such phrases regarding other men
Let me suggest, however, that this is not simply an emotional outburst by Jesus at a moment when he knew his end was near. It is a love that far outreaches human love. In some sense, Jesus was saying: “Friends, I call you friends because we have gone through hell together, you and I. We have seen some astonishing things during these months that have never been seen before. We are on the edge of something big: I have called it God’s kingdom, the kingdom of God in this world. I mean for this work of ours to continue until the end of time. I warn you though, there will be times when you may want to give it up and go back to fishing and money changing or whatever. But until now you have cast your lot in with me to extend this ministry. So, I tell you, in the deepest sense, that you are loved. I have given you all that I have. Be well, fear not; I will be with you until the end of time. Remember too: you must love one another as brothers in ministry. If you do not, all that we have begun together will be for nothing.”
It is in this sense that I think Jesus spoke when he said that he loved his friends to the end.
All of this is rather difficult for us to understand, mainly because we seldom enter into a life-project with a friend except in the case of the sacrament of marriage.
The project Jesus was beginning was meant to spread out to the ends of the earth. We know all of that today, of course. Some men like Paul and Barnabas (mentioned in the first reading) and hundreds of others did carry out Jesus plan unto the ends of our lives.
So, what is the implication of all this for the Christian of the twenty first century? For those of us who claim the label Christian, Jesus has also given us a commandment. It comes to us through the lives of millions of Christians who have gone before us, fought for the faith, gave their lives so that it would not fail.
It has often occurred to me that Christians today do not have the same “tightness of faith” that the early Christians did. For the most part we do not need to fight for our faith like many Christians throughout the early centuries did. Oh, we go to Mass, we receive the sacraments, we keep the commandments. Isn’t that enough to keep us Christian? That is the feeling among some Catholics and Christians. “We belong to the Church,” they say, “as many others belong to the Knights of Columbus, the Optimists or the Elks. We pay our dues and pray our prayers.”
If we take the command of Jesus to his friends as a model for today’s Christian, it seems clear that we are called to something more than “church on Sunday” and the sacraments when it is handy. The kingdom of Jesus demands more than that of us.
The final point I believe is this: No matter in what age we live, if we are Christians it is assumed that we are friends of Jesus, and if we are friends, then that last command at the Last Supper is addressed to us as well.
All I can say is that it is nice to know that we have someone who has loved us for all these many years. Jesus is a man of his word even in the year 2010.
The scriptures: Acts 14: 21-27; Revelation: 1-5a; John 13: 31-33, 34,35
Posted by Cindy Lentine at 02:23 PM.
April 20, 2010
Fourth Sunday of Easter [April 25, 2010]
Let me share with you an odd piece of memorabilia about my life as a young Christian. In the last few years of the 19th century and into the early years of the 20th century there was an immense influx of farm folk from Europe: Russia, the Ukraine, Germany, even the Scandinavian countries. They chose to settle in the Great Plains where rich farmland was readily available at minimum cost.
And so it was that Swedes, Norwegians, Germans, Ukrainians, and a few Irish settled the rich lands of central North Dakota. Few became rich, but it was a way of life.
It was among such folks, that we, a German immigrant family lived. Generally speaking, the relationships between the various ethnic groups were cordial and supportive.
In the matter of religious affiliation, however, there was certain “clannishness.” Rarely did our family attend another church. Our pastor forbade us even to attend non-Catholic weddings or funerals. From the pulpit our pastor made it clear that we were to stay in our own church. “Those folks don’t belong to us,” he said.“ Obviously, we were obedient Catholics. Nonetheless, such restrictions seemed harsh to us because, in the secular realm everyone got along so well.
As I remember those times, it is my sense that the interreligious restrictions were meant for spiritual protectionism: Our pastors were frightened that if there were inter-marriages it would mean a decrease in membership. After all, we were a small Catholic enclave.
After reading the scriptures retelling the stories of the growth and progress of the early Church, it became clearer to me why our pastors, all in good intent, warned us to stay away from people who actually were our friends.
The point is that one’s religion has a tendency to bond us to one another. We are all of the same belief and practice. We all know “how to act in church.” This means, of course, that have learned the creed, the meaning of the Eucharist, the common prayers. Knowing all this gave one a sense of protection. Other Christians also had their customs, but they were not ours.
