Carmelite homily for Thursday, December 5, 2019 – Lectionary 178
Feeding the Multitudes
Carmelite homily for Wednesday, December 4, 2019 – Lectionary 177
In today’s Gospel we have the feeding of the multitude where Jesus takes the few loaves and fish and multiplies them and gives them to the many. This is oftentimes called a prefigurement, we say, of the Eucharist where Jesus feeds the multitude. But Therese has an interesting take – Therese of Lisieux – she writes that when she comes to communion, “I invite all the angels and saints to come and conduct a magnificent concert there so that when Jesus descends into my heart he is content to find himself so well-received, and there I am content too.” That’s the call; yes, Jesus feeds us but we feed Jesus with our love, our action, and our heart. We feed the multitude, also.
Be Little and Let Jesus Do the Work
Carmelite homily for Tuesday, December 3, 2019 – Lectionary 176
Saint Therese of Lisieux was looking for some way to articulate her Little Way and she found this passage in the Book of Wisdom: “Whoever is a little one, let him come to me.” And she concludes, “The elevator which will raise me to heaven is your arms, O Jesus, and for this I had no reason to grow up but rather to remain little and to become this more and more.” In today’s Gospel we have this image of becoming childlike and things that are hidden are revealed to the little ones. I think that is Therese’s Little Way. Let Jesus do this. Let Jesus accomplish this. Let Jesus’ grace work through us. Be little, and let Jesus do the work.
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.
Saint Teresa’s Bookmark
Carmelite homily for Sunday, December 1, 2019 | The First Sunday of Advent | Lectionary 001
Today we begin a new season and a new year – it’s the Season of Advent. But the Gospel’s kinda scary. It says that it’s going to be like the days of Noah when the floods came and swept everyone away. Or there’ll be two people working in the field – one will be taken, one will be left. Or grinding meal – one will be taken, one will be left. And the homeowner would not have slept if he knew when the thief was coming. All kind of scary. But it shouldn’t be. This is the season of patience, the season of hope – Advent. I think Teresa of Avila tells us how to react to all this with her probably best-known quotation – the Bookmark. It’s something she wrote in the corner of her Breviary to remind her of this everyday. She writes, “Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you. All things are passing away, God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.” Let’s make that this season. Let’s make that our lives. Let’s make that our journey as we journey to the Nativity.
Recruiting for the Fishing Team
Carmelite homily for Saturday, November 30, 2019 | The Feast of Saint Andrew | Lectionary 584
Today is the Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle, and we have the Gospel passage where Jesus is calling Simon Peter and Andrew, fishermen, to be fishers of men and women. Therese writes, “More merciful to me than to his disciples, Jesus took the net himself, cast it, and drew it in filled with fish.” He didn’t call Simon or Andrew to be fishers without him. He doesn’t call us to be fishers without him. Jesus becomes that fisherman with you, fisherwoman, you fisherman – we, fisher-team.
Four Waters
Carmelite homily for Friday, November 29, 2019 – Lectionary 507
One of Teresa of Avila’s best-known images is that of water. She writes, “It seems the garden can be watered in four ways; you may draw water from a well, or by means of a water wheel, or it may flow from a river or stream, or the water may be provided by a great deal of rain.” What she is talking about is prayer; and the love and the life that comes from prayer. You notice that each of those is easier and easier. You can haul water from the well. Or easier yet, from a water wheel. Or easier yet, irrigation from a river. Or easiest of all, rain. The more we pray, the more we live, the more we love, the more our garden grows. So Jesus talks about the fig in springtime when it’s just opening. But I think the goal is not to just recognize when it’s opening, but to bring it to full bloom and to full harvest, in his love and in his life.
Gratitude
Carmelite homily for Thursday, November 28, 2019 | Thanksgiving Day | Lectionary 945
Note: This post is a rerun from November 13th, since the Gospel passage, Luke 17:11-19, is the same passage for today.
In today’s Gospel we have the well-known story of the ten lepers who come to Jesus for healing. And he does it! But only one returns. And he asks, “Where are the other nine?” Well, the other nine may say, “I didn’t ask for leprosy, why should I say thanks? I didn’t do this to myself.” Therese reminds us, though, “Prayer is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as in joy.” That may be hard to remember, hard to implement, hard to do – just like the nine who wandered away. But it is true, “Prayer is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as in joy.” Let’s try to remember that.
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.”
All in God’s Hands
Carmelite homily for Tuesday, November 26, 2019 – Lectionary 504
Note: This post is a rerun from Sunday, November 17th, since the Gospel passage, Luke 21:5-11, is the same passage for today.
In today’s Gospel we some super-heavy-duty and scary end of the world scenarios where nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there’ll be earthquakes and plagues and omens in the sky and people will arrest you and haul you before judges. And Jesus says “do not be terrified.” I think John of the Cross says the same thing. He says, “If the whole world should crumble and come to an end and all things go wrong, endure all with tranquility and with peaceful equanimity.” Why? Because it’s all in God’s hands. No matter what happens – today, in your life, in the world, at the end of the world – endure all with tranquility and peaceful equanimity. Great advice.