18th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C
August 1, 2010
St. Margaret Parish, Bel Air
Projecting the Present into the Future
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Write a Latter
Last September, at the beginning of the school year, the chaplain at a high school in Massachusetts gave an assignment to the students.
The chaplain began: “In fifteen years from now you’ll be in your unimaginable thirties somewhere. That’s worth thinking about.
“What will you remember about this year, I wonder? Will you remember important things or, like me, only disconnected bits and pieces of things like part of a movie you saw?
“I am asking you to write a letter today to the person you will have turned into fifteen years from now. Picture what you might look like, how you might be dressed.
“First, write this letter to yourself about the kind of person you are today, right now.
“Second, write to yourself about the kind of person you want to be, fifteen years from now.
“Write about who the person is right now that you would rather spend a day with more than anyone else in the world.
“Write to yourself about what you hope you will be doing with your life fifteen years from now.
And write about the kind of thing you hope you won’t be doing.
“Write to yourself about the last thing that made you cry and the most beautiful place you’ve ever seen up to now.
Write about the nicest thing someone has ever done for you and the nicest thing you have ever done for somebody else.
“Write all this to yourself and give the letter to someone to mail to you sometime in the year 2025.
My bet is that it will turn out to be one of the most interesting and useful letters you will ever receive.”
All of Us Write
I am thinking that each of us, regardless of our age, might consider writing a letter like this.
The point of the chaplain’s assignment is to help the students realize how precious and fragile and short our life is. We can get so caught up in the busyness and activities of living and only skim the surface of our life.
We can allow ourselves to be ruled by the pursuit of jobs and things to buy and places to go. Very often all of this busyness and activity really ends up stealing our time and attention from those we love and who love us.
The result is that we live our lives as if:
➢ There will always be time “later on” to do the things our schedules force us to put off
➢ We can always make it up to our loved ones tomorrow or this weekend
➢ Or as soon as this project is done there will time to relax
But we all know too well there is always something else we just have to do, someplace else we just have to go, and on and on it goes.
All Is Vanity…Wake Up
Today’s Scripture passages try to wake us up to all of this.
The wisdom writer in the first reading has come to see so much of this activity in life as “vanity,” as foolishness – that’s his rather negative way of looking at things.
Jesus in the Gospel calls our preoccupation with so many things as “foolish.”
And Saint Paul in the second reading gives us the positive direction for approaching life. “Seek what is above. … Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.”
His point is that our lives are about:
➢ Finding and embracing the selfless love of God
➢ Discovering how to love one another as God loves us in Jesus
➢ Being God’s beloved children, being brothers and sisters to one another, even being brothers and sisters to all God’s children on this earth
➢ Living in the love and compassion of God
That is what I hope we will write in our letters for fifteen years from now
It’s an exercise you might try today.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
FUNERAL Mass for July 26, 2010: Lifting the Veil of Ego Self-Image
Funeral Mass for Rodgers Brooks
Shrine of the Sacred Heart Church
July 26, 2010
Lifting the Veil of Ego Self-Image
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
CONDOLENCES
To his wife Ruth, who is unable to be with us,
To his five treasures: Marygill, Rebecca, Lucy, Sutton, and Fran,
And their husbands Lewis, Bob, Andre, Peter and Andy,
To his 11 beloved grandchildren,
And to his brother, Harvey.
We gather this morning to offer you our condolences over the death of your dad and brother and to stand by you in solidarity over your loss. What an extraordinary man he was. It is such an honor for me to return here to the Shrine of the Sacred Heart and celebrate his Funeral Mass with you.
It’s no secret that Rodgers led a full, active and successful life of 89 years; 64 of them he was married to his dear wife and best friend, Ruth.
Thinking about it over the weekend had me realize that the secret of Rodgers’ success had to do with a different vision of how he saw himself, and how that vision was played out in relationships.
WHO WE ARE NOT
In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah describes a high mountain where God will one day gather all his people. We are assured that it will be a time of feasting not fasting, a time of smiles, not tears, a time of enlightenment not darkness.
