Category: John of the Cross

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.  

Carmelite homily for Friday (Easter V), May 29, 2020 – Lectionary 301 (John 21:15-19)

Today we have a Resurrection Gospel.  It’s the well-known scene on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.  The disciples have come in after a miraculous draught of fish.  And afterwards, Jesus asks Simon three questions – do you love me? do you love me? do you love me?  He doesn’t ask questions like, ‘Simon, why did you doubt when I told you to walk on water?’ or ‘Simon, why did you fall asleep in the garden?’ or ‘Simon, why did you deny me in the courtyard?’ or ‘Simon, where were you when I was on the Cross?’  No, no accusations, just simple questions.  Saint John of the Cross writes, “At the evening of life you will be examined in love.”  Just like Simon Peter in today’s Gospel, I think those questions will be asked of us.  Do you love me?  Do you love me?  Do you love me?  

Carmelite homily for Friday (Easter VI), May 22, 2020 – Lectionary 295 (John 16:20-23)

In today’s Gospel Jesus tells the disciples, they will grieve and then they will rejoice.  And he uses a metaphor of a woman in labor.  When she’s in labor, all she knows is the labor and the pain, and once she’s given birth, all she knows is the joy and the gladness.  Saint John of the Cross writes, “Human beings know not how to rejoice properly nor how to grieve properly.”  I think he’s getting at what Jesus is getting at in today’s Gospel. We just see the moment – the pain of the moment or the joy of the moment.  We don’t see the bigger pictures or plans of what God has in store.  That’s the call of today’s Gospel: to trust God when we want to rejoice; to trust God when we want to grieve; to trust God that it will all work out to God’s plan.         

Carmelite homily for Friday, April 3, 2020 – Lectionary 255 (John 10:31-42)

All this week in these Gospel passages we’ve had a lot of turmoil.  And today the religious leaders are calling Jesus ‘a blasphemer’ – a capital offense – and the pick up rocks to kill him. He doesn’t make much of a defense; instead, he walks through their midst and goes to Bethany.  Saint John of the Cross writes, “It is great wisdom to know how to be silent.  Look at neither the remarks nor the deeds nor the lives of others.”  Yes, the religious leaders should be doing this to Jesus.  And Jesus is modelling this to the religious leaders by just walking through their midst.  He’s not condemning them despite their condemnations of him.  Maybe that’s the lesson here – to love our neighbor, love our enemies, condemn no one, return a blessing instead – to live and love like Jesus.  

Carmelite homily for Thursday, April 2, 2020 – Lectionary 254 (John 8:51-59)

Saint John of the Cross wrote a commentary on his poem, The Dark Night, called The Ascent of Mount Carmel.  There are forty chapters in two books and there are forty days of Lent.  It’s a perfect Lenten practice.  What is he trying to accomplish in The Ascent of Mount Carmel, but freedom!  To free us from ourselves, our self-righteousness, our sinfulness, our pride.  Saint John off the Cross writes, “It makes little difference whether a bird is tied by a thin thread or by a cord.”  That’s what John is trying to do – cut the cords, cut the ropes, but cut even the thin threads that tie us.  I think that so well ties in with all these Gospels we have in this season and it ties in well with our hearts.  

Carmelite homily for Saturday, March 28, 2020 – Lectionary 249 (John 7:40-53)

This is a great week for Gospel passages.  Now we everybody upset because of authority.  Who has the authority here?  Who is in control here?  Who has the power here?  That’s what we see in today’s Gospel passage.  John of the Cross may have a different way.  He writes, “The soul that journeys to God without shaking off its cares or quieting its appetites is like the one who drags a cart uphill.”  If your life is an uphill drag maybe a different solution?  

Carmelite homily for Friday, March 27, 2020 – Lectionary 248 (John 7:1-2,25-30)

In today’s Gospel there’s a lot of upset.  Jesus has to go to Jerusalem, but in secret.  The people are murmuring.  The religious leaders want to arrest him.  Lots of upset.  Is there a lot of upset in your life?  Maybe John of the Cross has a solution.  He writes, “Crucified inwardly and outwardly with Christ and you will live in this life with fullness and satisfaction.”  Isn’t that a great substitute for upset – fullness and satisfaction?  But to be crucified with Christ means to put all that aside.  Let it go to the Cross.  And you live apart from all that.  Even Saint Paul says, “I have been crucified to the world and the world to me” (in Galatians).  Same idea.  A good topic, a good path for Lent.