Second Sunday of Easter, Cycle A
Married Couples Retreat
Priestfield Pastoral Center
Kearneysville, WV
May 1, 2011
Three Stages to a Mature Faith
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
SANTA AND OUR FAITH
Understanding our faith in Santa Claus may be a good place to begin our journey of Easter faith in God.
Someone has wisely observed that there are three stages in our belief in Santa Claus. In the first stage, we believe in Santa Claus. In the second stage, we don’t believe in Santa Claus. In the third stage, we are Santa Claus.
In a sense, we make a similar journey in our spiritual life. In the first stage of religious formation we believe in God. At another stage, we may struggle in our belief in God. But if we mature spiritually to a third stage, we realize that we are God.
We realize the truth of St. Augustine, who stated, “God became man so that man might become God.” Let’s look at these three stages of the spiritual journey because today’s gospel of Doubting Thomas shows us how he’s passing from one stage of faith to another.
From that we might see where we are and what we need to do to become more faith filled.
STAGE ONE
Most of us were fortunate enough to begin our first stage of the journey with a belief in God. We probably learned our prayers at our mother’s knee.
We learned our catechism, or some other form of religious education. While we probably didn’t understand the complexities of the Trinity, we did have some basic understanding that God was our father who created us, and that Jesus was our brother who redeemed us.
I pretty much struggled with the Holy Spirit. I knew I received the Holy Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation, but sometimes had a difficult time identifying with this bird, this dove. Had the Holy Spirit been pictured as an Oriole, my theological education would have soared!
However we may have understood God at this first stage, it is clearly an understanding of a God “out there,” a God separate from us.
STAGE TWO
The second stage of religious development is a stage that not everyone goes through, but most do. It’s the stage of doubt, perhaps a stage of disillusionment.
This is the stage where I hold, “I can’t say there isn’t a God, but a can’t be sure there is one.” It often comes at late adolescence or early adulthood, but it is not restricted to that period.
Most of us live our lives at the first stage, with a trusting, childlike understanding of God. God is good. Life is good. Be good and things go well.
Then suddenly, a tragedy strikes – a child dies, a spouse leaves through death or divorce, a job is lost or a career is ruined, financial devastation strikes. Whatever the issue, the person is terribly disillusioned: “How could a good God allow this to happen to me?” or “How can there be a God who lets drug dealers live and children die?”
Spiritual writers call this stage the Dark Night of the Soul. In contrast to how we might see it, John of the Cross describes the darkness not as a scary time, but more as a quiet darkness as in the soil just beneath our lawn where growth, expansion, and life are teeming, but in fecund darkness.
This second stage of religious development can be devastating while it is occurring, but, if it is survived – without slipping into agnosticism, atheism or despair – it can be a moment of great spiritual growth.
Yes, once we discover that God has not abandoned us, once our faith has matured to know Jesus has conquered death and is very much with us, we then have the possibility of entering stage three.
STAGE THREE
And that brings us to today’s gospel. In John’s gospel we see Thomas go from stage 2 – disillusionment and disbelief – to stage 3, faith and oneness with God.
We might ask: “What does it take to move him to this incredible unity? What’s the grace available that makes it possible for him to declare before Jesus: ‘My Lord and my God!’”
CONCLUSION
It takes:
(1) A testifying community of believers around me
(2) It takes a personal presence to Jesus Christ
(3) It takes experiencing that unity and then speaking out of it to all the circumstances in my life
(4) And it takes a routine, a habit of presence and community
Perhaps this weekend has found us poised ready to move in our faith growth from stage 2 – doubt and disillusionment – to a living faithful presence in God.
Invite members of the assembly to sharing their thoughts and insights.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Weekly HOMILY for April 24, 2011: What will it take for us to have Easter change our lives?
Easter Sunday, Cycle A
Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia
April 24, 2011
What will it take for us to have Easter change our lives?
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
CHRISTMAS VERSUS EASTER
Easter is different from Christmas. Christmas is an event that took place once and for all.
Easter ends with two men and a woman standing before an empty tomb.
In a nutshell, Easter stands in stark witness to the meaning of what it is to go on despite death, to go on in the face of death, to go on because of death.
I am suggesting that for us to celebrate Easter means to stand in the light of the empty tomb and decide what to do next with our lives.
There are two men and a woman who were touched deeply, people whose lives were transformed by standing before the empty tomb and who they were before the tomb is different from who they are after it.
Their transformation can show us the effect the empty tomb of Easter can have on us, as we stand there as well.
MARY MAGDALENE: FROM CLINGING BELIEVER TO PROCLAIMING WOMAN
The first person to look at is Mary of Magdala. Mary is the one who has followed Jesus all her life; she’s never doubted him; she’s with him all the way to the cross.
She is a woman with great insight and a great commitment, but she is more of a believer than a proclaimer.
Mary sees the tomb open, but she doesn’t go in. she is afraid or perhaps she knows that whatever is going on in that tomb is going to demand even more than she’s already given. Perhaps the idea of doing more or doing it differently is what stops her where she stands.
Mary comes to the place where it was clear that failure lays; Jesus evidently failed in his mission and his life has ended in disgrace. She comes in the faith, of course, that what had come to life in her because of Jesus would not die. Not in her. Faith would be enough for her.
She is the part of us that takes pride in our “Catholicity.” We’re faithful to our religious order, to our parish; we join committees; we support our church by giving regularly. Like Mary Magdalene we cling to Jesus and his church.
But clinging to him is precisely what Jesus doesn’t want of us. He wants us to speak out about him, to witness to his presence among the ill and the needy, the frail elderly, and the physically and mentally challenged.
He wants us to speak out against sexism wherever we find it. To give voice to those who have little of no voice.
He wants more than passive belief. He wants her and us to be his living voice, risen from the grave.
PETER: FROM REALIST TO RISK-TAKER
Peter is also at the empty tomb. Remember, he is one who makes great promises and then breaks them. His words to Jesus are, “I will never betray you” and then proceeds to do so three times.
He is the great with statements and actions that save his own status, like slipping away when others begin associating him with Jesus.
