March 2020 - Page 2 of 3

Make Us Bearers of the Word

Carmelite homily for Wednesday, March 25, 2020 – Lectionary 454 (Luke 1:26-38)

Saint Mary Magdalene D’Pazzi is a Carmelite saint about the same time as Teresa of Avila, but in Italy, in Florence. She has a famous prayer called ‘Come, Holy Spirit.’ “

Come, Holy Spirit, let the precious pearl of the Father and the Word’s delight come. Come, Spirit of Truth, you are the reward of the saints, the comforter of souls, light in the darkness, riches to the poor, treasure to lovers, food to the hungry, comfort to those who are wandering; to sum up, you are the one in whom all treasures are contained. Come, as you descended upon Mary that the Word might become Flesh, work in us through grace as you worked in her through nature and grace.”

It’s quite the cheeky prayer – that the Annunciation to Mary is the annunciation to us. We are to be bearers of the Word ourself. So it’s quite the meditation point as we celebrate this feast of the Annunciation.

If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes

Carmelite homily for Tuesday, March 24, 2020 – Lectionary 245 (John 5:1-6)

There’s an old saying: If nothing changes, nothing changes. That describes what’s going on in today’s Gospel. We have this lame man on the side of the pool in Bethesda waiting to be put into the water for healing – for thirty-eight years. And Jesus says, “Do you want to be healed?” and the man says, “No one’s put me in the water.” Nothing has changed in thirty-eight years. He’s not heard that Jesus is offering a different solution. Saint John of the Cross writes, “Travelers cannot reach new territory if they do not take new and unknown roads and abandon the familiar ones.” That’s the call of today’s Gospel. If you’re feeling stuck or just not right, maybe it’s time to try a new road? If nothing changes, nothing changes.

Step It Down

Carmelite homily for Monday, March 23, 2020 – Lectionary 244 (John 4:43-54)

In today’s Gospel we have a royal official coming to Jesus because his son is ill and asking for healing. This would take quite the step down for a royal official to go to Jesus who the Gospels describe as a carpenter, a laborer, kind of blue-collar. It’s quite the step down. Teresa of Avila writes, “One act of humility is worth more than all the knowledge of the world.” I think that’s the example of today’s Gospel and the call to us. How many times we don’t want to do something because we don’t want to give them the satisfaction? Or they’re supposed to apologize first! Or I’m the aggrieved party! No humility there. I think the call of today’s Gospel is humility. “One act of humility is worth far more than all the knowledge of the world.”

Abide in Peace

Carmelite homily for Sunday, March 22, 2020 – Lectionary 31 (John 9:1-41)

On this Fourth Sunday of Lent we’re halfway through this season. And Saint John of the Cross writes, “Abide in peace, banish cares, and take no account of all that happens – this serves God, and you will rest in him.” In today’s Gospel there’s a lot of upset: with the man born blind, and his parents, and the Pharisees, and everyone. And all that turmoil even exists today: the political scene, the cultural scene, and the ecclesial scene, and the Covid-19 scene. Let’s make this our life for the second half of Lent: “Abide in peace, banish cares, and take no account of all that happens – this serves God, and you will rest in him.” Let us rest in God.

Pulled to Perfection

Carmelite homily for Saturday, March 21, 2020 – Lectionary 242 (Luke 18:9-14)

In today’s Gospel we have the well-known parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, sometimes called the Pharisee and the Publican. The Pharisee is up in front saying, “wow, God, look at me! And I’m glad I’m not like that tax collector.” And the tax collector is way in the back saying, “Have mercy on me.” Saint John of the Cross writes, “Everyone’s actions are in direct continuity with the habit of perfection they have acquired.” I think that’s simply the call of today’s Gospel – not to look at the Pharisee or the tax collector – but to look at ourselves. What are our actions? What our accusations? What is our level of perfection we have acquired? Maybe reach out and have the Lord pull us there.

