Father Greg

Amazing Transformation

Carmelite homily for Saturday, January 25, 2020 – Lectionary 142 – The Conversion of Saint Paul

Today’s Gospel, for the Conversion of Saint Paul, is the ending of Mark’s Gospel, where he’s talking about disciples. They will drive out demons, speak new languages, pick up serpents, drink deadly things, heal the sick. These are extraordinary feats. But you notice that it’s the end of the Gospel. I think our transformation in Christ is a lifetime call, a lifetime transformation, a lifetime journey. That’s the Conversion of Saint Paul: our own conversion. A couple of days ago I quoted Saint Therese and I’m going to use the same quote today. She writes, “He transformed me in such a way that I no longer recognized myself.” I think Saint Paul, at the end of his life, would look back and say, “that was me?” And I think that’s the same with us – we’re so transformed, it’s amazing.

A Call So Strong

Carmelite homily for Friday, January 24, 2020 – Lectionary 315 (Mark 3:13-19)

Today’s Gospel passage comes from Mark, and it’s the naming of the Twelve Apostles. But there’s a name missing – mine! There’s a name missing – yours! Saint Therese, in her autobiography, Story of a Soul, writes, “The divine call had been so strong that had I been forced to walk through flames, I would’ve done it out of love for Jesus.” Hopefully that describes the call of those Twelve, and your call and my call. Yes, I think today’s Gospel is the calling of the Twelve but it’s the calling of a lot, lot more.

One Dark Night

Carmelite homily for Thursday, January 23, 2020 – Lectionary 314 (Mark 3:7-12)

The best known poem of Saint John of the Cross is The Dark Night. It begins, “One dark night, fired by love’s urgent longings – ahh, the sheer grace – I went out unseen, my house being now all stilled.” In today’s Gospel we have far from a stilled house – big crowds pressing on Jesus. He’s healing them. He has to get into a boat so they don’t crush him. They’re looking for something. They’re looking for healing. They’re looking for food. They’re looking for health. They’re looking for immediate needs met. But I think Jesus goes and brings us all deeper than that. Yeah, he’ll start there with all of us. But I think if we stay with Jesus we start to look at not just immediate bodily needs being met, but spiritual needs, soul needs, eternal needs being met. And that, in time, maybe we all will say individually and deeply and richly, “One dark night, fired by love’s urgent longings – ahh, the sheer grace – I went out unseen, my house being now all stilled.”

Recognition

Carmelite homily for Wednesday, January 22, 2020 – Lectionary 313 (Mark 3:1-6)

There’s a line in Saint Therese of Lisieux’s autobiography, Story of a Soul, which describes her journey. She writes, “He transformed me in such a way that I no longer recognized myself.” I think that’s what’s happening in today’s Gospel. The man with the withered hand comes before everybody in the synagogue and Jesus heals him. And that’s what happens to all of us. Whatever the areas are that are withered, occluded, blocked, Jesus takes and heals us because it’s part of our transformation. Transformation so deep and so rich that we may not even recognize ourselves.

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.

Old to New

Carmelite homily for Monday, January 20, 2020 – Lectionary 311 (Mark 2:18-22)

A few years ago our Shrine of Saint Therese in Darien, Illinois, had a display of a chasuble which had been made out of the wedding dress Therese wore at her First Profession. In those days you came to First Profession dressed in wedding attire; that was removed and the habit given. After her canonization, the Pope of the time, Pius XI, requested that dress and had it turned into a chasuble. In today’s Gospel Jesus says don’t take new cloth and put it on old. But what about taking old cloth and making it new? I think that is what Jesus was getting at. Every person, every generation is to take these lessons, this faith, and make it new. I think that is what Therese did in her ‘Little Way.’ And that’s the call of all of us. Therese also did that – she took one of her sister’s dresses and turned it into a chasuble – old to new. Let’s do that ourselves – old to new.

Behold the Lamb of God

Carmelite homily for Sunday, January 19, 2020 – Lectionary 64

In today’s Gospel we have Jesus walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and John the Baptist says to his disciples, “Behold the Lamb of God.” And that is our task, is to proclaim the Lamb of God. For example, Saint Therese writes about one sister in her community that was hypercritical and grumpy and grouchy and just unpleasant to be around, and Saint Therese writes, “penetrating into the inner sanctuary where he chooses to dwell, I took care to render for this sister all services possible; and when I was tempted to answer her back in a disagreeable manner, I was content with giving her my most friendly smile instead.” That’s proclaiming the Lamb of God – is to see Jesus even in the crotchety or to everyone – to see Christ in all things, and to proclaim Christ in all things. To proclaim with John the Baptist and all the disciples: Behold the Lamb of God.

Great Wisdom

Carmelite homily for Saturday, January 18, 2020 – Lectionary 310

In today’s Gospel we have the call of Levi (or Matthew). Jesus is walking by the tax-collecting post and sees him and says, “Come follow me.” And Levi does. And invites everybody over to his house for a banquet in honor of this, and in honor of Jesus. And what is the reaction of the crowds, especially the scribes? They complain. How this man is a sinner; he’s a tax-collector. The people around here are sinners. This is a great blessing and all they see are the problems. John of the Cross says, “It is great wisdom to know how to be silent; look at neither the remarks nor the deeds nor the lives of others.” That is very difficult advice, very needed advice. That day at the customs-station, the tax-collectors station, and today. But I think John is right: it is great wisdom to be silent.

Good Companions

Carmelite homily for Friday, January 17, 2020 – Lectionary 309

In today’s Gospel we have the well-known story of a group of men bringing their friend, who’s a paralytic, to Jesus. But can’t get near him because of the crowds, so they climb up on the roof with that man, open up the roof, and lower the stretcher down in front of Jesus. Quite the feat. Teresa of Avila says, “God accords great favor with anyone placed with good companions.” Of course, she means the foundation of her new convents, reformed convents, but I think that rule applies to a lot larger than that. When we have good friends, caring friends, supportive friends, great accords come our way.

But It’s Supposed to be Dirty

Carmelite homily for Thursday, January 16, 2020 – Lectionary 308

In today’s Gospel we have a leper come to Jesus and asking to be made clean; and Jesus does heal the leprosy, does make the man clean. Teresa of Avila says, “Don’t you think, Lord, it would be good that the inn where you have chosen to dwell were not to get so dirty?” Actually, I think, the inn is supposed to be dirty. That’s where our mission is. This man’s mission was in his leprosy. With the cleansing he went out and proclaimed the good news. We oftentimes think of these things as afflictions or problems or failings. They’re actually blessings and gifts from God. So, yes, the inn is to be dirty – for the Lord to cleanse and us to proclaim.