Peter is the part of us that know how to be a Catholic without a cross. He loves everything Jesus stands for as lon as the crowds love what Jesus stands for.
However, when the crowd’s mood changes, so too does Peter. Clearly Peter values what people think of him more than he values his integrity, more than he values his own truth.
The Peter in us is such a realist. We don’t want to rock the boat.
No need to speak out against abuses where we find them. No reason to mix work and religion. No gain to be had by upsetting the chapter meeting or the wine and cheese party or the family reunion with delicate subjects.
At the empty tomb, Peter learns that he is going to have to stand publicly with those who believe what Jesus believed and risk our own reputation to bring it about.
JOHN FROM CONTEMPLATION TO ACTION
Finally, John, “the one whom Jesus loved,” also stands before the empty tomb.
Scripture tells us he outruns the other two disciples, but stops at the entrance. We’re told he did it out of deference to Peter so he could go in first. Of course, he may have stopped for reasons of his own.
Why would John, who has been there every step of the with Jesus right to the cross, stoop down, peer in and not go all the way in?
Perhaps it was for the same reason you and I don’t go all the way in to anything that has to do with our faith life or religious practice.
Maybe he knew it was one thing to reflect on the scene and another thing to act. To go into the tomb, John must have known would be to challenge his stance of being a safe observer.
It there is a temptation in the spiritual life it is to use prayer as an excuse for not doing anything. It helps us float above the fray of life. That is not prayer.
Real prayer breaks open the heart of the world in the very center of our own lives. To really pray is to hear the cry of the poor, respond to the call of the oppressed, do the will of God in my world.
If Jesus is risen from the tomb, we have to keep looking for him in the faces of those who oppose us, in our enemies, in our neighbor, in those in need.
CONCLUSION
Today we all come to the empty tomb and must leave to return to our living life in community, at work, and at play.
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb as a clinging believer; she leaves a woman ready to proclaim good news to anyone who will listen to her.
Peter came as a realist; he leaves as a risk-taker and in the end he is martyred for his faith.
John came as a contemplative; he leaves knowing it could all end right here but he chooses to act our of his prayer to bring others to faith.
And you? How have you come and facing a seeming tragedy, how do you leave? Easter demands as much of us today as it did of the disciples then.
Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia
April 24, 2011
What will it take for us to have Easter change our lives?
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
CHRISTMAS VERSUS EASTER
Easter is different from Christmas. Christmas is an event that took place once and for all.
Easter ends with two men and a woman standing before an empty tomb.
In a nutshell, Easter stands in stark witness to the meaning of what it is to go on despite death, to go on in the face of death, to go on because of death.
I am suggesting that for us to celebrate Easter means to stand in the light of the empty tomb and decide what to do next with our lives.
There are two men and a woman who were touched deeply, people whose lives were transformed by standing before the empty tomb and who they were before the tomb is different from who they are after it.
Their transformation can show us the effect the empty tomb of Easter can have on us, as we stand there as well.
MARY MAGDALENE: FROM CLINGING BELIEVER TO PROCLAIMING WOMAN
The first person to look at is Mary of Magdala. Mary is the one who has followed Jesus all her life; she’s never doubted him; she’s with him all the way to the cross.
She is a woman with great insight and a great commitment, but she is more of a believer than a proclaimer.
Mary sees the tomb open, but she doesn’t go in. she is afraid or perhaps she knows that whatever is going on in that tomb is going to demand even more than she’s already given. Perhaps the idea of doing more or doing it differently is what stops her where she stands.
Mary comes to the place where it was clear that failure lays; Jesus evidently failed in his mission and his life has ended in disgrace. She comes in the faith, of course, that what had come to life in her because of Jesus would not die. Not in her. Faith would be enough for her.
She is the part of us that takes pride in our “Catholicity.” We’re faithful to our religious order, to our parish; we join committees; we support our church by giving regularly. Like Mary Magdalene we cling to Jesus and his church.
But clinging to him is precisely what Jesus doesn’t want of us. He wants us to speak out about him, to witness to his presence among the ill and the needy, the frail elderly, and the physically and mentally challenged.
He wants us to speak out against sexism wherever we find it. To give voice to those who have little of no voice.
He wants more than passive belief. He wants her and us to be his living voice, risen from the grave.
PETER: FROM REALIST TO RISK-TAKER
Peter is also at the empty tomb. Remember, he is one who makes great promises and then breaks them. His words to Jesus are, “I will never betray you” and then proceeds to do so three times.
He is the great with statements and actions that save his own status, like slipping away when others begin associating him with Jesus.
Peter is the part of us that know how to be a Catholic without a cross. He loves everything Jesus stands for as lon as the crowds love what Jesus stands for.
However, when the crowd’s mood changes, so too does Peter. Clearly Peter values what people think of him more than he values his integrity, more than he values his own truth.
The Peter in us is such a realist. We don’t want to rock the boat.
No need to speak out against abuses where we find them. No reason to mix work and religion. No gain to be had by upsetting the chapter meeting or the wine and cheese party or the family reunion with delicate subjects.
At the empty tomb, Peter learns that he is going to have to stand publicly with those who believe what Jesus believed and risk our own reputation to bring it about.
JOHN FROM CONTEMPLATION TO ACTION
Finally, John, “the one whom Jesus loved,” also stands before the empty tomb.
Scripture tells us he outruns the other two disciples, but stops at the entrance. We’re told he did it out of deference to Peter so he could go in first. Of course, he may have stopped for reasons of his own.
Why would John, who has been there every step of the with Jesus right to the cross, stoop down, peer in and not go all the way in?
Perhaps it was for the same reason you and I don’t go all the way in to anything that has to do with our faith life or religious practice.
Maybe he knew it was one thing to reflect on the scene and another thing to act. To go into the tomb, John must have known would be to challenge his stance of being a safe observer.
It there is a temptation in the spiritual life it is to use prayer as an excuse for not doing anything. It helps us float above the fray of life. That is not prayer.
Real prayer breaks open the heart of the world in the very center of our own lives. To really pray is to hear the cry of the poor, respond to the call of the oppressed, do the will of God in my world.
