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Do Not Go Back

Carmelite homily for Wednesday, February 19, 2020 – Lectionary 337 (Mark 8:22-26)

In today’s Gospel we have a very interesting passage. The people from the village of Bethsaida bring to Jesus a blind man. And Jesus heals him – it takes two tries – and concludes with the line, “Do not even go back into the village.” Why? The purpose of all Jesus’ healings is to allow people back into the village, back to their families, back to society because the blind, the unclean, the lepers, the lame were all kept outside the village for health reasons. So why would Jesus tell this man to not go back? There must be something wrong with the village. That if he goes back, all the problems come back. So, I think, the call of today’s Gospel – are we part of the problem? – is to check out our own village. Are we adding to it or are we suffering from it? Let’s clean up the village. It’s really the call of today’s Gospel.

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.”

Necessity Knows No Law

Carmelite homily for Tuesday, January 21, 2020 – Lectionary 312 (Mark 2:23-28)

In the Gospel today Jesus and his disciples are walking through a field and the disciples are grabbing the grain and eating it as they walk along. And the Pharisees say, “Uhh, you’re not allowed to do that on the Sabbath.” First off, what are the Pharisees doing in that field on the Sabbath, and second off, I think our Carmelite Rule says this very well. The Rule says, “Necessity knows no law.” Because the law serves to help us get to deeper life, more mature life, fullness of life. That the call. Not the law. The law is a tool, a mechanism, to life, love, depth, maturity. That’s the reminder in today’s Gospel.

I’m Back!

I’m back after the Christmas break and semester break.

Hello, everybody! I’m back! I took some time off for semester break, Christmas break, and now I’m going to be resuming this blog. And adding a few things to it like some book reviews of some interesting books. And whatever else catches my fancy I’ll be adding to this blog. So look forward to some new postings and I’ll see you on line.

Consider Carefully

Carmelite homily for Sunday, December 8, 2019 – Lectionary 004 (Second Sunday of Advent)

Edith Stein, also known as Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, was a Carmelite who was executed – martyred – at Auschwitz. She says, “If you decide for Christ it could cost your life. Consider carefully what you promise.” In today’s Gospel we have John the Baptist proclaiming Good News, and baptizing for repentance, and saying, the one following me I am not worthy to even untie his sandal. He opts for Christ. He decides for Christ. And it costs him his life because that Christ-like message is so other-worldly. Focused on the other; serving the other; living in truth; living in honesty; living in integrity; living in authenticity. The world hates these actually. So if you decide for Christ it could cost you your life. Consider carefully what you promise.

Faith > Hope > Love

Carmelite homily for Monday, December 2, 2019 – Lectionary 175

In today’s Gospel we have Jesus praising the Centurion. The Centurion came to Jesus asking that his servant be healed saying, ‘just say the word and it will be done because I, a centurion, when I say something, it’s done.’ And Jesus says, ‘I have never seen such faith in all of Israel.’ But I think there’s more than faith here. Because this man loves his servant or he wouldn’t be there. And he hopes that Jesus will give him what he asks for. It’s faith, hope, and love, we see in today’s Gospel. These are the words of Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection. We don’t hear from him too often and yet he has a lot of profound things to say. Brother Lawrence writes, “All things are possible to him who believes; they are less difficult to him who hopes, they are easier to him who loves, and most easy to him who practices and perseveres in these three virtues.” I think that’s what we see operating and being lived in today’s Gospel.

Our Actions, Our Love

Carmelite homily for Wednesday, November 27, 2019 – Lectionary 505

In today’s Gospel Jesus warns us that they will haul us before kings and governors and into prisons, but not to prepare a defense beforehand for he will give us a wisdom with which to speak. I think that wisdom is our actions. That’s what Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity says, “By our actions we tell him of our love.” That is our defense – our actions, our love. “By our actions we tell him of our love.”

I Have Found Heaven

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 494 | Thursday, November 14, 2019

In today’s Gospel Jesus warns us against chasing when people say, “Look! Here he is! or Look! There he is!” Warns against chasing after that because we know, especially as Carmelites, that Jesus is here now. Elizabeth of the Trinity says this very clearly when she says, “I have found heaven on earth for God is in heaven and God is in my soul.”

Who/What are Carmelite Beatitudes Today?

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 667 – Solemnity of All Saints, Friday, November 1, 2019

In today’s Gospel we have the Beatitudes on this Feast, this Solemnity of All Saints. Sister Constance is a nun at Baltimore Carmel and she’s written a set of Carmelite Beatitudes. They’re available online. I’m not going to read them all, but just a few and you’ll get that feel for carmelite-ness in her Beatitudes.

Blessed are they who journey through darkness, for they shall find light and great joy.
Blessed are they who hold the sorrows of this world in their prayer, for they shall see humanity’s glorious transformation.
Blessed are they love the trials of the spiritual journey, for they shall be purified.
Blessed are they who are silent and find a place for ‘other,’ for they will learn to see all things in God.

Her list continues. The Beatitudes are paths to sanctity; whether they are Jesus’ in Matthew’s Gospel or Sister Constance’s, available to you online. The call is to be saints ourselves and we do this by being “Blesseds” in the world today.

Judge Sits Highest

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 150 – Sunday, October 27, 2019

A few years ago I was on a jury, a jury trial, that lasted ten days. I learned a lot. What was really interesting is the layout of the courtroom. In the courtroom at the highest level you had the judge – sitting very high. Next to the judge was the witness box on one side; the jurors on the other side, sitting up, and then the alternate jurors a step down. And then there was the main floor which was everybody else. So it was really based on judgment. The judge being the highest judge was the highest. The jurors being the next judges were the second highest. The plaintiffs and defendants in the witness box, the third highest. Then everybody else. A very vertical structure, based on judgment. This is exactly what Jesus is getting at in this example of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, oftentimes called the Pharisee and the Publican. There’s a lot of judgment going on here. That’s why the Pharisee is being condemned because he places himself so high – above the Publican, above all other men, all other people. Jesus calls us to be brothers and sisters. Jesus calls us to live a horizontal life. To gather with him around the table. To gather with him as his companions, as his disciples, as his apostles. To gather with him horizontally. Whenever we put ourselves vertically – hmmm, I think we’re distant from how he calls us to live, how he calls us to be, how he calls, how he calls us his brothers and sisters.