January 2020 - Father Greg

Already Promised

Carmelite homily for Sunday, February 2, 2020 – Lectionary 524 (Luke 2:22-40) – the Presentation of the Lord

In the Liturgy of the Hours (the Divine Office) we pray three Canticles. In the morning, Lauds, we pray the Canticle of Zechariah (the Benedictus). At Vespers, evening prayer, we pray the Canticle of Mary (the Magnificat). And at Night Prayer, Compline, we pray the Canticle of Simeon (the Nunc Dimitis). In today’s Gospel we have the prayer of the Nunc Dimitis. In all three of these Canticles, it’s interesting, that the prayer – Zechariah, Mary, or Simeon – says, “God you promised this; now you need to deliver this.” Like today Simeon has been promised that he would not see death till he saw the Christ, and he prays, “your word has been fulfilled.” I think that’s the teaching of today’s Gospel of the Presentation, and all these Canticles from Luke’s Gospel – when you pray, pray for something God has already promised. That’s what Zechariah does. That’s what Mary does. That’s what Simeon does in today’s Gospel. We pray for what’s already been promised. What’s been promised? Life. Peace. Adoption into Christ. Fullness of Life. Resurrection. Eternal Life. These are the things that have been promised by God, so we can be cheeky in our prayer – like Zechariah, like Mary, like Simeon. If God has promised, then we can say, “okay, God, deliver.”

A Night So Black

Carmelite homily for Saturday, February 1, 2020 – Lectionary 322 (Mark 4:35-41)

In the Gospel today we have the apostles in a boat with Jesus. A storm comes up; Jesus is sleeping. They wake him up and say, “don’t you care that we’re going to die?!” These storms do come up in our lives. Saint Therese of Lisieux writes, “I knew Jesus was there, sleeping in my boat but the night was so black it was impossible to see him.” I think the invitation here is that no matter how intense the storm is or how black the night is, know that Jesus is there. And relax, be confident, have faith – the invitation today.

Advance by Unknowing

Carmelite homily for Friday, January 31, 2020 – Lectionary 321 (Mark 4:26-34)

In today’s Gospel Jesus talks about seed. It’s planted, it grows, it comes to harvest; the farmer doesn’t know how. Or a mustard seed is planted and it grows so tall birds nest in its branches. It happens naturally, automatically. I think that’s the invitation of this Gospel today. Saint John of the Cross writes, “To reach union with the wisdom of God one must advance by unknowing rather than by knowing.” It may sound cryptic what he’s saying here, but I think it’s just to let life be natural – is what the invitation of today’s Gospel is, and the invitation of Saint John of the Cross.

Perfection versus Perfectionism

Carmelite homily for Thursday, January 30, 2020 – Lectionary 320 (Mark 4:21-25)

In her book, The Way of Perfection, Saint Teresa of Avila, of course, speaks about perfection. And here’s what she writes (this is very good!), “Zeal for perfection is in itself a good thing. But it could follow that every fault the sisters commit will seem to you a serious breach and you will be careful to observe when they commit them. And when they commit them go and inform the prioress. Often you don’t see your own faults because of your intense zeal for the religious observance of everybody else. So let each one look to herself only, for perfection consists of love of God and love of neighbor; whereas, perfectionism comes from the devil.” In today’s Gospel, Jesus is talking about how everything hidden will be made known, will be revealed. Let’s not make that our job. Let’s make our job zeal for perfection in love of God and love of neighbor, and let God take care of everything else. As Teresa of Avila warns us – anything else comes from the devil.

Not Considered Offspring

Carmelite homily for Tuesday, January 28, 2020 – Lectionary 318 (Mark 3:31-35)

In today’s Gospel Jesus says, “those who do the will of the Father are like brother and sister and mother to me.” That means being familiar, being horizontal and not lording it over. Saint John of the Cross writes, “Those attached to dignities are considered by God as mere slaves and not offspring.” I think that’s the call of today’s Gospel: to see the world horizontally, not vertically; and to live horizontally, not vertically. All are brothers and sisters in Jesus.