If Jesus is risen from the tomb, we have to keep looking for him in the faces of those who oppose us, in our enemies, in our neighbor, in those in need.
CONCLUSION
Today we all come to the empty tomb and must leave to return to our living life in community, at work, and at play.
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb as a clinging believer; she leaves a woman ready to proclaim good news to anyone who will listen to her.
Peter came as a realist; he leaves as a risk-taker and in the end he is martyred for his faith.
John came as a contemplative; he leaves knowing it could all end right here but he chooses to act our of his prayer to bring others to faith.
And you? How have you come and facing a seeming tragedy, how do you leave? Easter demands as much of us today as it did of the disciples then.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Weekly HOMILY for April 22, 2011: Good Friday -- Doubt, an Essential for Mature Faith
Good Friday, Cycle A
Chestnut Hill College
April 22, 2011
Doubt: An Essential for Mature Faith
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
SR. MARIANNA
A sister friend of mine, Sr. Marianna, once shared with me her story of an intense struggle of faith. She had studied the religious life rigorously and had always sought ways to make it more intense and keep it up-to-date.
Four years ago, Sr. Marianna discovered that she had a rare, painful, and fatal disease. For several years she suffered intense physical pain and discomfort. Eventually everything she believed in collapsed into a deep, dark hole and she lost her faith.
In all her studies and training in spirituality, she never believed she could have such a crisis.
In the days that followed, Marianna was led to a place devoid of spirit, emptied of all spiritual ambition and all satisfaction in what she had accomplished in her life. In this space she found no guides, no hints at where to go next.
But it was precisely in these depths she eventually discovered a new kind of faith, a faith that rose directly out of her depressive thoughts and emotions.
Marianna was shocked to feel faith stir in that deep, empty pit within her. With that stirring she uncovered a new and profound sense of peace: she no longer craved comfort from the hospital chaplain, from me, or anyone else.
This new faith was so deep and different from the faith she had been cultivating in her previous spiritual practices. There was more individuality in this faith; it was tied close to her own identity and to her illness.
Not long after she told me the story of her loss and rediscovery of faith, Sr. Marianna died peacefully in the Lord.
TWO KINDS OF FAITH
From her I learned that there are two kinds of faith: one is faith up here in my head as the holding of certain beliefs. It’s the faith we profess each Sunday in the Nicene Creed, “I believe in God the Father Almighty …” Let’s call it head faith.
In many ways head faith is an easy faith; it centers in my rational and mental abilities and gets expressed on my lips.
But I would propose that there is a second kind of faith, a more mature, heartfelt faith. This faith is borne in utter darkness, of the soil of inner struggle and personal suffering, of going one-on-one against the very power of evil. We might call it soul faith.
The transition from head faith to soul faith is the journey that Marianna made in her final months of life. It is the journey of faith Jesus makes, in working through his own passion and dying.
It is the journey that each of us will make one day; a journey some of us are already in. it is the journey that is lived “de profundis,” “from the depths,” as we used to say in Latin.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO
What is different between the two is that in the second we admit to the shadow side of our faith.
In it can be found the believer and the disbeliever. What appear as weakness: questioning thoughts, drifting from my commitments, and change in understanding what my faith is actually strengthen faith.
Both the Angel of Belief and the Devil of Doubt in us play constructive roles in soul faith.
Notice that in both Jesus and in Sr. Marianna, their experience of soul faith – complete with the doubts, shadows, and dark side of the human condition – was present. In Jesus it gets expressed with his use of the words of the 22nd Psalm: “My God, why have you forsaken me?”
CONCLUSION
What Jesus and Sr. Marianna teach us is that the mystery of human suffering and death cannot be comprehended with reason.
It is only understood and embraced in the confronting of that inner darkness and living out of that, with a confidant trust that God will see you through.
Suffering then, forces our attention to the very depths of our souls where we normally don’t want to go.
On this day, of all the days of the liturgical year, Jesus teaches us that we have to arrive at that difficult point where we don’t know what is going on or what we can do. But it is precisely that point that becomes for us the sprouting shoot of a true faith.
Chestnut Hill College
April 22, 2011
Doubt: An Essential for Mature Faith
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
SR. MARIANNA
A sister friend of mine, Sr. Marianna, once shared with me her story of an intense struggle of faith. She had studied the religious life rigorously and had always sought ways to make it more intense and keep it up-to-date.
Four years ago, Sr. Marianna discovered that she had a rare, painful, and fatal disease. For several years she suffered intense physical pain and discomfort. Eventually everything she believed in collapsed into a deep, dark hole and she lost her faith.
In all her studies and training in spirituality, she never believed she could have such a crisis.
In the days that followed, Marianna was led to a place devoid of spirit, emptied of all spiritual ambition and all satisfaction in what she had accomplished in her life. In this space she found no guides, no hints at where to go next.
But it was precisely in these depths she eventually discovered a new kind of faith, a faith that rose directly out of her depressive thoughts and emotions.
Marianna was shocked to feel faith stir in that deep, empty pit within her. With that stirring she uncovered a new and profound sense of peace: she no longer craved comfort from the hospital chaplain, from me, or anyone else.
This new faith was so deep and different from the faith she had been cultivating in her previous spiritual practices. There was more individuality in this faith; it was tied close to her own identity and to her illness.
Not long after she told me the story of her loss and rediscovery of faith, Sr. Marianna died peacefully in the Lord.
TWO KINDS OF FAITH
From her I learned that there are two kinds of faith: one is faith up here in my head as the holding of certain beliefs. It’s the faith we profess each Sunday in the Nicene Creed, “I believe in God the Father Almighty …” Let’s call it head faith.
In many ways head faith is an easy faith; it centers in my rational and mental abilities and gets expressed on my lips.
But I would propose that there is a second kind of faith, a more mature, heartfelt faith. This faith is borne in utter darkness, of the soil of inner struggle and personal suffering, of going one-on-one against the very power of evil. We might call it soul faith.
The transition from head faith to soul faith is the journey that Marianna made in her final months of life. It is the journey of faith Jesus makes, in working through his own passion and dying.