Isaiah says, “On this mountain God will destroy the veil that veils all peoples and the web that is woven over all nations.”
The Prophet seems to imply that we can’t see God or this mountain paradise clearly because of this veil that covers us.
I would like to suggest that the veil is the ego self-image most of us have of ourselves, a self-image that places me in the center of the universe and everyone else on the periphery. Such a perspective can only lead to our demise.
You will recall that in the gospel the question those excluded from heaven ask Jesus is, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and not feed you, in prison and not visit you, sick and not tend you, etc.?”
Lifting the veil, then, has to do with seeing ourselves in a different way and this is where Rodgers’ life is such a gift to us.
My identity – who I am – is fundamentally a son or daughter of God. In short, I am not just like the God who created me; I am one with the God who created me. I am his presence here, as are you.
That self-identity of “being-in-God” that Rodgers had came from his strong faith and it was lived out in his family and the community-at-large.
THE POWER TO LIFE THE VEIL: A STRONG FAITH
It takes faith to go from my “ego self-image” to know that who I am is in God. Rodgers had that faith. It was nurtured by weekly Mass attendance, which he continued even during his six years at Mercy Ridge.
He was a member of the First Friday Club at Loyola College.
His dad and mom were good models for giving to Catholic causes and great supporters of the Archdiocese.
The way he saw himself created the relationships with family, community and the world. It made him a lover of people. He was as Sutton says,“the eternal optimist who smiled all the time and lifted people spirits.”
You can be that way when you are not the center of the universe … and God is.
RODGERS' IDENTITY AND THE FAMILY
Rodgers loved his family more than anything. The girls unanimously award him, “Best father ever.” That’s quite a title.
He was a very athletic masculine individual though surrounded by five daughters. His interest in them was intense from the color of their nail polish to the dishes he enjoyed cooking for them.
True, he always wanted a son, but he went a bit far when he cut the girls’ hair and made them all look like little boys. Ruth put a quick end to his hair cuttery days!
And how the women of the house loved him. The girls would literally fight over who was to get him his glass of ice water.
As his siblings died, Rodgers would take his nieces and nephews and just put his loving arms around them. He knew well how to meet the emotional needs of children in their times of great loss.
He was a firm yet gentle disciplinarian. The girls learned that quickly and did what they were told.
In all, it was a happy wonderful childhood and Rodgers for a dad was a great way to grow up.
RODGERS' IDENTITY AND THE COMMUNITY
Rodgers was a shrewd dealmaker. He did well in the family insurance business of Tongue Brooks and Company where he worked hard with his brothers.
And how he saw himself also got him involved in the community. He served on many boards and was a great supporter of the Vincent de Paul Society and their charitable works to those in need.
Yes, he was a “Good neighbor Sam” in the fullest sense of the phrase.
Perhaps that could best been seen in his being a Jack-of-all-trades. He was able to mix well with the most sophisticated of the cocktail circuit, yet climb in under the sink of a humble dwelling to fix a faucet.
You need a job done; you call Sam or I should say Rodgers.
CONCLUSION
Our ego self-image is truly a veil. Isaiah noted that it covers all peoples and all nations.
On the occasion of Rodgers’ passing, Marygill’s husband Peter remarked, “Every act and scene of this wonderful life was led with class and dignity. In this modern world of ‘me first’ greed and weak principles, Rodgers was a rarity, yet a reminder to all of us of what that virtue really entails.”
It is who Rodgers saw himself to be and his “identity in God” that made it possible for him to be God to family and community and for that he now enjoys the fullness of life.
Shrine of the Sacred Heart Church
July 26, 2010
Lifting the Veil of Ego Self-Image
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
CONDOLENCES
To his wife Ruth, who is unable to be with us,
To his five treasures: Marygill, Rebecca, Lucy, Sutton, and Fran,
And their husbands Lewis, Bob, Andre, Peter and Andy,
To his 11 beloved grandchildren,
And to his brother, Harvey.