The liturgies that follow the great festival of Easter trace out for us how the early Christians gradually banded together under one creed and one form of worship. They were, early on, a small group, or several small groups, depending on what part of the Middle East they lived. They discovered early on, with the help of Paul’s preaching that if they clung to one another, their faith would remain constant and reliable.
So, where did this sense of bonding originate? We read of it, of course, in Luke’s gospel where Jesus addresses his followers as his sheep and himself as their shepherd. If they will follow his Gospel, his good news, they will be safe from harm. It was from this assurance of Jesus that the leadership of the early church soon developed: Apostles, teachers, prophets, preachers, healers, deacons, elders, et cetera.
One can recognize the need for leadership even in the Catholic Church today. Loyal Catholics know what it means to belong to one another, with the pope as our shepherd and our local pastors as caretakers. We may not always feel comfortable with hierarchical structures, but at least we know to whom we may go if we feel lost in this confusing secular world. It is often said that no matter where Catholics travel, they will feel at home if they worship in their own Church.
This is not to say that non-Catholic churches are dangerous; it is simply that we know who our religious confreres are, who speak the same words of faith, which know the words of worship.
Happily, our relationship with non-Catholics and non-Christians is far more cordial and understanding than in times in which I grew up. I, like many others, feel completely comfortable worshiping with other communities. Nonetheless, we know that Holy Apostles, Saint Matthew’s, Saint Henry’s, Saint Leo’s, Saint Peter’s and Saint Paul’s parishes are still our personal, permanent home. If we go there, no one can turn us away. We are sheep of the Eternal Shepherd, members of one faith and one worship. Well, it just feels good, meeting folks on the Lord’s Day who think and believe as we do. If you go there, you will know what I mean.
The scriptures: Acts 13: 14, 43-52; Revelation 7: 9, 14b-17;
John 10: 27-30
Posted by Cindy Lentine at 10:56 AM.
April 12, 2010
Third Sunday of Easter [April 18, 2009]
Of all the words in human languages that engage our interests in different ways and for different reasons, the word love must surely stand in first place. In some sense it represents our deepest feelings toward another, and in another sense it is used to cover almost any human emotion: Love my Lexus, love my Blackberry, love my black Labrador retriever, love my million dollar job. And somewhere in that list we may also casually say, “Oh yes, and I love my wife, love my husband, and love my kids. But we all know down deep in our heart that we don’t really love that Blackberry. We may be attached to it and it may serve our purposes, it may make our life simpler, but if we say that we truly love that small black instrument, our values a little askew.
Love is a serious word: It conveys the sense that we would be willing to give up all else for the sake of the person or persons who have cast their lot in with us.
In a short blog that I do every two weeks for The Catholic Anchor, that respected Catholic news source for the folks in the Archdiocese of Anchorage, I wrote a short piece about Jazz. I “love” Jazz (see there?) and one particular artist in particular, John Coltrane (of happy memory). His music is what some of the young adult set call “truly cool.” I bring up his name because of a four-part creation called “A Love Supreme.” It is truly a supreme piece of work. I have listened to it many times.
And then, one day a friend of mine pointed out to me that A Love Supreme was a psalm expressing Coltrane’s sorrow for his careless habits of life and as praise piece to God for rescuing him from himself. I pulled up the words of the piece on Google and found them truly beautiful, full of sadness and pathos, but of deep-spirited joy as well.
I wanted to bring up Mr. Coltrane precisely because of the words in the song: “God’s supreme love for us.”
There is a similar story of love in the gospel for this Third Sunday in Easter season. It is that lovely conversation between Jesus and Peter that occurred a short while after Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus had just provided Peter and his friends a fine seaside breakfast of grilled toast and fish. Then after the meal, Jesus casually asks Peter. “Peter, do you love me? Three times he asks Peter the question, an almost exact repetition of Peter’s three-fold denial of is teacher shortly before Jesus death? After the third question, “Do you love me,” Jesus adds: “Peter, feed my sheep,” that is, “care for this flock that has followed me.”
Did Peter really understand the question? Did he know what Jesus meant by the word love? I suspect not, but years later it became clear to him that love meant going the distance, being willing to die for his teacher and the good news he taught. It is an example of A Love Supreme, being willing to make the supreme sacrifice if he were called to it.
I truly believe that this short conversation between Jesus and Peter is one of the most beautiful examples of love between two strong-willed men that I have ever read. I am surprised that it has not been set to music.
