June 2020 - Father Greg

Live in the You

Carmelite homily for Friday, July 3, 2020, the Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle – Lectionary 593 (John 20:24-29)

On the day that Saint Therese of Lisieux professed her vows in Carmel, she had written a prayer and put it in her pocket. And part of the prayer says, “Jesus, I ask you for nothing but peace, and love, infinite love; love which is no longer ‘I’ but ‘You.” This is my interpretation of this Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle. Because we have Thomas who returns to the Upper Room after Jesus has left and he says, ‘I will not believe; I need to put my hands in the nail marks; I need to put my hand in his side.’ It’s all I, I, I. So the next time Jesus appears and Thomas does that he says, ‘My Lord and my God.’ What happened to all the I? I think that’s what Jesus does – he pulls us out of the I, the me, the selfishness – to the you, which is neighbor, which is God, which is those in need, the poor. That’s the call, the invitation, of today’s Gospel and this Feast: to not live in the I but in the you.

All That Paralyzes

Carmelite homily for Thursday (Week 13), July 2, 2020 – Lectionary 380 (Matthew 9:1-8)

Saint Mary Magdalene d’Pazzi was an Italian Carmelite, a contemporary of Saint Teresa of Avila, and she writes, “Trials are nothing else but the forge that purifies the soul of all its imperfections.” I think that’s what we see in today’s Gospel, or at least my interpretation of it, when they bring the paralytic on a mat and Jesus says, ‘your sins are forgiven.’ What is forgiveness but cleansing, purifying? That’s the language we use. That whatever has put him on that mat, whatever paralyzed him, or paralyzes us, can be forgiven, cleansed, purged. But it’s those trials that bring us to great depth, bring us to a deeper heart, a purified heart, a rich heart. So let’s turn everything to Jesus and watch what happens.

Deeper, Richer Lives

Carmelite homily for Wednesday (Week 13), July 1, 2020 – Lectionary 379 (Matthew 8:28-34)

In today’s Gospel we have the demoniacs of the Gadarenes, who live amongst the tombs away from people. If anyone comes near, they holler at them and scream at them and try to hurt them. Who are these demoniacs of the Gadarenes? I think it’s you and me! Cause don’t we act that way? If someone gets too close to something vulnerable or is critical of me, or anything like that, don’t I holler? don’t you holler? don’t we scream? don’t we hurt? Jesus brings peace and healing by asking ‘who are they?’ and having them realize who they are. Titus Brandsma – Blessed Titus Brandsma – writes, “Knowledge of ourselves, of our deepest being, though it is difficult, is absolutely necessary.” I think that’s all Jesus did to these demoniacs, and to us, is to tell us who we really are. With that healing, with that peace, we can lead deeper, richer lives.

A Night So Black

Carmelite homily for Tuesday (Week 13), June 30, 2020 – Lectionary 378 (Matthew 8:23-27)

Since today’s scripture passage is the same as for February 1 this is a repeat of that homily.

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.

Your Name is Spouse

Carmelite homily for Monday, June 29, 2020, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul – Lectionary 591 (Matthew 15:13-19).

Since today’s scripture passage is the same as for February 22 (the Feast of the Chair of Peter) this is a repeat of that homily.

In the Gospel for this Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Jesus asks of his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they give a bunch of answers and finally Simon says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” And Jesus turns to him and says, “Your name is Peter.” He gives him a special name. But Jesus gives us a special name. Here’s what Saint Teresa of Avila has to write, “To always live in calm desire to rejoice solely in Christ, one’s spouse.” That’s the name Jesus, as we get closer and closer to him, gives us: spouse. So, yes, that’s what we celebrate on this Feast of the Chair of Peter – our espousal.

