homily Archives - Page 13 of 19

Not Considered Offspring

Carmelite homily for Tuesday, January 28, 2020 – Lectionary 318 (Mark 3:31-35)

In today’s Gospel Jesus says, “those who do the will of the Father are like brother and sister and mother to me.” That means being familiar, being horizontal and not lording it over. Saint John of the Cross writes, “Those attached to dignities are considered by God as mere slaves and not offspring.” I think that’s the call of today’s Gospel: to see the world horizontally, not vertically; and to live horizontally, not vertically. All are brothers and sisters in Jesus.

Those So-Called Lords of Virtue

Carmelite homily for Monday, January 27, 2020 – Lectionary 317 (Mark 3:22-30)

I like this line from Saint John of the Cross. He writes, “Those who become angry over the sins of others and reprove these others angrily have set themselves up as lords of virtue. Such conduct is contrary to spiritual meekness.” I think that’s what we see in this Gospel. There are ‘lords of virtue’ here who are condemning the Lord of Life as Beelzebub. I think the call, if we’re going to be spiritual people, is to be spiritually meek, and not be condemnatory or judgmental. Sometimes I think the one unforgiveable sin is when we ourselves are unforgiving. I think Jesus sometimes means it when he says, “the measure you measure out will be measured back to you.” Instead, let us search for and let us live in spiritual meekness.

As Soon As

Carmelite homily for Sunday, January 26, 2020 – Lectionary 67 (Matthew 4:12-23)

One time I was taken to a concert, a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was so beautiful that as soon as it was over I said, ‘I want that in my life.’ And I began flute lessons; I joined a choir. I think that’s what’s going on in today’s Gospel. Jesus is walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and he runs into Simon and Andrew and says, “Come and follow me.” And they follow him immediately. It must be like they were so enraptured, so touched by Jesus, they want him in their lives. And then he sees James and John and says, “Come and follow me” and they do it immediately. They want him in their lives. Saint Therese of Lisieux writes in her autobiography, Story of a Soul, “I wanted Carmel as soon as I learned of it; I find all the aspirations of my soul are fulfilled in this Order.” I think it’s that same kind of ‘I want it as soon as I learn of it.’ It’s happening in today’s Gospel, it happened in the life of Therese. Let’s hope it happens in our lives.

Amazing Transformation

Carmelite homily for Saturday, January 25, 2020 – Lectionary 142 – The Conversion of Saint Paul

Today’s Gospel, for the Conversion of Saint Paul, is the ending of Mark’s Gospel, where he’s talking about disciples. They will drive out demons, speak new languages, pick up serpents, drink deadly things, heal the sick. These are extraordinary feats. But you notice that it’s the end of the Gospel. I think our transformation in Christ is a lifetime call, a lifetime transformation, a lifetime journey. That’s the Conversion of Saint Paul: our own conversion. A couple of days ago I quoted Saint Therese and I’m going to use the same quote today. She writes, “He transformed me in such a way that I no longer recognized myself.” I think Saint Paul, at the end of his life, would look back and say, “that was me?” And I think that’s the same with us – we’re so transformed, it’s amazing.

A Call So Strong

Carmelite homily for Friday, January 24, 2020 – Lectionary 315 (Mark 3:13-19)

Today’s Gospel passage comes from Mark, and it’s the naming of the Twelve Apostles. But there’s a name missing – mine! There’s a name missing – yours! Saint Therese, in her autobiography, Story of a Soul, writes, “The divine call had been so strong that had I been forced to walk through flames, I would’ve done it out of love for Jesus.” Hopefully that describes the call of those Twelve, and your call and my call. Yes, I think today’s Gospel is the calling of the Twelve but it’s the calling of a lot, lot more.

One Dark Night

Carmelite homily for Thursday, January 23, 2020 – Lectionary 314 (Mark 3:7-12)

The best known poem of Saint John of the Cross is The Dark Night. It begins, “One dark night, fired by love’s urgent longings – ahh, the sheer grace – I went out unseen, my house being now all stilled.” In today’s Gospel we have far from a stilled house – big crowds pressing on Jesus. He’s healing them. He has to get into a boat so they don’t crush him. They’re looking for something. They’re looking for healing. They’re looking for food. They’re looking for health. They’re looking for immediate needs met. But I think Jesus goes and brings us all deeper than that. Yeah, he’ll start there with all of us. But I think if we stay with Jesus we start to look at not just immediate bodily needs being met, but spiritual needs, soul needs, eternal needs being met. And that, in time, maybe we all will say individually and deeply and richly, “One dark night, fired by love’s urgent longings – ahh, the sheer grace – I went out unseen, my house being now all stilled.”

Recognition

Carmelite homily for Wednesday, January 22, 2020 – Lectionary 313 (Mark 3:1-6)

There’s a line in Saint Therese of Lisieux’s autobiography, Story of a Soul, which describes her journey. She writes, “He transformed me in such a way that I no longer recognized myself.” I think that’s what’s happening in today’s Gospel. The man with the withered hand comes before everybody in the synagogue and Jesus heals him. And that’s what happens to all of us. Whatever the areas are that are withered, occluded, blocked, Jesus takes and heals us because it’s part of our transformation. Transformation so deep and so rich that we may not even recognize ourselves.

Necessity Knows No Law

Carmelite homily for Tuesday, January 21, 2020 – Lectionary 312 (Mark 2:23-28)

In the Gospel today Jesus and his disciples are walking through a field and the disciples are grabbing the grain and eating it as they walk along. And the Pharisees say, “Uhh, you’re not allowed to do that on the Sabbath.” First off, what are the Pharisees doing in that field on the Sabbath, and second off, I think our Carmelite Rule says this very well. The Rule says, “Necessity knows no law.” Because the law serves to help us get to deeper life, more mature life, fullness of life. That the call. Not the law. The law is a tool, a mechanism, to life, love, depth, maturity. That’s the reminder in today’s Gospel.

Old to New

Carmelite homily for Monday, January 20, 2020 – Lectionary 311 (Mark 2:18-22)

A few years ago our Shrine of Saint Therese in Darien, Illinois, had a display of a chasuble which had been made out of the wedding dress Therese wore at her First Profession. In those days you came to First Profession dressed in wedding attire; that was removed and the habit given. After her canonization, the Pope of the time, Pius XI, requested that dress and had it turned into a chasuble. In today’s Gospel Jesus says don’t take new cloth and put it on old. But what about taking old cloth and making it new? I think that is what Jesus was getting at. Every person, every generation is to take these lessons, this faith, and make it new. I think that is what Therese did in her ‘Little Way.’ And that’s the call of all of us. Therese also did that – she took one of her sister’s dresses and turned it into a chasuble – old to new. Let’s do that ourselves – old to new.

Behold the Lamb of God

Carmelite homily for Sunday, January 19, 2020 – Lectionary 64

In today’s Gospel we have Jesus walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and John the Baptist says to his disciples, “Behold the Lamb of God.” And that is our task, is to proclaim the Lamb of God. For example, Saint Therese writes about one sister in her community that was hypercritical and grumpy and grouchy and just unpleasant to be around, and Saint Therese writes, “penetrating into the inner sanctuary where he chooses to dwell, I took care to render for this sister all services possible; and when I was tempted to answer her back in a disagreeable manner, I was content with giving her my most friendly smile instead.” That’s proclaiming the Lamb of God – is to see Jesus even in the crotchety or to everyone – to see Christ in all things, and to proclaim Christ in all things. To proclaim with John the Baptist and all the disciples: Behold the Lamb of God.