The lesson in all this, I believe, is that we are all called to A Love Supreme, a full dedication not to precious things, but to precious people who have been given to us for “caretaking.” In some sense we are all entrusted with the life of others. We all need some special responsibility in our lives, something that will give us joy, simply because we are entrusted to do great tasks for God and for those who have cast their lot in with us for a lifetime. Believe me, It will eventually turn into a Joy Supreme.
The scriptures: Acts 5: 27-32, 40 b; Revelation 5: 11-14; John 2: 11-19
Posted by Cindy Lentine at 10:21 AM.
April 05, 2010
Second Sunday of Easter [April 11, 2010]
It has often occurred to me, now in the eighth decade of my life, that the career I have chosen is in some sense rather odd. Of course, it is true, priests and ministers have a place in the network of human careers. But at the same time, I often ask myself what good have I done, what difference have I made in world. One never knows, of course, because the career of religious individuals always tends to be private and hallowed.
Nonetheless, I often ask myself whether I have been able to contribute more to the human community if I had chosen the to follow the career of a doctor, an astrophysicist, a psychologist or any career where research in all matters possible is a common assumption. Nonetheless, I am content with the Spirit that has led me to this point in my history.
Joseph Campbell, the famous philosopher of comparative mythology once said: “Follow your bliss and you will never need to work another day in your entire life. I have found that to be at least partially true: I have followed my bliss but it is still rewarding
to work for a living.
On this Second Sunday in Easter season we read the well-known words of the apostle Thomas (“the doubter”) who asserted that he would not believe that Jesus had risen unless he could touch the wounds in his hands and side. The issue I want to explore, therefore, is what I call the human desire to be in touch with the world, the human, the body and with all things physical. We find it hard to believe in mystery unless we can actually prove its existence by research, study, dissection and analysis.
Think of the continuing work of physicians, astrophysics, metaphysicians (philosophers), and even theological and biblical scholars. Think of the progress that has been made in medicine because certain scientists did not cease exploring the cause of human diseases. Would we have made our way to the moon and discovered outlying planets unless some scientist had continued to research the mysteries of outer space?
My point here is that there seems to be an inherent desire in the human mind or soul to solve mysteries, to find out what makes life in the world to be the way it is. It seems that even most ordinary folks like ourselves believe that there is still something beyond what we have already discovered, that there is a mystery “out there” waiting to be solved.
In some sense, we humans seem to realize that the world we inhabit still contains elements not yet solved. Therefore we will go to any length to find out what that mystery is. Our hankering will not subside until we have an answer to mystery. It seems to be part of our very nature. In some sense we believe that reality is endless. There is still more “out there” that is ripe for discovery. In short, we are restless until we have come up with a rational answer to our query.
So, this is where the assertion of Thomas the apostle comes in: “I will not believe until I can place my hand in his side and my finger in the wounds of his hands and side.” You see, Thomas is dealing here with a mystery. How can a man who was once certified as dead now be alive? A reasonable question! Thomas is like the rest of us: we want proof for what seems to be a mystery. There has to be answers to unsolved questions. In the case of Thomas, it was a matter of determining how a dead man had come back to life, a reasonable enough quest.
One last issue, however that I believe will give Thomas the Apostle his deserved right to be a “doubter”. He was simply a man doing what any reasonable person would do in such a situation: Dead people do not rise, period. There was no reason for him to believe the word of his confreres. They were no more intelligent than he. Why should he put his faith on the line in such a frivolous issue? He had not been asked to do such a thing in his entire life, why now? Nonetheless, when he was given the opportunity to solve the mystery, he was more than willing to do so.
Ah, but there is still one small matter deserving of attention: There are mysteries in this universe that will remain just that, mysteries. Perhaps the most obvious one that comes to mind is the question asked by the German philosopher, Ludwig Wittgenstein: “why is there something and not nothing?” Why anything at all? Did there have to be a universe, as we know it? That, of course, asks the question of God. We assume that God is the answer but there is no proof of it. That is why individuals in this world continue to put their minds to the test and determine whether there is a reason for anything at all. If there is no such reason, we are on the edge of chaos, chaos of the mind. At that point the question of God becomes irrelevant; fortunately, most of us are willing to do what Thomas did, place our faith on the assumption that there is a God who loves us and is not disturbed when we honor Him by admitting our ignorance and putting our money on faith.
The scriptures: Acts 5: 12-16; Revelation 1: 9-11, 12-13, 17-19;
John 20: 19-31
Posted by Cindy Lentine at 11:50 AM.