We gather this morning to offer you our condolences over the death of your dad and brother and to stand by you in solidarity over your loss. What an extraordinary man he was. It is such an honor for me to return here to the Shrine of the Sacred Heart and celebrate his Funeral Mass with you.
It’s no secret that Rodgers led a full, active and successful life of 89 years; 64 of them he was married to his dear wife and best friend, Ruth.
Thinking about it over the weekend had me realize that the secret of Rodgers’ success had to do with a different vision of how he saw himself, and how that vision was played out in relationships.
WHO WE ARE NOT
In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah describes a high mountain where God will one day gather all his people. We are assured that it will be a time of feasting not fasting, a time of smiles, not tears, a time of enlightenment not darkness.
Isaiah says, “On this mountain God will destroy the veil that veils all peoples and the web that is woven over all nations.”
The Prophet seems to imply that we can’t see God or this mountain paradise clearly because of this veil that covers us.
I would like to suggest that the veil is the ego self-image most of us have of ourselves, a self-image that places me in the center of the universe and everyone else on the periphery. Such a perspective can only lead to our demise.
You will recall that in the gospel the question those excluded from heaven ask Jesus is, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and not feed you, in prison and not visit you, sick and not tend you, etc.?”
Lifting the veil, then, has to do with seeing ourselves in a different way and this is where Rodgers’ life is such a gift to us.
My identity – who I am – is fundamentally a son or daughter of God. In short, I am not just like the God who created me; I am one with the God who created me. I am his presence here, as are you.
That self-identity of “being-in-God” that Rodgers had came from his strong faith and it was lived out in his family and the community-at-large.
THE POWER TO LIFE THE VEIL: A STRONG FAITH
It takes faith to go from my “ego self-image” to know that who I am is in God. Rodgers had that faith. It was nurtured by weekly Mass attendance, which he continued even during his six years at Mercy Ridge.
He was a member of the First Friday Club at Loyola College.
His dad and mom were good models for giving to Catholic causes and great supporters of the Archdiocese.
The way he saw himself created the relationships with family, community and the world. It made him a lover of people. He was as Sutton says,“the eternal optimist who smiled all the time and lifted people spirits.”
You can be that way when you are not the center of the universe … and God is.
RODGERS' IDENTITY AND THE FAMILY
Rodgers loved his family more than anything. The girls unanimously award him, “Best father ever.” That’s quite a title.
He was a very athletic masculine individual though surrounded by five daughters. His interest in them was intense from the color of their nail polish to the dishes he enjoyed cooking for them.
True, he always wanted a son, but he went a bit far when he cut the girls’ hair and made them all look like little boys. Ruth put a quick end to his hair cuttery days!
And how the women of the house loved him. The girls would literally fight over who was to get him his glass of ice water.
As his siblings died, Rodgers would take his nieces and nephews and just put his loving arms around them. He knew well how to meet the emotional needs of children in their times of great loss.
He was a firm yet gentle disciplinarian. The girls learned that quickly and did what they were told.
In all, it was a happy wonderful childhood and Rodgers for a dad was a great way to grow up.
RODGERS' IDENTITY AND THE COMMUNITY
Rodgers was a shrewd dealmaker. He did well in the family insurance business of Tongue Brooks and Company where he worked hard with his brothers.
And how he saw himself also got him involved in the community. He served on many boards and was a great supporter of the Vincent de Paul Society and their charitable works to those in need.
Yes, he was a “Good neighbor Sam” in the fullest sense of the phrase.
Perhaps that could best been seen in his being a Jack-of-all-trades. He was able to mix well with the most sophisticated of the cocktail circuit, yet climb in under the sink of a humble dwelling to fix a faucet.
You need a job done; you call Sam or I should say Rodgers.
CONCLUSION
Our ego self-image is truly a veil. Isaiah noted that it covers all peoples and all nations.
