Father Greg

The Doors Open and the Doors Close

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 661 (Feast of Saint Luke) – Friday, October 18, 2019

Saint Therese is oftentimes called the Greatest Saint of Modern Times because she uses modern imagery in her writings. For example, she’ll say, “you can climb the rough staircase of perfection or ride the smooth elevator of love.” It’s a great image of going to heaven. But I extend it because when you take an elevator the doors open and the doors close; people get on and people get off. Sometimes they’re not people you want to deal with or sometimes they’re people who will help or give you advice. The elevator doors open and the elevator doors close on our journey to heaven. So in today’s Gospel, Jesus is sending the seventy-two and we think that they’re going to different places to prepare the way for him. No! They’re all going to you. One at a time. It’s like there are seventy-two floors – each one to teach you generosity, or patience, or fidelity, or hope, or optimism, or life, or love. Finally, the doors will open and there will be Jesus. But it takes the seventy-two to get us there.

No Greatness Without Love

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 470 – Thursday, October 17, 2019

It seems that all the Carmelite writers have the same quotation – maybe they’re quoting each other, but it’s a good one. “The Lord will never look at the greatness of your deeds; only upon the love with which they are done.” In today’s Gospel we have Jesus condemning the people because they’re defending the faith, and going after him and each other, and building great monuments. They’re doing all sorts of things that are laudatory, but no love in them. I think this quotation from John of the Cross, from Teresa of Avila, from Therese of Lisieux, from ‘you name that Carmelite author’, it’s there: “The Lord will never look at the greatness of your deeds; only upon the love with which they are done.” Whatever you do today, no matter how great, do it with love.

What Good Does It Do?

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 469 – Wednesday, October 16, 2019

There’s a quotation of Saint Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower, that is so good that I keep it on my desk. She says, “When we are misunderstood and judged unfavorably, what good does it do to defend or explain ourselves? It is so much better to say nothing and allow others to judge us as they please.” Wow, is that tough! In today’s Gospel we have the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the Scribes all being criticized by Jesus because of their self-righteousness. Instead of looking at themselves, they defend themselves and they attack Jesus and each other. I think Therese is right. Sanctity is, “When we are misunderstood and judged unfavorably; it is so much better to say nothing and allow others to judge us as they please.”

The Feast of Saint Teresa of Avila

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 657 – Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Today we celebrate a great one! This is the Feast of Saint Teresa of Avila. My favorite quotation of hers comes from one of her letters. She writes (it’s a prayer), “Lord, I do not think I can give you everything that you ask of me; but I will allow you to take it, and I pray that I do not try and prevent you.” It’s a great prayer because it’s so real; it’s so human. We think we can give everything to God, but, ahhhh. Things that are too close to our ego, to our reputation, to our appetites; ahh, maybe not those Lord. She’s being really human here. But then she’s a great saint because she says, “but I will allow you to take it.” I don’t think we have to give that stuff up – the Lord will take it from us. And then she’s back to human and real when she says, “and I pray that I do not try and prevent you.”

In today’s Gospel we have the vine and the branches and Jesus says that he will prune those branches. What a great Gospel for this Feast of Saint Teresa of Avila!

Goodness and Greatness Right in Front of You

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 467 – Monday, October 14, 2019

Instead of giving you a Carmelite quotation today, I’m going to give you my take on today’s Gospel passage. The people come to Jesus asking for a sign and he says, “no, because you’re looking for the sign of Jonah like in the time of Nineveh, or the time of Solomon when the Queen of Sheba visited. You don’t see what’s in front of you.” I think what they’re doing is they’re living in the past. Jonah was a great preacher and the people of Nineveh turned their lives around. Solomon was a great king and the Queen of Sheba and others came from great distances to listen to him. They’re living in the past. “We were great then with Jonah; we were great then with Solomon!” But they are great today with Jesus and they don’t see it. The call of today’s Gospel is to see the goodness and the greatness right in front of us.

Gratitude of Heart

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 144 – Sunday, October 13, 2019

In her autobiography, Story of a Soul, Saint Therese talks about prayer. She writes, “For me, prayer is an aspiration of the heart, an upward glance toward heaven; with gratitude and love in times of trial and of joy.” Notice that there are no words to this description of prayer of hers. In today’s Gospel, we have the lepers coming to Jesus but we have no words from them. I think oftentimes prayer and gratitude and love aren’t words – they are just heart. Let us be filled with heart today.

Only in Silence

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 466 – Saturday, October 12, 2019

In today’s Gospel Jesus has the line, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.” How can you hear the word of God, though? Saint John of the Cross says, “God spoke only one Word, his Son, in eternal silence; and only in silence can that word be heard.” So practice a little – just a little, a minute, two minutes – of silence. Turn off the phone, turn off the TV, turn off the iPad, turn off the noise; just for two minutes. See what you hear!

“God!” and the Devil Flees

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 465 – Friday, October 11, 2019

Today’s Gospel is about the devil and they’re accusing Jesus of being the devil. Teresa of Avila has a great line. She says, “Why are people so afraid of the devil; all you have to do is say the word ‘God’ and the devil flees.” It’s as simple as that.

11th Hour

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 464 – Thursday, October 10, 2019

Blessed Titus Brandsma was a Dutch Carmelite, arrested by the Nazis and slated to be executed at Dachau. When the nurse came in to give him his lethal injection, he said, “let us pray together” and handed her his rosary. She said, “I can’t pray.” He said, “Just do the line, ‘pray for us sinners.’” That was the last execution she did. She walked out of the concentration camp never to do that again and pursued instead a life of holiness. In today’s Gospel, it’s like the 11th hour and the guy is asking for loaves. It’s actually never the 11th hour.

Our Father

Carmelite homily for Lectionary 463 – Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Today the Gospel passage is the “Our Father.” Saint Teresa of Avila notes that there are seven petitions – you know, like “thy kingdom come” or “give us our bread” or “help us to forgive” – seven petitions to the Our Father. And she says, it is better to pray one petition mindfully than to pray the Our Father mindlessly. This comes from The Way of Perfection. So today, pray one petition of the Our Father instead of the whole Our Father.