Daily HOMILY for September 3, 2014: Wednesday of the 22nd Week of Ordinary Time

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In 2014, I am facilitating a 12-week interactive online course in contemplative prayer and action for priests with Saint Luke Institute.  Please visit SLIconnect.org to learn more:  https://www.sliconnect.org/product/living-god-program-contemplative-life-2/

Wednesday 22^nd Week OT

St. Luke’s Institute

September 3, 2014

ATTACHMENTS TO INDIVIDUALS +++++++++++++++++

Ø  Paul berates the Corinthians about their attachments to particular individuals who may have been their teachers in the faith

Ø  He tackles a difficult subject and one which is still with us

Ø  Today’s equivalent for many Catholics deals often with our preference for Father McGillicuddy over Father Tartini

INDIVIDUALS ONLY INSTRUMENTS ++++++++++++++++

Ø  Paul speaks in ideal terms and tells the Corinthians and us that neither one is of any special account…

Ø  And that to push your allegiance to one over the other is immature

Ø  After all, God gives us grace, affects us through the sacraments, through the priests and religious, as well as through other ministers in the church

Ø  They are all simply God’s instruments

LIKING VS ATTACHMENT ++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  But very realistically, we can’t deny we may like Father Tartini’s style better or Father McGilluciddy’s homilies better

Ø  We may feel more comfortable with one or the other

Ø  We may like the one more because he’s nearer our age or isn’t our age

Ø  Even the athletic look of one may give him an edge as far as we’re concerned

Ø  There are many human factors which can’t simply be dismissed or glossed over

Ø  They are there…

Ø  But at least we must somehow keep our perspective, our sense that God works through different instruments and not make the personality or appearance the basis for divisive behavior

Ø  It’s the same with our ordinary acquaintances or people we must deal with on a regular basis

Ø  Not all of them will attract us in the same way

Ø  Everyone of us has painful and unattractive qualities for someone

CONCLUSION +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  We probably need to learn to rejoice more in the variety of God’s gifts in other people, priests and religious included, and see God acting in them.

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Daily HOMILY for September 2, 2014: Tuesday of the 22nd Week of Ordinary Time

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In 2014, I am facilitating a 12-week interactive online course in contemplative prayer and action for priests with Saint Luke Institute.  Please visit SLIconnect.org to learn more:  https://www.sliconnect.org/product/living-god-program-contemplative-life-2/

Tuesday of the 22^nd Week of OT

St. Luke’s Institute

September 2, 2014

GOD’S JUSTICE OR MERCY +++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  Some of us talk a lot about the justice of God and warn folks to the evil in the world

Ø  Some of us talk a lot about the mercy of God and not pay attention to fighting off temptations

Ø  So it is mercy we ask of a God who is seen primarily as a judge

Ø  And it is justice we ask from a God whom we see primarily as righteous …

Ø  But we may be missing something

GOD’S COMPASSION +++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  The psalmist, unlike us, talks a great deal about the compassion of God…

Ø  The notion that God is a God who sees our stumbling, suffering lives, and suffers our afflictions with us

Ø  God to the psalmist is a God who feels our feelings and commiserates with them, understands them, knows how they affect us…

Ø  And through it all stands by us while we work them through

Ø  God is a father who rocks us through our struggles, a mother who carries us beyond our pain, despite our sense of isolation

OUR COMPASSION ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  It is for these ways that God is present we must learn to be thankful

Ø  Many people are forgiving, a few of us are just, but compassionate people are rarer still

Ø  The resident who simply stand by when we are hurt,

Ø  – Not tying to talk us out of it, not trying to convince us we’re wrong, not demanding that we pretend to be something else – are rare

CONCLUSION +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  Sisters and brothers, It is compassion that supports us in our darkest times

It is compassion for which we are most grateful in life’s struggles

Ø  And it is compassion that we ourselves must develop, if we are ever to be worth anything to anyone all – besides ourselves

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Daily HOMILY for August 26, 2014: Tuesday of the 21st Week of Ordinary Time

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In 2014, I am facilitating a 12-week interactive online course in contemplative prayer and action for priests with Saint Luke Institute.  Please visit SLIconnect.org to learn more:  https://www.sliconnect.org/product/living-god-program-contemplative-life-2/

Tuesday 21^st Week OT

St. Luke’s Institute

August 26, 2014

1^ST THINGS 1^ST ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  Jesus wants us to understand that the first things need to be first

Ø  Once we decide what is most important, do we reinforce that through our daily choices?