It is the journey that each of us will make one day; a journey some of us are already in. it is the journey that is lived “de profundis,” “from the depths,” as we used to say in Latin.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO
What is different between the two is that in the second we admit to the shadow side of our faith.
In it can be found the believer and the disbeliever. What appear as weakness: questioning thoughts, drifting from my commitments, and change in understanding what my faith is actually strengthen faith.
Both the Angel of Belief and the Devil of Doubt in us play constructive roles in soul faith.
Notice that in both Jesus and in Sr. Marianna, their experience of soul faith – complete with the doubts, shadows, and dark side of the human condition – was present. In Jesus it gets expressed with his use of the words of the 22nd Psalm: “My God, why have you forsaken me?”
CONCLUSION
What Jesus and Sr. Marianna teach us is that the mystery of human suffering and death cannot be comprehended with reason.
It is only understood and embraced in the confronting of that inner darkness and living out of that, with a confidant trust that God will see you through.
Suffering then, forces our attention to the very depths of our souls where we normally don’t want to go.
On this day, of all the days of the liturgical year, Jesus teaches us that we have to arrive at that difficult point where we don’t know what is going on or what we can do. But it is precisely that point that becomes for us the sprouting shoot of a true faith.
Weekly HOMILY for April 21, 2011: Holy Thursday -- Empowerment to Serve Others
Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Holy Thursday / Chestnut Hill College
April 21, 2011
Empowerment to Serve Others
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
ALICE'S SHAME AND EMBARRASSMENT
A Catholic writer named Alice Camille has written a very personal reflection about what Holy Thursday means to her.
Alice and her sister Ida were on good terms, but they were also living very different lives. Ida was a stay-at-home mom with three daughters and Alice, at that time, was unmarried and all wrapped up in her career.
With that background, Alice writes this brief reflection: “Several years ago, a night of terrible need brought my sister Ida and me together.
“I had just had minor surgery and was in more pain than I can ever remember bearing. Ida was vacationing with her family, but she left them in a motel to come and spend the night with me.
“I was so disabled by the surgery and the pain that I could not even take care of my most basic human needs without help. Bound by bandages and unable to sit down, I just stood in the bathroom in fouled clothes and wept with humiliation.
“Ida knelt on the floor and started to take the soiled clothes that stuck to me, talking in soothing tones as she might to one of her children. She undid the bandages, washed my body and then redressed my wounds, all the while reassuring me with her levelheaded calm.
“In her capable hands, my embarrassment turned to gratitude, and my comfort and dignity were restored.
Now, when I watch the foot washing on Holy Thursday, I think of how tender, sweet and infinitely practical it is to wash away each other’s shame.”
That very personal story helps us understand the focus of this first day of the Sacred Triduum.
BEIGN AN ALICE-IN-NEED
Let’s return to the Upper Room in the Gospel for a moment.
What would be going through your mind, having come to know who Jesus really is, having him invite you to a special meal, and then having him offer to wash your feet?
Would you feel embarrassed? Ashamed? Unworthy? Upset? How would you express yourself? (Express disapproval by a nod of the head and shaking of the hands.)
Have you ever been an “Alice-in-need” and had an Ida in your life? If you have, then you know the power of a loving presence when you’re feeling shame, guilt, or embarrassment.
SPECIFIC ALICE OCCURRENCES
There are times when we suffer embarrassment or shame. Our embarrassment may not be the physical dependency that Alice Camille experienced.
Instead, it may be an awful mistake – like something we wish we had never said in public.
It may be a failure – like being passed over for a particular job or responsibility in the religious family we belong to or at work.
It may be position we took with a family member on moral or ethical grounds and caused a serious rift in relationships.
It may be sin – like having to own up to being unfaithful to God, to a spouse, or to a friend.
We all have embarrassment or shame to deal with, and perhaps we’re dealing with it at the present moment. And when we do, we need an Ida to be there for us.
THE CALL OF HOLY THURSDAY: TO BECOME AN ALICE TO OTHERS
Holy Thursday calls us to wash away each other’s embarrassment and shame. It calls us to wash away each other’s pain and suffering.
And the Mandatum Ritual will do that, if we allow the modeling of Jesus to become part of ourselves through prayerful presence.
Yes, if in prayer and presence to Jesus himself, I can experience that same washing he does for his disciples, the power to cleanse and heal others will be mine.
Imagine removing the soiled bandage of a brother/sister’s error?
Imagine washing away the effects of another’s sin?
Imagine dressing the wounds of an argument or misunderstanding so relationships can heal?
We can make each other whole because Sacred Scripture and Sacred Ritual have made us whole tonight.
CONCLUSION
The Gospel tells us that after washing their feet, Jesus returns to the Passover Meal as we do now, and like the Apostles, we will feed on the Flesh and Blood of the one who makes these “washings” possible.
Let us become then what we now eat – the Lord Jesus washing the feet of one another.
Because kneeling can be difficult for many, we will be washing the hands of each other so all can participate.
Holy Thursday / Chestnut Hill College
April 21, 2011
Empowerment to Serve Others
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
ALICE'S SHAME AND EMBARRASSMENT
A Catholic writer named Alice Camille has written a very personal reflection about what Holy Thursday means to her.
Alice and her sister Ida were on good terms, but they were also living very different lives. Ida was a stay-at-home mom with three daughters and Alice, at that time, was unmarried and all wrapped up in her career.
With that background, Alice writes this brief reflection: “Several years ago, a night of terrible need brought my sister Ida and me together.
“I had just had minor surgery and was in more pain than I can ever remember bearing. Ida was vacationing with her family, but she left them in a motel to come and spend the night with me.
“I was so disabled by the surgery and the pain that I could not even take care of my most basic human needs without help. Bound by bandages and unable to sit down, I just stood in the bathroom in fouled clothes and wept with humiliation.
“Ida knelt on the floor and started to take the soiled clothes that stuck to me, talking in soothing tones as she might to one of her children. She undid the bandages, washed my body and then redressed my wounds, all the while reassuring me with her levelheaded calm.