Spiraling Upward

Carmelite homily for Friday, March 20, 2020 – Lectionary 24 (Mark 12:28-34)

In today’s Gospel we have ‘The Greatest Commandment’ – to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and body; and to love your neighbor as yourself. How do we do either one of these, though? They’re very high, very difficult, beyond human, aren’t they? To love God with everything? And to love your neighbor as yourself? To put your neighbor equal or even higher? How do we do this? Saint John of the Cross, I think, has the answer. He writes, “For as the love of neighbor increases, so does the love of God; and as the love of God increases, so does the love of neighbor.” It’s a perfect solution! It’s love! We love God, that enables us to love our neighbor, which then informs our love God, which then informs our love of neighbor, which informs our love of God. And it spirals higher and higher. So when we’re given this Great Commandment it doesn’t mean to do it now. I think it means do it and grow into it and spiral higher through a lifetime of love of God and love of neighbor.

New Foundations

Carmelite homily for Thursday, March 19, 2020 – Lectionary 543 (Matthew 1:16-24)

When the Carmelites came to Europe from the Holy Land in the 1200s they brought with them a devotion – to Saint Joseph. Not very common in Europe at the time. And every new foundation, and in a new place or a new way, is dedicated to Saint Joseph. That’s why Saint Teresa of Avila dedicates her first monastery, reformed monastery, to Saint Joseph. And when the Carmelites came to the United States, their first parish is named Saint Joseph. We staff it to this day. On this Solemnity of Saint Joseph, let’s dedicate this day – this first day; every day is a first day – to Saint Joseph. Modeling our lives, our trust, our faith, our love, on his.

True Friar

Carmelite homily for Wednesday, March 18, 2020 – Lectionary 239 (Matthew 5:17-19

There’s a well-known incident in the life of Saint Teresa of Avila where she’s at dinner, and enjoying dinner, and one of the nuns looks at her unapprovingly because she’s obviously enjoying dinner so much she mustn’t be a holy woman. And Teresa says, “When I pray I pray, and when I partridge I partridge .” That was the menu that day. We can get so caught up in the externals we miss the deeper things. Saint Teresa of Avila says, “Being a friar doesn’t consist in the habit – I mean wearing it – but in enjoying the state of higher perfection, which is what it means to be a true friar.” That’s what she’s calling us to. And what today’s Gospel is calling us to. To being more than just fussing with the letter of the Law but allowing that Law to change our inside, to transform us in love, to be deeper, richer, truer, more mature people. That’s the call of today’s Gospel.

Know No Arithmetic

Carmelite homily for Tuesday, March 17, 2020 – Lectionary 238 (Matthew 18:21-35)

I’m sure she said this ‘tongue in cheek’ but it’s a good quotation from Saint Therese. She says, “There is one science God does not know – arithmetic. Our sins only serve to glorify the mercy of God.” That’s exactly what’s going on in today’s Gospel. A man comes in to the steward owing a large amount and the steward doesn’t know arithmetic and forgives it all. And then the man runs into someone who owes him a small amount but demands arithmetic, ‘you owe me this money!’ If God does not know arithmetic, Jesus is saying, then we shouldn’t know arithmetic. We shouldn’t demand revenge, or an eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth. As Saint Paul says, “Love keeps no record of a wrong.” That’s the call of today’s Gospel: to know no arithmetic.

Elijah and Elisha and Anyone Who Follows Jesus

Carmelite homily for Monday, March 16, 2020 – Lectionary 237 (Luke 4:24-30)

In today’s Gospel Jesus references both Elijah and Elisha, prophets of the First Book of Kings which Carmelites say are our spiritual founders. Elijah comes from the east bank of the Jordan, from a town called Tishbe, and Elisha comes from the west bank – very different backgrounds and situations. I think that’s why Jesus mentions them, because he says, ‘Elijah was sent to a widow of Zarephath’ – that’s up in Phoenicia, a foreign land. And to Elisha, Naaman the Syrian came to be healed of leprosy, again a foreign land. I think that’s what Jesus is getting at. His message and our message shouldn’t be limited to just this group or these people or just this. But should be, could be, and with grace, IS for everyone, envelopes everyone, embraces everyone. That’s the call of today’s Gospel – to open our hearts like Elisha, like Elijah, like anyone who wears the Carmelite habit, or like anyone who follows Jesus.