HERBS & SEEDS ARE NOT 1^ST IN COOKING ++++++++++

Ø  Too many Pharisees were caught up in the secondary things

Ø  It seems they lost sight of what was most important

Ø  Again, Jesus warns them, “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you frauds!

Ø  “You pay tithes on mint and herbs and sees while neglecting the weightier matters of the law…”

Ø  He simply wants them to realize what is more important and then act on that realization

WORSHIP IS NOT 1^ST IN LIVING +++++++++++++++++++

Ø  Ho does that warning relate to our lives?

Ø  Coming to Mass each day is certainly a very worthwhile and a good practice

Ø  However, it cannot substitute for treating people the way that Jesus’ disciples ought to treat everyone

Ø  Jesus’ first priority is to preach a Gospel of reconciliation

Ø  The people needed to be reconciled with both God and their neighbor

Ø  God wants us to be of one mind and one heart

Ø  So rather than focusing on the law and exacting ritual, we are called to build bridges that connect us heart-to-heart and to break down any walls or fences that separate us

Ø  Building bridges of acceptance of others and a healthy respect of diversity

Ø  All within a living, breathing community of men and women

CONCLUSION +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  The Mass and our Catholic worship should support that great mandate of first things first

Ø  Yes, Jesus is telling us, our religious practices – as good as they are – must come after we have shown compassion, reconciled with our neighbor, and reached out in love to those who need us

Ø  First things first – that’s what we need to understand … and live!

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Daily HOMILY for August 25, 2014: Monday of the 21st Week of Ordinary Time

PODCAST - Press sideways triangle below to listen

or click here if there is no triangle
In 2014, I am facilitating a 12-week interactive online course in contemplative prayer and action for priests with Saint Luke Institute.  Please visit SLIconnect.org to learn more:  https://www.sliconnect.org/product/living-god-program-contemplative-life-2/

Monday 21^st Week OT

St. Luke’s Institute

August 25, 2014

RELIGIOUS PHARISEES ++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  In a short homily it’s impossible to go into all the background of today’s Gospel

Ø  It should be stressed, though, that the picture of the Pharisees we get here is very one-sided

Ø  In their origins the Pharisees were a movement w/i Judaism to encourage devout following of the Law

DANGER IN RELIGIOUS PEOPLE +++++++++++++++++++

Ø  The abuses condemned in Matthew point up a danger for all religious people: Christians, Jews, all

Ø  The danger is the temptation to present a religious appearance which lacks substance or reality

Ø  Put another way, it’s the problem of the split between what religious people say & what they do

MAKING IMPRESSIONS +++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  Our translation has Jesus call the Pharisees “hypocrites”

Ø  Inevitably our religious ideals are going to above and ahead of what we actually do

Ø  This is to be expected

Ø  The problem comes in our trying to give the impression that we are perfectly fulfilling religious demands…

Ø  When, in fact, we lack the humility to recognize our failures / (splinter vs beam)

INTEGRITY +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  When our behavior corresponds with our beliefs and ideals, we have what we call “integrity”

Ø  Integrity is derived from the Latin meaning “whole”

Ø  One w/ integrity is unified around central focus

Ø  Reaching complete integrity is sanctity

Ø  However, until we get there, (1) Honesty requires we don’t make false claims for ourselves either in our talk or in our behavior…

Ø  (2) And that we recognize our shortcomings, ask forgiveness, and put our trust in the One who alone can make us whole

CONCLUSION +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  Each morning we gather at this altar, this desire is part of what we bring here…

Ø  And, hopefully, what we take to our rooms

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