“In her capable hands, my embarrassment turned to gratitude, and my comfort and dignity were restored.
Now, when I watch the foot washing on Holy Thursday, I think of how tender, sweet and infinitely practical it is to wash away each other’s shame.”
That very personal story helps us understand the focus of this first day of the Sacred Triduum.
BEIGN AN ALICE-IN-NEED
Let’s return to the Upper Room in the Gospel for a moment.
What would be going through your mind, having come to know who Jesus really is, having him invite you to a special meal, and then having him offer to wash your feet?
Would you feel embarrassed? Ashamed? Unworthy? Upset? How would you express yourself? (Express disapproval by a nod of the head and shaking of the hands.)
Have you ever been an “Alice-in-need” and had an Ida in your life? If you have, then you know the power of a loving presence when you’re feeling shame, guilt, or embarrassment.
SPECIFIC ALICE OCCURRENCES
There are times when we suffer embarrassment or shame. Our embarrassment may not be the physical dependency that Alice Camille experienced.
Instead, it may be an awful mistake – like something we wish we had never said in public.
It may be a failure – like being passed over for a particular job or responsibility in the religious family we belong to or at work.
It may be position we took with a family member on moral or ethical grounds and caused a serious rift in relationships.
It may be sin – like having to own up to being unfaithful to God, to a spouse, or to a friend.
We all have embarrassment or shame to deal with, and perhaps we’re dealing with it at the present moment. And when we do, we need an Ida to be there for us.
THE CALL OF HOLY THURSDAY: TO BECOME AN ALICE TO OTHERS
Holy Thursday calls us to wash away each other’s embarrassment and shame. It calls us to wash away each other’s pain and suffering.
And the Mandatum Ritual will do that, if we allow the modeling of Jesus to become part of ourselves through prayerful presence.
Yes, if in prayer and presence to Jesus himself, I can experience that same washing he does for his disciples, the power to cleanse and heal others will be mine.
Imagine removing the soiled bandage of a brother/sister’s error?
Imagine washing away the effects of another’s sin?
Imagine dressing the wounds of an argument or misunderstanding so relationships can heal?
We can make each other whole because Sacred Scripture and Sacred Ritual have made us whole tonight.
CONCLUSION
The Gospel tells us that after washing their feet, Jesus returns to the Passover Meal as we do now, and like the Apostles, we will feed on the Flesh and Blood of the one who makes these “washings” possible.
Let us become then what we now eat – the Lord Jesus washing the feet of one another.
Because kneeling can be difficult for many, we will be washing the hands of each other so all can participate.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Weekly HOMILY for April 17, 2011: Passion (Palm) Sunday, Cycle A
Passion (Palm) Sunday, Cycle A
April 17, 2011
Saint Margaret Parish, Bel Air
The Third Cross
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
THREE CROSSES
Several years ago, a Muslim man was visiting a small Trappist monastery in the Northern African country of Algeria.
This Muslim and the prior of the monastery were old friends. The prior took his guest on a tour of the building, and eventually they came to the chapel.
The Muslim stopped and just starred at the crucifix. Eventually, the prior asked his friend what he saw in the cross.
The Muslim man said: “I see maybe three crosses here, certainly two crosses. There is definitely the cross in front and the cross in the back.
“The one in the front is formed by the extended arms of Jesus. It was created by God and is the cross of God’s embracing love.
“The second cross is the one behind Jesus. It was made by humanity and is the cross of hatred.
“But it was love and not really nails that attached Jesus to this second cross. And it is this love which keeps drawing us to him.”
The prior could see all of this, but he asked his Muslim friend: “What is the third cross that you see?” The visitor responded: “The third cross, it seems to me, is between the other two crosses.
“Isn’t it perhaps you and I struggling to loosen ourselves from the cross of evil and sin behind, so that we can bind ourselves to the cross of love in front?
Isn’t the struggle of moving from violence to peacemaking, from hatred to love, isn’t that the struggle a third cross?”
THE MESSAGE OF HOLY WEEK
That Muslim man is quite insightful.
We can discern three crosses on every crucifix. And by the way, maybe this is one reason why in our Catholic tradition we have a crucifix in our churches – a cross with the figure of Jesus on it – and not just a plain cross.
We are moved by the first cross. This cross is Jesus himself reaching out to us in our humanity with the love of God.
Then we are confronted by the second cross. This cross is the one that we construct out of our self-centeredness, vindictiveness and prejudice, the cross on which we crucify both Jesus and one another.
Holy Week calls us to take up the third cross. It calls us to take up the spirit of the humble and compassionate Christ of the first cross.
It calls us to loosen ourselves from the crosses we have made – the second cross. And it calls us to attach ourselves to the self-giving, sacrificial love of God – and that is the third cross.
CONCLUSION
I hope that this will be a helpful way for us to look at the crucifix from now on. I hope it is a helpful way to recall the message that Holy Week has for us.
April 17, 2011
Saint Margaret Parish, Bel Air
The Third Cross
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
THREE CROSSES
Several years ago, a Muslim man was visiting a small Trappist monastery in the Northern African country of Algeria.
This Muslim and the prior of the monastery were old friends. The prior took his guest on a tour of the building, and eventually they came to the chapel.
The Muslim stopped and just starred at the crucifix. Eventually, the prior asked his friend what he saw in the cross.
The Muslim man said: “I see maybe three crosses here, certainly two crosses. There is definitely the cross in front and the cross in the back.
“The one in the front is formed by the extended arms of Jesus. It was created by God and is the cross of God’s embracing love.
“The second cross is the one behind Jesus. It was made by humanity and is the cross of hatred.
“But it was love and not really nails that attached Jesus to this second cross. And it is this love which keeps drawing us to him.”
The prior could see all of this, but he asked his Muslim friend: “What is the third cross that you see?” The visitor responded: “The third cross, it seems to me, is between the other two crosses.
“Isn’t it perhaps you and I struggling to loosen ourselves from the cross of evil and sin behind, so that we can bind ourselves to the cross of love in front?
Isn’t the struggle of moving from violence to peacemaking, from hatred to love, isn’t that the struggle a third cross?”
