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Mine are the Heavens

Carmelite Homily for Lectionary 474 — Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Wise or inspiring things that John of the Cross said were compiled into a little volume called Sayings of Light and Love.  They are profound.  This is Number 27.  “Mine are the heavens and mine are the earth.  Mine are the nations and the just are mine.  Mine are the sinners.  The angels are mine.  And the Mother of God and all things are mine.  And God himself is mine and for me because Christ is for me and all for me.  What do you ask, then, or seek my soul?  Yours is all of this and all is for you.  Do not engage yourself in something less or pay heed to the crumbs that fall from your Father’s table.  Go forth! and exult in your glory!  Hide yourself in it and rejoice.  And you will obtain the supplications of your heart.”  I think that works well with today’s Gospel because Jesus has this reversal that when the master comes he will wait on the servants and feed the servants.  Why?  Because the servants are valuable.  I am valuable; you are valuable; to God. 

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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.