July 1, 2007 Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

  2007년 7월 1일 연중 제13주일(교황주일)

 

 제1독서

열왕기 상 19,16ㄴ.19-21
그 무렵 주님께서 엘리야에게 말씀하셨다. 16 “아벨 므홀라 출신 사팟의 아들 엘리사에게 기름을 부어 네 뒤를 이을 예언자로 세워라.”
19 엘리야는 그곳을 떠나 길을 가다가 사팟의 아들 엘리사를 만났다. 엘리사는 열두 겨릿소를 앞세우고 밭을 갈고 있었는데, 열두 번째 겨릿소는 그 자신이 부리고 있었다. 그때 엘리야가 엘리사 곁을 지나가면서 자기 겉옷을 그에게 걸쳐 주었다.
20 그러자 엘리사는 소를 그냥 두고 엘리야에게 달려와 이렇게 말하였다. “아버지와 어머니에게 작별 인사를 한 뒤에 선생님을 따라가게 해 주십시오.” 그러자 엘리야가 말하였다. “다녀오너라. 내가 너에게 무엇을 하였다고 그러느냐?”
21 엘리사는 엘리야를 떠나 돌아가서 겨릿소를 잡아 제물로 바치고, 쟁기를 부수어 그것으로 고기를 구운 다음 사람들에게 주어서 먹게 하였다. 그런 다음 일어나 엘리야를 따라나서서 그의 시중을 들었다.

 

제2독서

갈라티아서 5,1.13-18
형제 여러분, 1 그리스도께서는 우리를 자유롭게 하시려고 해방시켜 주셨습니다. 그러니 굳건히 서서 다시는 종살이의 멍에를 메지 마십시오.
13 형제 여러분, 여러분은 자유롭게 되라고 부르심을 받았습니다. 다만 그 자유를 육을 위하는 구실로 삼지 마십시오. 오히려 사랑으로 서로 섬기십시오.
14 사실 모든 율법은 한 계명으로 요약됩니다. 곧 “네 이웃을 너 자신처럼 사랑하여라.” 하신 계명입니다. 15 그러나 여러분이 서로 물어뜯고 잡아먹고 한다면, 서로가 파멸할 터이니 조심하십시오. 16 내 말은 이렇습니다. 성령의 인도에 따라 살아가십시오. 그러면 육의 욕망을 채우지 않게 될 것입니다. 17 육이 욕망하는 것은 성령을 거스르고, 성령께서 바라시는 것은 육을 거스릅니다. 이 둘은 서로 반대되기 때문에 여러분은 자기가 원하는 것을 할 수 없게 됩니다. 18 그러나 여러분이 성령의 인도를 받으면 율법 아래 있는 것이 아닙니다.

  

 복음

루카 9,51-62
51 하늘에 올라가실 때가 차자, 예수님께서는 예루살렘으로 가시려고 마음을 굳히셨다. 52 그래서 당신에 앞서 심부름꾼들을 보내셨다. 그들은 예수님을 모실 준비를 하려고 길을 떠나 사마리아인들의 한 마을로 들어갔다. 53 그러나 사마리아인들은 예수님을 맞아들이지 않았다. 그분께서 예루살렘으로 가시는 길이었기 때문이다.
54 야고보와 요한 제자가 그것을 보고, “주님, 저희가 하늘에서 불을 불러 내려 저들을 불살라 버리기를 원하십니까?” 하고 물었다. 55 예수님께서는 돌아서서 그들을 꾸짖으셨다. 56 그리하여 그들은 다른 마을로 갔다.
57 그들이 길을 가는데 어떤 사람이 예수님께, “어디로 가시든지 저는 스승님을 따르겠습니다.” 하고 말하였다.
58 그러자 예수님께서 그에게 말씀하셨다. “여우들도 굴이 있고 하늘의 새들도 보금자리가 있지만, 사람의 아들은 머리를 기댈 곳조차 없다.”
59 예수님께서는 다른 사람에게 “나를 따라라.” 하고 이르셨다. 그러나 그는 “주님, 먼저 집에 가서 아버지의 장사를 지내게 허락해 주십시오.” 하고 말하였다.
60 예수님께서는 그에게, “죽은 이들의 장사는 죽은 이들이 지내도록 내버려 두고, 너는 가서 하느님의 나라를 알려라.” 하고 말씀하셨다.
61 또 다른 사람이 “주님, 저는 주님을 따르겠습니다. 그러나 먼저 가족들에게 작별 인사를 하게 허락해 주십시오.” 하고 말하였다.
62 예수님께서 그에게 이르셨다. “쟁기에 손을 대고 뒤를 돌아보는 자는 하느님 나라에 합당하지 않다.”

