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Bottom Line – Don’t Be Stupid

Carmelite homily for Friday (Week 14), July 10, 2020 – Lectionary 387 (Matthew 10:16-23)

Jesus expects a lot out of us.  He expects

  • turn the other cheek,
  • to forgive, not seven times but seventy times seven times,
  • to walk the extra mile, 
  • to give your coat as well as your tunic when you’re asked for it, 
  • to never ask for anything back that someone borrows, 
  • etc., etc., etc., etc.

And people will oftentimes ask me, ‘but this can get abusive; when do I say no; when do I say that’s enough?  Well, today’s Gospel has the answer.  Jesus instructs the Twelve when they’re going out with this great bit of advice, “Be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.”  It’s a great piece of advice.  What I think it means is simply; yes, do all these things, but don’t be stupid.  Yes, be shrewd as serpents; peaceful as doves, but shrewd as serpents.  It means don’t be a doormat, don’t be stupid.  But be loving, be dove-like, be peaceful.  Be like Jesus.

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Why All This Stuff?

Carmelite homily for Thursday (Week 14), July 9, 2020 – Lectionary 386 (Matthew 10:7-15)

In today’s Gospel Jesus sends out the Twelve Apostles to begin to preach in his name.  He gives them four instructions.  He says: 

  1. proclaim that the Gospel is at hand,
  2. cure the sick,
  3. raise the dead,
  4. drive out demons. 

But then he gives them a ton of instructions – a lot more – on what they’re             supposed to take or not take.  Don’t take sandals, don’t take a second tunic, don’t take a backpack, don’t take gold, don’t take silver, don’t take any money, don’t take a walking stick.  It just seems like a lot more instructions of what not to do than what to do.  Why?  I think John of the Cross may have the answer here.  John of the Cross writes, “The soul must empty itself of all that is not God in order to go to God.”  I think that’s what Jesus is trying to get at here.  All this stuff – the walking staff and the money and all that – is about insecurity and security and about power and status and everything.  Let that go.  Let the stuff go.  And just proclaim love.  That’s the invitation; that’s the gift; that’s the real instruction to the Twelve.  

Saint John of the Cross
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Hodgepodge of Problems

Carmelite homily for Wednesday (Week 14), July 8, 2020 – Lectionary 385 (Matthew 10:1-7)

everyone here is ‘people’ – you know, with politics going on, and turf going on, and judgmental and maybe gossiping going on.  It can get sometimes pretty negative and they’re surprised.  In today’s Gospel we have Jesus calling the Twelve.  And when you look at these Twelve, you have

  • Peter – Peter, remembered, doubted when Jesus told him to walk on water and he sank; and then he denied him three times when Jesus was arrested.
  • Andrew – Peter complains about Andrew, ‘when my brother wrongs me how many times do I have to forgive him?’
  • James and John – who send their mother because they’re ambitious to get the premier spots on Jesus’ left and Jesus’ right.
  • Thomas – who doubted.
  • Matthew – who is a Roman collaborator because he is a tax collector. 
  • Simon the Cananite, who is a Zealot and Zealots took a vow to kill Roman sympathizers.  How are Matthew and he going to get along? 

It’s a hodgepodge of problems.  That’s what people are, but that’s where salvation is.  I think that’s the gift and the warning and the instruction of today’s Gospel.  Yes, we’re all working towards sanctity, but we start off as people. 

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