THE MESSAGE OF HOLY WEEK
That Muslim man is quite insightful.
We can discern three crosses on every crucifix. And by the way, maybe this is one reason why in our Catholic tradition we have a crucifix in our churches – a cross with the figure of Jesus on it – and not just a plain cross.
We are moved by the first cross. This cross is Jesus himself reaching out to us in our humanity with the love of God.
Then we are confronted by the second cross. This cross is the one that we construct out of our self-centeredness, vindictiveness and prejudice, the cross on which we crucify both Jesus and one another.
Holy Week calls us to take up the third cross. It calls us to take up the spirit of the humble and compassionate Christ of the first cross.
It calls us to loosen ourselves from the crosses we have made – the second cross. And it calls us to attach ourselves to the self-giving, sacrificial love of God – and that is the third cross.
CONCLUSION
I hope that this will be a helpful way for us to look at the crucifix from now on. I hope it is a helpful way to recall the message that Holy Week has for us.
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Weekly HOMILY for April 10, 2011: To Be Set Free from Bondage and from Death
5th Sunday of Lent, Cycle A
St. Mark Church, Fallston
April 10, 2011
To Be Set Free from Bondage and from Death
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
THE TWO-FOLD BURDEN OF BEING HUMAN
While death is something we will all experience, it is also something we cannot avoid. One day each of us will die and tomorrow morning all we can be sure of is that that day is one day closer.
We all – with God the only exception – stand helpless before this reality. The good news of today’s gospel is that Jesus alone can conquer it.
So as we age, as we see loved ones die, as we move up in becoming the next generation to pass from this life to the next, and as the passing of each day gets us closer, there is good news to be heard.
And the news is this: just as Jesus has the power both (1) To release Lazarus from the ties that bind him and (2) To release him from death itself, that same possibility is ours!
TWO ORDERS AT THE TOMB
What’s going on in the gospel scene is familiar to us: Jesus has three very close friends he stays with each year he visits the temple in Jerusalem, two sisters, Mary and Martha, and their brother, Lazarus.
Lazarus gets sick and dies unexpectedly and his sisters are grieving the loss terribly.
The passage has an unusual expression to describe Jesus. It says that he is “perturbed and deeply troubled.” Scripture scholars tell us that these words mean that Jesus is angry that death has gotten its grip on Lazarus and he is profoundly sad over the loss of his friend.
What happens at the tomb? Jesus calls out with a loud cry, “Lazarus, come out!” And the passage says that, “Lazarus comes out, bound hand and foot with burial bands.”
There is a second order given by Jesus as he faces the tomb: “Unbind him and let him go free.”
Thus Jesus has done two things: (1) He’s brought Lazarus back from death and (2) He’s freed him to live without being bound.
This gospel, in its being told to us and in our hearing it, is as much about Jesus and us as it is about Jesus and Lazarus.
For it holds out to us a similar coming back to life, a similar unbinding of all that holds us back.
THE RELEASE FROM BONDAGE
I would ask each of us: (1) What entombs you? (2) What holds you bound in your life? (3) What keeps you from a brighter day no matter what the weather? (4) What keeps you from fuller engagement no matter what your physical condition? (5) What keeps you from a greater love of others?
The bonds that bind may be:
1. LOATHING OF MYSELF: A low self-image, the inability to love myself as God loves me warts and all.
2. EXCESSIVE BUSYNESS: With my ear glued to a cell phone; my eyes stuck to the computer screen, or my hand stiff from taking notes – all being done with little or no time simply to think, to listen, to be still, to pray.
3. FEAR: A fear that traps so many to risk sharing their true selves or in trying something new or moving beyond their comfort level.
4. Or I may be strapped with the bands of NEEDLESS WORRY and unable to entrust myself to the Lord’s care of me, knowing I’ve done my best and he will see me through.
Jesus’ words to Lazarus as he calls him to new life are: “Unbind him and let him go.” Those are his words to you today.
THE RELEASE FROM DEATH
The more we are released from the bands that bind us to Loathing, Busyness, Fear, and Worry, the more we are able to live a new life even now.
We are able to hear in a new and fresh way Jesus’ reassuring words to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life, and whoever believes in me, even if they die, will live.”
And if you’re in a good place with yourself and with others, you have the ears to hear Jesus’ question to Martha: “Do you believe this?”
And, of course, you hear and see Martha’s beautiful, hope-filled response: “Jesus, I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
CONCLUSION
The reality of Lazarus’ unbinding and coming to life are taking place again this morning right here in your hearing and in your feeding on his flesh and blood.
It is in the presence of Jesus in our lives that we can experience a new freedom today and a new hope to be with him one day forever.
St. Mark Church, Fallston
April 10, 2011
To Be Set Free from Bondage and from Death
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
THE TWO-FOLD BURDEN OF BEING HUMAN
While death is something we will all experience, it is also something we cannot avoid. One day each of us will die and tomorrow morning all we can be sure of is that that day is one day closer.
We all – with God the only exception – stand helpless before this reality. The good news of today’s gospel is that Jesus alone can conquer it.
So as we age, as we see loved ones die, as we move up in becoming the next generation to pass from this life to the next, and as the passing of each day gets us closer, there is good news to be heard.
And the news is this: just as Jesus has the power both (1) To release Lazarus from the ties that bind him and (2) To release him from death itself, that same possibility is ours!
TWO ORDERS AT THE TOMB
What’s going on in the gospel scene is familiar to us: Jesus has three very close friends he stays with each year he visits the temple in Jerusalem, two sisters, Mary and Martha, and their brother, Lazarus.
Lazarus gets sick and dies unexpectedly and his sisters are grieving the loss terribly.
The passage has an unusual expression to describe Jesus. It says that he is “perturbed and deeply troubled.” Scripture scholars tell us that these words mean that Jesus is angry that death has gotten its grip on Lazarus and he is profoundly sad over the loss of his friend.
What happens at the tomb? Jesus calls out with a loud cry, “Lazarus, come out!” And the passage says that, “Lazarus comes out, bound hand and foot with burial bands.”