On the occasion of Rodgers’ passing, Marygill’s husband Peter remarked, “Every act and scene of this wonderful life was led with class and dignity. In this modern world of ‘me first’ greed and weak principles, Rodgers was a rarity, yet a reminder to all of us of what that virtue really entails.”
It is who Rodgers saw himself to be and his “identity in God” that made it possible for him to be God to family and community and for that he now enjoys the fullness of life.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Weekly HOMILY for July 18, 2010: Martha and Mary: Animus and Anima
16th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C
Bon Secours Spiritual Center
July 18, 2010
Martha and Mary: Animus and Anima
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Letting Our Souls Catch Up
There is a story told by Terry Hershey about a group of Americans who hired a guide to take them on a safari to the wilds of the African Serengeti.
Their guide assured them that is was a long long way.
The 1st day they rise very very early, go very very fast, and get very very far
The 2nd day they rise very very early, go very very fast, and get very very far
The 3rd day they rise very very early, go very very fast, and get very very far
The end of the day the guide was nowhere to be found. They finally discover him sitting in a meditative posture in the high grass and ask him, “Why aren’t we hurrying forward?”
He replies, “I’m not going.” “Not going! Why not?” they ask. I simply have to wait for my soul to catch up with my body!
We know well the feeling when our souls become detached from our bodies. We’re out of joint, out of kilter.
The Story, Luke, and the Gospel
That African guide’s point is precisely what Jesus is talking about in today’s story about Martha and Mary.
To understand this passage, we need to remember its context in Luke’s Gospel. Not to do this would be like evaluating a club sandwich by looking only at the bacon, lettuce, and tomato and not at the kind of bread that it is on.
Just before this story about Martha and Mary, Saint Luke recalls Jesus telling the parable of the Good Samaritan. We heard this at Mass last weekend. That parable illustrates the commandment regarding the love of neighbor.
Today, Jesus is not putting down the love of neighbor nor is he saying that is not as important as the love of God.
Instead, he is calling for a balance – much like the African guide was seeking a balance of his soul and body.
Martha and Mary – Balance
We are told that Martha was “very busy with all the details of hospitality” that is she was “Rising very very early, going very very fast, and getting very very far.”
Apparently, Martha was preparing a full course meal, from shrimp cocktail right through to Crème Brulle. Jesus says, “Martha, you are anxious about so many things; one thing only is necessary.”
This does not mean that Jesus is asking for a simple bologna sandwich and nothing else. What he is saying is: “Martha, you’ve got to make sure that you are seeking God’s kingdom, because if you are not, everything else counts for nothing.”
In other words, busyness and caring for others become empty, if we are not tending to our relationship with God. And at the same time, our relationship with God is incomplete without real-life caring for others.
The issue is a question of balance. Again, it is something like the African guide saying that his soul needed to catch up with his body.
The Animus and the Anima
My guess is that many of us tend to be Marthas. We tend to be busy and active. We live by calendars and schedules and lists of things we have to get done.
The famous psychiatrist Carl Jung gives us a helpful insight into all of this. Jung talks about the difference between the “animus” (a-n-i-m-u-s) or our masculine traits, and the “anima” (a-n-i-m-a) or our feminine traits.
In this Gospel story, Martha represents the “animus.” She is assertive, logical, and well organized.
She tends toward power and control, so when she herself cannot control Mary’s behavior, she seeks out someone – Jesus – who might be able to control her.
On the other hand, Mary represents the “anima.” She is sensitive, gentle, and nurturing.
Notice, she is more focused on relationships than on tasks. She is more concerned with understanding than with controlling.
Carl Jung says that both the “animus” and the “anima” are needed. All of us – regardless of our gender –need both facets to our personality.
One side is not better than the other. Both sides together make us whole persons.
The Balance
This idea of balance is a helpful way to understand Jesus’ interaction with Martha and Mary.
Jesus is not putting down Martha’s hard work and her desire to be hospitable. But he is questioning a life of constant activity that may neglect our fundamental relationship with God or even the very persons that we may be caring for with our work.
