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What Are My Verticals?

Carmelite homily for Tuesday, February 25, 2020 – Lectionary 342 (Mark 9:30-34)

Those disciples, they’re at it again, arguing who is the greatest. So Jesus brings a child and places the child in the middle and says, “whoever receives a little one like this receives me” and “the last shall be first, the first shall be last.” What he’s getting at is all the things that keep us enslaved, like the disciples ‘who’s the greatest?’ It’s status, it’s power. Their culture was very vertical and Jesus is asking for very horizontal. But what about us? What are our verticals that we’re not willing to budge on? Money? or power? or status? or wealth? or the house? or my will? or my control? What are my verticals? And are they child-like? That’s the call of today’s Gospel. It’s not to be a child necessarily, but to check what are the verticals? What are the non-negotiables? What are the things I insist on having my way? And does that have to be so?

Immensity of Christ

Carmelite homily for Thursday, February 20, 2020 – Lectionary 338 (Mark 8:27-33)

In today’s Gospel Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they give a bunch of answers and finally Peter says, “You are the Christ.” Then Jesus predicts his upcoming passion and death. And Peter says, ‘Oh, This must not happen to you.’ Jesus, “Oh, behind me Satan for you do not think as God thinks but as human beings think.” I think that’s the call of today’s Gospel: is to think beyond what human beings think; to think as God thinks. Edith Stein (Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) writes, “Living in a Eucharistic way means coming out of oneself, out of the narrowness of one’s life and growing into the immensity of life in Christ.” I think that’s why Jesus begins with the question, “Who do people say that I am?” Is your understanding big enough, immense enough, to understand Jesus? Because that’s what you’re called to grow into – that immensity. That’s what we called as Christians, as Eucharistic people, as disciples – to grow into the immensity of Christ.

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.”