There is a second order given by Jesus as he faces the tomb: “Unbind him and let him go free.”
Thus Jesus has done two things: (1) He’s brought Lazarus back from death and (2) He’s freed him to live without being bound.
This gospel, in its being told to us and in our hearing it, is as much about Jesus and us as it is about Jesus and Lazarus.
For it holds out to us a similar coming back to life, a similar unbinding of all that holds us back.
THE RELEASE FROM BONDAGE
I would ask each of us: (1) What entombs you? (2) What holds you bound in your life? (3) What keeps you from a brighter day no matter what the weather? (4) What keeps you from fuller engagement no matter what your physical condition? (5) What keeps you from a greater love of others?
The bonds that bind may be:
1. LOATHING OF MYSELF: A low self-image, the inability to love myself as God loves me warts and all.
2. EXCESSIVE BUSYNESS: With my ear glued to a cell phone; my eyes stuck to the computer screen, or my hand stiff from taking notes – all being done with little or no time simply to think, to listen, to be still, to pray.
3. FEAR: A fear that traps so many to risk sharing their true selves or in trying something new or moving beyond their comfort level.
4. Or I may be strapped with the bands of NEEDLESS WORRY and unable to entrust myself to the Lord’s care of me, knowing I’ve done my best and he will see me through.
Jesus’ words to Lazarus as he calls him to new life are: “Unbind him and let him go.” Those are his words to you today.
THE RELEASE FROM DEATH
The more we are released from the bands that bind us to Loathing, Busyness, Fear, and Worry, the more we are able to live a new life even now.
We are able to hear in a new and fresh way Jesus’ reassuring words to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life, and whoever believes in me, even if they die, will live.”
And if you’re in a good place with yourself and with others, you have the ears to hear Jesus’ question to Martha: “Do you believe this?”
And, of course, you hear and see Martha’s beautiful, hope-filled response: “Jesus, I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
CONCLUSION
The reality of Lazarus’ unbinding and coming to life are taking place again this morning right here in your hearing and in your feeding on his flesh and blood.
It is in the presence of Jesus in our lives that we can experience a new freedom today and a new hope to be with him one day forever.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR: SPIRITUAL DEEPENING PROGRAM
INTENT OF PROGRAM
To be present to God and the world in love and trust, surrendered to ever-deepening spiritual awareness and joining God’s presence/action in the world according to our gifts and calling.
WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THIS PROGRAM?
This program is for anyone who feels drawn to contemplative spirituality and who:
+ Desires a deepened relationship with God and to live out of that relationship;
+ Wishes to develop or deepen a consistent spiritual practice;
+ Wants the regular guidance of a spiritual companion for daily contemplative living;
+ Seeks authentic spiritual community and support;
+ Is eager to learn within a broad ecumenical Christian framework, enhanced by the wisdom of other traditions;
+Longs to be a transforming presence in the world.
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
The Personal Spiritual Deepening Program (PSDP): Living in God is comprised of experiential learning, contemplative prayer practices, assigned readings, spiritual community, and opening and closing retreats.
Seminar Topics and Readings will be focused on the following themes:
LISTENING AND TRANSFORMATION
“How do we cultivate that attention, that listening to the Beloved, the God who seeks us? …Transformation happens when we experience God in our hearts; God invites and we respond.” (Patience Robbins, Shalem PSDP Leadership Conference 2010)
SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY
“Spiritual community [is described] as the person or group of people with whom my desire for God comes alive and through whom I am supported in honoring that desire.” (Rose Mary Dougherty, Spiritual Community as Intercessory Prayer)
DISCERNMENT
“Desiring spiritual discernment in all things… we seek to be intentionally open to God in each moment as the Spirit guides and co-creates through us.” (Shalem Institute Core Values)
EARTH AWARENESS
“The Earth is suffering and exhausted. We need to deepen our Earth awareness, the awareness that we are utterly connected to all of life, in order to create a new consciousness and to heal our relationship with all living beings. We are given the vision and power to co-participate with God in healing the brokenness of our world.” (Ann Dean, Shalem PSDP Leadership Conference 2010)
SACRED ACTIVISM
“…a contemplative orientation not only draws us to our deepest, truest self in God but also shapes both an individual’s and a community’s way of being in, listening to, and caring for the world.” (Shalem Institute Core Values)
We expect participants, through prayer and dialogue with their spiritual directors and the program leaders, to integrate the program components in a way that will best serve their spiritual deepening. In addition, participants are expected to:
+ Commit to a regular spiritual practice that will honor and nourish their relationship with God.
+ Attend the Opening Retreat, Closing Retreat, and all Saturday Seminars.
+ Meet monthly with their small group.
+ Meet regularly with a Spiritual Director.
+ Pray for the group as a spiritual community.
DATES AND LOCATION
Opening All-Day Retreat: April 16, 2011 / Bon Secours Spiritual Center, Marriottsville, MD 21104.
Saturday Morning Sessions: May 7, June 4, July 9, August 6, September 10, October 15 / 8:30 am to 3:00 pm, at Bon Secours Spiritual Center and includes lunch.
Monthly Listening Circles: May through October / at the home of a participant in your geographical area.
Closing Overnight Retreat: November 5-6, 2011 / Bon Secours Spiritual Center, Marriottsville, MD 21104.
PROGRAM LEADERS
Nicholas Amato: has served over 20 years as a pastor in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and is a graduate of the Shalem Institute of Spirituality in Washington, DC. His full-time ministry includes offering contemplative retreats, parish missions, and days of recollection. He has Master’s degrees in Counseling and Theology, and a Doctorate in Educational Administration and is an associate faculty member of the Shalem Institute.
Stephanie Burgevin: has been a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) for the past 15 years. She is an associate faculty member of the Shalem Institute of Spirituality and a graduate of their Leading Contemplative Prayer Groups and Retreats program. She is a certified parent educator, has been clerk of Ministry and Counsel at Alexandria Monthly Meeting, and has led numerous groups, both spiritual and secular in nature.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Tuition: $650
Deposit: $100 with Application
Registration Deadline: APRIL 15, 2011
To Register or for questions call or write:
Email FatherNicholasAmato@gmail.com
Or call: (443) 850-0794
WHAT DOES SHALEM MEAN?
