The following is the third part of a talk that Father Nicholas gave on contemplative prayer. To listen, please click on a sideways triangle below. Click the link below for a handout that was given to accompany the talk.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Contemplative Action - February 2015
The following is the second part of a talk that Father Nicholas gave on contemplative prayer. To listen, please click on a sideways triangle below. Click the link below for a handout that was given to accompany the talk.
Contemplative Prayer - February 2015
The following is the first part of a talk that Father Nicholas gave on contemplative prayer. To listen, please click on a sideways triangle below. Click the link below for a handout that was given to accompany the talk.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Weekly HOMILY for February 22, 2015: 1st Sunday of Lent, Cycle B
PODCAST - Press sideways triangle below to
listen
1st Sunday of Lent, Cycle B
St. John the Baptist Church, Silver Spring
February 22, 2015
The Renewing Desert
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
1st Sunday of Lent, Cycle B
St. John the Baptist Church, Silver Spring
February 22, 2015
The Renewing Desert
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Our
Daily Grind
Most of us in the course of a week will feel
overwhelmed with the daily grind of life
It may be the day in and day out of caring for
the children whom you love very much – getting them to school, taking them to sports
and Scouts, making sure that they do their homework.
Or it may be just keeping up with the housecleaning,
laundry, meals, and marketing
It may be the commute to work in
bumper-to-bumper traffic on Route 29 or the parking lot we call the Capitol Beltway
on these storm days.
Or perhaps the stress of the job that we no
longer really like.
Or more globally, add our worry about the
future with groups like ISIS and other terrorists around.
Pull this all together and some days we may
feel that we cannot deal with one more thing to do.
I’m the first to confess, that there are days
I feel that way. While that may come as
a surprise you, the truth is I have moments where I feel I can’t deal with one
more single thing.
Jesus’
Daily Grind and His Desert
The Gospels convey that the daily grind even gets
to Jesus at times.
Today’s Gospel tells us that he goes into the
desert to be by himself. What Jesus does
here may really serve as a pattern for us.
So let’s note it: (1) He first goes off and
claims a bit of space just for himself. In
this space he gets a renewed sense of what he is feeling, who he is, and what
he is to do with his life.
(2) The Gospel then says that in this desert
space he is “tempted.” This could mean that he becomes aware of his
own humanity and of what in him is pulling him away from the mission that the
Father has given him to do.
So both these elements are somewhat renewing
for him: (1) The space apart, that he claims for himself and (2) The awareness
of himself that that space affords him.
I say this because he comes out of the desert
renewed and declaring that, “The kingdom
of God is at hand.”
He is able to see goodness and God in his
midst and even within himself. And to
this working model of grace-breaking-into-our-world he invites us by “Repenting and believing in the good news.”
From Jesus’ own actions, to engage in a desert
renewal experience then means do what he just did. I need to pull away a bit from my daily grind
in the way that Jesus models for us.
Our
Desert Space
(1) So, we could make desert moments out of:
Ø
Perhaps it’s sipping the steaming first cup of coffee in a quiet
place in the house alone, before anyone is up, just being soothed by the
fragrance and warmth of the dark liquid.
Ø
Or taking a walk the second half of your lunchtime and being one
with all that is passing you by
Ø
The drive home by not putting on the radio or CD player and just
being alert to God’s presence in the drive itself
Ø
Or perhaps sometime in the evening going to your bedroom, closing
the door and sitting in silence and quiet for five minutes, asking what
opportunities did I miss today to act kindly or caringly toward someone?
Wherever the desert, whatever the space is, we
need to plan it, to be intentional about it, and make it happen.
(2) And then, in those spaces, there may arise
what the Gospel calls “temptations.” We may become aware of fear, a shortcoming, a
past sin remembered or something that is pulling us down and keeping us from
being as caring and as responsive as we would want to be.
Perhaps our “temptation” is having too many possessions to take care of, or not
exercising appropriate control over the family schedule, or failing to pray or even
come to Mass.
Our “temptation”
may be an awareness of how we need to respond more caringly to a child or
spouse or friend.
Conclusion
And thus, (1) Within our little desert space
and (2) With this awareness of self—warts and all – we respond, as Jesus puts
it in the Gospel, to (3) “Repent and
believe in the good news.”
One thing is for sure, our sense of resolve
will have more energy and the grace of presence to do what we need to do.
It’s our part in bringing about the Kingdom of
God, right here, right not, where we find ourselves.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Daily HOMILY for February 17, 2015: Tuesday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time
PODCAST - Press sideways triangle below to
listen
Tuesday 6th Week OT
St. Luke’s Institute
February 17, 2015
LONELY AT
THE TOP ++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ø
If the
Pharisees weren’t difficult enough, the disciples themselves show up in today’s
reading as similarly obtuse regarding Jesus’ signs
Ø
We often say
of human leaders and celebrities that “It’s
lonely at the top”
JESUS’
LONELINESS +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ø
Today’s Gospel
and in many others, Jesus is often pictured as in a kind of isolation because
of the unresponsiveness of all around him
Ø
At such times
Jesus shares with us a very common condition of human life…
Ø
One that is
common even to those of us who do not sit on dizzying peaks of leadership
Ø
The picture of
the slowness and incomprehension of Jesus’ disciples can be instructive
(1) INSENSITIVITY
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ø
And it can be
both instructive and a consolation for us in two ways
Ø
1st,
it provides company for us when we realize how slow or insensitive we have been
to some God-given opportunity in our lives
Ø
How many of
those we have missed is legion
Ø
So we see in
disciples that even these All-Stars of Christian beginnings had many slow
moments
Ø
It helps us
face our own doubts and difficulties w/ faith & following of J by helping
us realize such difficulties may B part of R life follower of J
(2)
HONESTY OF EVANGELISTS ++++++++++++++++++
Ø
Seeing
stumbling, unresponsive disciples so often in Gospels gives them lots of
credibility & suggests that writers R honest & reliable
Ø
If they were
out to exaggerate and romanticize, they might have given us a different picture
Ø
If they R willing
2 present such an unflattering portrait of disciples, then all else they say
gains in reliability too
CONCLUSION
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ø
Insensitivity
of followers & loneliness of leadership –
Ø
Both touch R lives
no matter what R role in ministry!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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