Those So-Called Lords of Virtue

Carmelite homily for Monday, January 27, 2020 – Lectionary 317 (Mark 3:22-30)

I like this line from Saint John of the Cross. He writes, “Those who become angry over the sins of others and reprove these others angrily have set themselves up as lords of virtue. Such conduct is contrary to spiritual meekness.” I think that’s what we see in this Gospel. There are ‘lords of virtue’ here who are condemning the Lord of Life as Beelzebub. I think the call, if we’re going to be spiritual people, is to be spiritually meek, and not be condemnatory or judgmental. Sometimes I think the one unforgiveable sin is when we ourselves are unforgiving. I think Jesus sometimes means it when he says, “the measure you measure out will be measured back to you.” Instead, let us search for and let us live in spiritual meekness.

As Soon As

Carmelite homily for Sunday, January 26, 2020 – Lectionary 67 (Matthew 4:12-23)

One time I was taken to a concert, a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was so beautiful that as soon as it was over I said, ‘I want that in my life.’ And I began flute lessons; I joined a choir. I think that’s what’s going on in today’s Gospel. Jesus is walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and he runs into Simon and Andrew and says, “Come and follow me.” And they follow him immediately. It must be like they were so enraptured, so touched by Jesus, they want him in their lives. And then he sees James and John and says, “Come and follow me” and they do it immediately. They want him in their lives. Saint Therese of Lisieux writes in her autobiography, Story of a Soul, “I wanted Carmel as soon as I learned of it; I find all the aspirations of my soul are fulfilled in this Order.” I think it’s that same kind of ‘I want it as soon as I learn of it.’ It’s happening in today’s Gospel, it happened in the life of Therese. Let’s hope it happens in our lives.

Amazing Transformation

Carmelite homily for Saturday, January 25, 2020 – Lectionary 142 – The Conversion of Saint Paul

Today’s Gospel, for the Conversion of Saint Paul, is the ending of Mark’s Gospel, where he’s talking about disciples. They will drive out demons, speak new languages, pick up serpents, drink deadly things, heal the sick. These are extraordinary feats. But you notice that it’s the end of the Gospel. I think our transformation in Christ is a lifetime call, a lifetime transformation, a lifetime journey. That’s the Conversion of Saint Paul: our own conversion. A couple of days ago I quoted Saint Therese and I’m going to use the same quote today. She writes, “He transformed me in such a way that I no longer recognized myself.” I think Saint Paul, at the end of his life, would look back and say, “that was me?” And I think that’s the same with us – we’re so transformed, it’s amazing.

A Call So Strong

Carmelite homily for Friday, January 24, 2020 – Lectionary 315 (Mark 3:13-19)

Today’s Gospel passage comes from Mark, and it’s the naming of the Twelve Apostles. But there’s a name missing – mine! There’s a name missing – yours! Saint Therese, in her autobiography, Story of a Soul, writes, “The divine call had been so strong that had I been forced to walk through flames, I would’ve done it out of love for Jesus.” Hopefully that describes the call of those Twelve, and your call and my call. Yes, I think today’s Gospel is the calling of the Twelve but it’s the calling of a lot, lot more.

One Dark Night

Carmelite homily for Thursday, January 23, 2020 – Lectionary 314 (Mark 3:7-12)

The best known poem of Saint John of the Cross is The Dark Night. It begins, “One dark night, fired by love’s urgent longings – ahh, the sheer grace – I went out unseen, my house being now all stilled.” In today’s Gospel we have far from a stilled house – big crowds pressing on Jesus. He’s healing them. He has to get into a boat so they don’t crush him. They’re looking for something. They’re looking for healing. They’re looking for food. They’re looking for health. They’re looking for immediate needs met. But I think Jesus goes and brings us all deeper than that. Yeah, he’ll start there with all of us. But I think if we stay with Jesus we start to look at not just immediate bodily needs being met, but spiritual needs, soul needs, eternal needs being met. And that, in time, maybe we all will say individually and deeply and richly, “One dark night, fired by love’s urgent longings – ahh, the sheer grace – I went out unseen, my house being now all stilled.”