Father Greg

Carmelite homily for Wednesday, January 15, 2020 – Lectionary 307

In today’s Gospel Jesus is doing good deeds.  He cures Simon Peter’s mother-in-law.  He drives out demons.  At the end of the day he goes to pray, but they follow him.  He comes back to do more good deeds.  Oftentimes we think there might be a tension between my need for prayer and my need for a relationship with God and all the work I have to do.  But they shouldn’t be in conflict.  Teresa of Avila says, “The reason for prayer: good works, good works.”  They are tied together.  Or as Teresa of Avila will also say, “Martha and Mary must combine.”  The reason for prayer: good works.  Let us pray and let us do good works.  Amen.

Carmelite homily for Tuesday, January 14, 2020 – Lectionary 306

In today’s Gospel Jesus enters the synagogue and there’s a man there who says, “what are you here for? are you here to destroy us?”  And instead of destroying him, Jesus frees him.  The question is: why would the man be there in the first place?  He wanted to be free!  Teresa of Avila says, “May the Lord be praised who freed me from myself.”  Oftentimes that’s the demon.  The demon is ourselves – our problems, our predispositions – us.  Jesus will free us, from us.  May the Lord be praised who freed me from myself. 

Carmelite homily for Sunday, December 15, 2019 – Lectionary 007 (Third Sunday of Advent)

In today’s Gospel we have John the Baptist, who the early Carmelites said was a Carmelite, a member of the Order, because he’s dressed like Elijah – camel’s hair, leather belt.  But what does it really mean to be a Carmelite?  What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus?  Because that’s what John the Baptist is asking, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to look for another?”  And Jesus describes what he is doing.  That’s what it means to be a follower.  Saint Teresa of Avila writes, “Being a friar doesn’t consist in the habit – I mean wearing it – but in enjoying the state of higher perfection, which is what it means to be a true friar.”  That’s what Jesus is asking of John: are you a true friar?  That’s what Jesus is asking of us: are you a true friar?  Higher perfection, doing the works of Jesus, living in love.  

Carmelite homily for Friday, December 13, 2019 – Lectionary 185

In today’s Gospel Jesus remarks about the gripey people.  That he says, “We played you a flute but you would not dance so we sang you a dirge but you would not wail.  That John the Baptist came neither eating nor drinking and you said he’s crazy and so Jesus came eating and drinking and you said he’s a glutton.  No matter what happens people will complain.  Teresa of Avila says, ahh, put that all aside.  One of her great lines is, “For a soul surrendered into God’s hands doesn’t care whether they say good or evil about it.”  That could sum up today’s message of the Gospel.  

Carmelite homily for Wednesday, December 11, 2019 – Lectionary 183

In today’s Gospel we have words of great comfort.  Jesus says, “Come to me all who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest.  For my yoke is easy; my burden is light.”  Who doesn’t want that?  But between those two parts is the key where he says, “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.”  Ahhh, I don’t know if we want that – that meekness thing, that humble thing?  No.  But that’s the key.  As Teresa of Avila says, “May the Lord be praised who freed me from myself.”  We’re trapped by our pride; we’re trapped by our appetites; we’re trapped so many times.  Enslaved by these.  It’s when we are freed and we learn to be meek and humble of heart, then the yoke is easy and the burden is light.  

Carmelite homily for Tuesday, December 10, 2019 – Lectionary 182

In today’s Gospel we have the well-known parable of the Lost Sheep.  Jesus asks, which of you who have a hundred sheep, if one is lost would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go look for the one?  But how do we not be the one?  How do we avoid that?  How do we prevent that?  Teresa of Avila has a very simple answer.  She writes, “For all who follow Christ, if they don’t want to get lost, must walk along the paths he trod.”  It’s as easy as that.