Jesus is calling us to balance our task-centeredness with person-centeredness. He is reminding us to make room for God and our relationship with God.
He is awaking us to a careful, healthy, and holy balance in our lives.
Bon Secours Spiritual Center
July 18, 2010
Martha and Mary: Animus and Anima
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Letting Our Souls Catch Up
There is a story told by Terry Hershey about a group of Americans who hired a guide to take them on a safari to the wilds of the African Serengeti.
Their guide assured them that is was a long long way.
The 1st day they rise very very early, go very very fast, and get very very far
The 2nd day they rise very very early, go very very fast, and get very very far
The 3rd day they rise very very early, go very very fast, and get very very far
The end of the day the guide was nowhere to be found. They finally discover him sitting in a meditative posture in the high grass and ask him, “Why aren’t we hurrying forward?”
He replies, “I’m not going.” “Not going! Why not?” they ask. I simply have to wait for my soul to catch up with my body!
We know well the feeling when our souls become detached from our bodies. We’re out of joint, out of kilter.
The Story, Luke, and the Gospel
That African guide’s point is precisely what Jesus is talking about in today’s story about Martha and Mary.
To understand this passage, we need to remember its context in Luke’s Gospel. Not to do this would be like evaluating a club sandwich by looking only at the bacon, lettuce, and tomato and not at the kind of bread that it is on.
Just before this story about Martha and Mary, Saint Luke recalls Jesus telling the parable of the Good Samaritan. We heard this at Mass last weekend. That parable illustrates the commandment regarding the love of neighbor.
Today, Jesus is not putting down the love of neighbor nor is he saying that is not as important as the love of God.
Instead, he is calling for a balance – much like the African guide was seeking a balance of his soul and body.
Martha and Mary – Balance
We are told that Martha was “very busy with all the details of hospitality” that is she was “Rising very very early, going very very fast, and getting very very far.”
Apparently, Martha was preparing a full course meal, from shrimp cocktail right through to Crème Brulle. Jesus says, “Martha, you are anxious about so many things; one thing only is necessary.”
This does not mean that Jesus is asking for a simple bologna sandwich and nothing else. What he is saying is: “Martha, you’ve got to make sure that you are seeking God’s kingdom, because if you are not, everything else counts for nothing.”
In other words, busyness and caring for others become empty, if we are not tending to our relationship with God. And at the same time, our relationship with God is incomplete without real-life caring for others.
The issue is a question of balance. Again, it is something like the African guide saying that his soul needed to catch up with his body.
The Animus and the Anima
My guess is that many of us tend to be Marthas. We tend to be busy and active. We live by calendars and schedules and lists of things we have to get done.
The famous psychiatrist Carl Jung gives us a helpful insight into all of this. Jung talks about the difference between the “animus” (a-n-i-m-u-s) or our masculine traits, and the “anima” (a-n-i-m-a) or our feminine traits.
In this Gospel story, Martha represents the “animus.” She is assertive, logical, and well organized.
She tends toward power and control, so when she herself cannot control Mary’s behavior, she seeks out someone – Jesus – who might be able to control her.
On the other hand, Mary represents the “anima.” She is sensitive, gentle, and nurturing.
Notice, she is more focused on relationships than on tasks. She is more concerned with understanding than with controlling.
Carl Jung says that both the “animus” and the “anima” are needed. All of us – regardless of our gender –need both facets to our personality.
One side is not better than the other. Both sides together make us whole persons.
The Balance
This idea of balance is a helpful way to understand Jesus’ interaction with Martha and Mary.
Jesus is not putting down Martha’s hard work and her desire to be hospitable. But he is questioning a life of constant activity that may neglect our fundamental relationship with God or even the very persons that we may be caring for with our work.
Jesus is calling us to balance our task-centeredness with person-centeredness. He is reminding us to make room for God and our relationship with God.
He is awaking us to a careful, healthy, and holy balance in our lives.
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