Pronounced Sha-LAME, Shalem is a Hebrew word related to Shalom, the familiar greeting of peace. Shalem speaks of wholeness: to be complete.
About Shalem
The Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation provides in-depth support for contemplative living and leadership—a way of being in the world that is prayerfully attentive and responsive to God's presence and guidance.
For more than 30 years, we have offered a wide variety of programs and resources for individuals who want to open themselves more fully to God in their daily lives and work.
Shalem programs are uniquely experiential in approach and are grounded in our understanding of classic contemplative wisdom. All offer a rich variety of practices, teachings and leadership styles. Program leaders and program design seek to create a sense of sacred space that fosters authentic spiritual community and spiritual growth.
At Shalem, we honor each individual spiritual path and welcome anyone who would seek to learn from the contemplative way.
Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation
www.shalem.org
PERSONAL SPIRITUAL
DEEPENING PROGRAM:
Living in God
Bon Secours Spiritual Center, Maryland
To be present to God and the world in love and trust, surrendered to ever-deepening spiritual awareness and joining God’s presence/action in the world according to our gifts and calling.
WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THIS PROGRAM?
This program is for anyone who feels drawn to contemplative spirituality and who:
+ Desires a deepened relationship with God and to live out of that relationship;
+ Wishes to develop or deepen a consistent spiritual practice;
+ Wants the regular guidance of a spiritual companion for daily contemplative living;
+ Seeks authentic spiritual community and support;
+ Is eager to learn within a broad ecumenical Christian framework, enhanced by the wisdom of other traditions;
+Longs to be a transforming presence in the world.
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
The Personal Spiritual Deepening Program (PSDP): Living in God is comprised of experiential learning, contemplative prayer practices, assigned readings, spiritual community, and opening and closing retreats.
Seminar Topics and Readings will be focused on the following themes:
LISTENING AND TRANSFORMATION
“How do we cultivate that attention, that listening to the Beloved, the God who seeks us? …Transformation happens when we experience God in our hearts; God invites and we respond.” (Patience Robbins, Shalem PSDP Leadership Conference 2010)
SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY
“Spiritual community [is described] as the person or group of people with whom my desire for God comes alive and through whom I am supported in honoring that desire.” (Rose Mary Dougherty, Spiritual Community as Intercessory Prayer)
DISCERNMENT
“Desiring spiritual discernment in all things… we seek to be intentionally open to God in each moment as the Spirit guides and co-creates through us.” (Shalem Institute Core Values)
EARTH AWARENESS
“The Earth is suffering and exhausted. We need to deepen our Earth awareness, the awareness that we are utterly connected to all of life, in order to create a new consciousness and to heal our relationship with all living beings. We are given the vision and power to co-participate with God in healing the brokenness of our world.” (Ann Dean, Shalem PSDP Leadership Conference 2010)
SACRED ACTIVISM
“…a contemplative orientation not only draws us to our deepest, truest self in God but also shapes both an individual’s and a community’s way of being in, listening to, and caring for the world.” (Shalem Institute Core Values)
We expect participants, through prayer and dialogue with their spiritual directors and the program leaders, to integrate the program components in a way that will best serve their spiritual deepening. In addition, participants are expected to:
+ Commit to a regular spiritual practice that will honor and nourish their relationship with God.
+ Attend the Opening Retreat, Closing Retreat, and all Saturday Seminars.
+ Meet monthly with their small group.
+ Meet regularly with a Spiritual Director.
+ Pray for the group as a spiritual community.
DATES AND LOCATION
Opening All-Day Retreat: April 16, 2011 / Bon Secours Spiritual Center, Marriottsville, MD 21104.
Saturday Morning Sessions: May 7, June 4, July 9, August 6, September 10, October 15 / 8:30 am to 3:00 pm, at Bon Secours Spiritual Center and includes lunch.
Monthly Listening Circles: May through October / at the home of a participant in your geographical area.
Closing Overnight Retreat: November 5-6, 2011 / Bon Secours Spiritual Center, Marriottsville, MD 21104.
PROGRAM LEADERS
Nicholas Amato: has served over 20 years as a pastor in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and is a graduate of the Shalem Institute of Spirituality in Washington, DC. His full-time ministry includes offering contemplative retreats, parish missions, and days of recollection. He has Master’s degrees in Counseling and Theology, and a Doctorate in Educational Administration and is an associate faculty member of the Shalem Institute.
Stephanie Burgevin: has been a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) for the past 15 years. She is an associate faculty member of the Shalem Institute of Spirituality and a graduate of their Leading Contemplative Prayer Groups and Retreats program. She is a certified parent educator, has been clerk of Ministry and Counsel at Alexandria Monthly Meeting, and has led numerous groups, both spiritual and secular in nature.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Tuition: $650
Deposit: $100 with Application
Registration Deadline: APRIL 15, 2011
To Register or for questions call or write:
Email FatherNicholasAmato@gmail.com
Or call: (443) 850-0794
WHAT DOES SHALEM MEAN?
Pronounced Sha-LAME, Shalem is a Hebrew word related to Shalom, the familiar greeting of peace. Shalem speaks of wholeness: to be complete.
About Shalem
The Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation provides in-depth support for contemplative living and leadership—a way of being in the world that is prayerfully attentive and responsive to God's presence and guidance.
For more than 30 years, we have offered a wide variety of programs and resources for individuals who want to open themselves more fully to God in their daily lives and work.
Shalem programs are uniquely experiential in approach and are grounded in our understanding of classic contemplative wisdom. All offer a rich variety of practices, teachings and leadership styles. Program leaders and program design seek to create a sense of sacred space that fosters authentic spiritual community and spiritual growth.
At Shalem, we honor each individual spiritual path and welcome anyone who would seek to learn from the contemplative way.
Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation
www.shalem.org
PERSONAL SPIRITUAL
DEEPENING PROGRAM:
Living in God
Bon Secours Spiritual Center, Maryland
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