Father Greg

To Reach New Territory Take New Roads

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 497 | Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Note: This post is a rerun from Sunday, November 3rd, since the Gospel passage, Luke 19:1-10, is the same passage for today.

In his Sayings of Light and Love, Saint John of the Cross instructs us that, “Travelers cannot reach new territory if they do not take new roads and abandon the old familiar ones.” Good advice! In today’s Gospel, Jesus is going to Jericho – a new road for him. But more importantly, Zacchaeus is climbing a sycamore tree. That’s a new road for him. He’s going to reach new territory: comfort, and closeness, and love of Jesus. If we want those, we need to take new roads and abandon the old familiar ones that are getting us nowhere.

Prodigal Child

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 497 | Monday, November 18, 2019

In today’s Gospel we have the story of Jesus approaching Jericho and there’s a blind man out there who says, “Son of David, have pity on me!” And the crowds say, “Shh! Shh!” to him to shush him down. And he cries out all the more, “Have pity on me!” Jesus does have pity on him, and Jesus does have pity on us. Saint Therese reminds us, “I would throw myself into Jesus’ arms for I know how much he loves the prodigal child who returns to him.” That blind man knew that; Therese knows that; let us know that.

All in God’s Hands

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 159 | Sunday, November 17, 2019

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.

Bridegroom and Friend

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 496 | Saturday, November 16, 2019

We have a really interesting instruction about prayer in today’s Gospel where Jesus likens it to a widow who goes to a judge demanding justice and he’s unwilling. So she goes again and again and again till he finally gives in. But what if that widow went to a friend? Or what if she went to a spouse? Wouldn’t she be more apt to get what she needs or is looking for right away? That may be the instruction here. John of the Cross says, “Take God for your Bridegroom and Friend.” Wouldn’t your bridegroom give you something – right away? Wouldn’t your friend give you something – right away? Let’s not see God as judge or arbiter or arbitrary gift-giver but let us see God as Bridegroom and Friend.

If the Whole World Should Crumble

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 495 | Friday, November 15, 2019

Today we have some pretty heavy-duty end of the world stuff where Jesus says if you see these signs don’t even return to the house; and if two are in bed, one will be taken and one will be left; and if two are working, one will be taken and one will be left. Then what are we to do? Saint John of the Cross 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.” That’s what we do! It’s all in God’s hands. Endure all with peace and tranquility.

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.”

Gratitude

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 493 | Wednesday, November 13, 2019

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.

Attached to Dignities?

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 492 | Tuesday, November 12, 2019

In today’s Gospel Jesus says, when the servants come in from a long day does the master say, ‘let me take care of you?’ No, the master says, now that you’re back, take care of me. And at the end say, you’ve done nothing but what you were expected to do. This is true, we are to be servants, but the call is to be more than servants – to be friends, to be brothers, sisters, offspring of the Lord. Saint John of the Cross tells us, “Those attached to dignities are considered by God mere slaves and not offspring.” The call is to be offspring and to join the master at the table.

Precious Neighbor

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 491 | Monday, November 11, 2019

In his Sayings of Light and Love, John of the Cross reminds us, “Your neighbor may be precious in God’s sight for reasons you do not have in mind.” In today’s Gospel Jesus says to forgive your brother; if he wrongs you seven times, forgive him seven times. Because that neighbor, your brother, yours sister, may be precious in his sight for reasons you do not have in mind. Since you do not know what motivates, you do not know the background, you do not know that person – you only know yourself and even weakly there sometimes – ‘forgive’ is the call of today’s Gospel. For, “Your neighbor may be precious in God’s sight for reasons you do not have in mind.”

Doing Good On Earth

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 156 | Sunday, November 10, 2019

One of the best known lines of Saint Therese of Lisieux is “I will spend my heaven doing good on earth.” This could be the problem in today’s Gospel when the Sadducees come to Jesus with this hypothetical case of a woman who marries seven successive husbands. And in the end, whose wife with she be? And Jesus says it’s not like that at all. I think Therese knows that too. Heaven is not about being – whose wife will she be – it’s about doing. In fact, life is about doing, not about being. I oftentimes tell couples about to be married, “it’s not enough be married, you’ve got to do married.” And I say that to our seminarians, “it’s not enough to be a priest, you’ve got to do priest.” And I think that’s the key everywhere because that’s how God acts. God is not a being; God is a doing – redeeming us, saving us, guiding us, loving us. That’s the key that, I think, Therese captured. And that’s the Little Way. Do – it’s not enough to be – do good. “I will spend my heaven doing good on earth.” And let us do our earth doing good on earth.