The Soil is Never Dry

Carmelite homily for Sunday, June 28, 2020 – Lectionary 97 (Matthew 10:37-42)

Today’s Gospel has quite a few harsh passages. ‘If you love your father or mother more than me you’re not worthy of me. If you love your brother or sister more than me you’re not worthy of me. Unless you take up your cross and follow you’re not worthy of me. If you seek to save your life you’ll only lose it.’ What’s going on? What I think Jesus is doing is inviting us to live a little deeper than ego. Ego is about my stuff, my power, my appetites, my wants, my control – me! And he’s trying to get us a little deeper than that. Saint Teresa of Avila, who would agree with this passage yet was very devoted to her family, writes, “If the soil is well-cultivated by trials and persecutions, criticisms and illnesses – for few there must be who reach this stage without them – and it is softened by living in great detachment from self-interest, the water soaks in so deep that one is never dry.” That is the invitation, actually, of today’s Gospel: to live so deep that we are never dry. Let us live there – try to live there – today.

Consider and Do That

Carmelite homily for Friday (Week 12), June 26, 2020 – Lectionary 375 (Matthew 8:1-4)

In the Second Book of Kings we have Elisha – he’s the prophet living on Mount Carmel, successor of the Prophet Elijah – and Naaman, a Syrian commander, comes to be cured of leprosy. And so Elisha says, ‘Go wash yourself in the Jordan River.’ And Naaman is all upset, ‘I could’ve done this at home; I expected to do something big.’ But his servants so, ‘no, do it’ and he’s cured of his leprosy. Something small. And in today’s Gospel a leper comes to Jesus and says, ‘if you want to you can heal me.’ And Jesus says, ‘I do want it; stretch out your hand.’ And the guy does and he’s healed. It’s a small thing. It’s a big thing – leprosy – but the cures are small: just do what you’re told. John of the Cross writes, “What does it profit to give God one thing if he asks you for another. Consider what God wants and do it.” I think that’s the lesson of today’s Gospel: not to to the big thing, or the small thing, or your own thing. Consider what God wants you to do and do that. You’ll be cured.

Would You Like a Flower?

Carmelite homily for Thursday (Week 12), June 25, 2020 – Lectionary 374 (Matthew 7:21-29)

In today’s Gospel Jesus uses the metaphor of building a house. And to listen to his word is like to build a secure, strong house, and to not listen to his word is to build a flimsy house built on sand which will get washed away. But we’re Carmelites! We’re mendicants which means wandering friars. We’re homeless! That’s our call. Not to build a strong house but to be homeless. Even Mount Carmel, our first foundation, is in ruins. Blessed Titus Brandsma writes, “Carmel is the mountain of flowers and with full hands the children of Carmel have strewn these flowers over all the earth.” That’s how we live in Christ; that’s how we follow the word. We wander everywhere over the earth saying, ‘would you like a flower?’

Announcing Beauty

Carmelite homily for Wednesday, June 24, 2020 – Lectionary 371 (Luke 1:57-66) – the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

I was a teacher at one of our high schools and I was asked to be a chaperone on the student trip to Europe. After the trip was over I stayed in Europe and went to visit Straubing in Germany, which was the founding house of the United States Carmelites, to spend the rest of the summer there. And when I arrived it was this day – the Nativity of John the Baptist. And I walked into the church expecting it to be empty and it was packed with people, and the choir was singing, and there was incense, and it was sheer beauty. And that’s always been my understanding since that that’s what John the Baptist does. He’s a precursor of the Lord; he’s the announcer of the Lord; he’s the one who says, ‘Behold the Lamb of God.’ He points out beauty. Carmel, as you know, means ‘Garden of God.’ It is a beautiful garden. That’s always been my understanding of John the Baptist. He brings us into, points at, shows us beauty. Let’s live in beauty this day.

Narrow Road?

Carmelite homily for Tuesday (Week 12), June 23, 2020 – Lectionary 372 (Matthew 7:12-14)

Saint Teresa of Avila writes, “I don’t see how, Lord, nor do I know how the road that leads to you is narrow.” And I agree with her! Even though Jesus says in today’s Gospel, ‘try to enter the narrow gate for the road that leads to destruction is wide.’ Actually, I think, if we try even a little bit of love or try a little bit of acknowledgement of God, God takes over; God guides; God directs. The Holy Spirit fills us with grace. And so how can that be narrow when we’ve got God empowering it, and fueling it, and guiding it? I think Teresa of Avila is right when she writes, “I don’t see how, Lord, nor do I know how the road that leads to you is narrow.”