 

 

 

 

 July 1, 2007

 Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

  

 Reading 1
1 Kgs 19:16b, 19-21

The LORD said to Elijah:
“You shall anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah,
as prophet to succeed you.”

Elijah set out and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat,
as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen;
he was following the twelfth.
Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him.
Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said,
“Please, let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,
and I will follow you.”
Elijah answered, “Go back!
Have I done anything to you?”
Elisha left him, and taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them;
he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh,
and gave it to his people to eat.
Then Elisha left and followed Elijah as his attendant.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11

R. (cf. 5a) You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.”
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Reading II
Gal 5:1, 13-18

Brothers and sisters:
For freedom Christ set us free;
so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

For you were called for freedom, brothers and sisters.
But do not use this freedom
as an opportunity for the flesh;
rather, serve one another through love.
For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement,
namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
But if you go on biting and devouring one another,
beware that you are not consumed by one another.

I say, then: live by the Spirit
and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.
For the flesh has desires against the Spirit,
and the Spirit against the flesh;
these are opposed to each other,
so that you may not do what you want.
But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Gospel
Lk 9:51-62

When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.

As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him,
“I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him,
“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”

And to another he said, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
To him Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”

 

 

 Commentary

 

 Elijah anoints Elisha and the mantle/power and burden of prophecy passes on. He calls him at work in the fields. He immediately gives away everything to the people and kisses his father and mother goodbye. He is God's now. And we too have been called to live in this freedom, bound to God, living at the service of others. We are to live under the Spirit that was given to us, more surely and powerfully than even the double portion of Spirit that was given to Elisha.

Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and he sends his messengers before him-prophets like him-to prepare the way. In a Samaritan town they are not welcomed because he was going to Jerusalem (they disagreed with the Jews on the place where God is supposed to be worshipped). The disciples want to call down destruction on them but Jesus instead reprimands the disciples, who have so little understanding of what it means to follow Jesus to the cross. He tells them that he has nothing, no one, only God. Do we follow the Lord? What do we need to let go of now?

 

 

 PRE-PRAYERING

Concepts get us there, but not quite. We can have images of a certain person or place, but when we arrive at the place or finally really get to know the person, images are dissolved by the real. We do have concepts of God, but God is “unknowable” as God. Whom we can grow to know is not the concept of the Word Made Flesh, but Jesus Who is sometimes, more than we want to know of God.

We prepare to celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in the Eucharist this weekend. The amazing encounter with Jesus in the liturgy is that we are also invited to move beyond false concepts of ourselves by hearing the Word and entering into the “Central Mystery” of our faith.

We can pray these days of preparation by reflecting upon concepts we have of ourselves and of God. A false image of God will eventuate in a falser image of ourselves. Jesus is constantly correcting false images and concepts of both God and ourselves.

REFLECTION

The prophet Elijah has had a rough time of it in his life. He is near his death and God has told him to find Elisha and convey the spirit of prophecy upon him. As usual in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, those who are called are doing their thing, like tending sheep or Sycamores or fishing, or collecting taxes. Elisha is plowing his fields when Elijah comes upon him, and throws the mantle of prophecy upon him. Elisha makes a proper response, running after Elijah he says that he will be right with him, first he must kiss his parents good bye. Elijah says that Elisha should forget it all, because Elisha has forgotten or ignored what the gesture of the “cloak” meant.

Elisha understands the call a little bit more and runs to slaughter the oxen who have been pulling his plow. He renders the plow into fire wood and cooks the oxen and gives it all to his people in a gesture of freedom and takes off to follow Elijah and his own personal call.

The Gospel has several elements to it as well. Jesus is “resolutely determined” to head for Jerusalem. To do this he and his apostles pass through the territory of Samaria whose people are separated from the Jewish traditions. Pilgrims would usually pass around this area, but Jesus has come for us all. James and John would cast fire upon them to consume them, but Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem will result in the Spirit’s being cast like fire upon the apostles who will in turn be sent to all the nations.

The remainder of the Gospel has three conversations between those who hear a call and Jesus. They will follow, but first they have to do something else. Jesus remains resolute and asks that same determination of his followers. The call seems harsh, but the mission of proclaiming the kingdom is urgent. Family, former labors and interests are all important, but Luke presents Jesus as intently committed to not tending the dead, but giving life; not plowing the earth, but saving it.

This evening I was conversing with a young man who will enter the Jesuit Novitiate this fall. He is a college graduate and highly motivated. We spoke of his fears about trusting that Superiors will take good care of him. I smiled. He didn’t. We spoke of the American and human cultural necessity for clarity and security. Going on any kind of trip demands we know exactly which roads and turns to take. The computers can print these maps out to the exact footage. We are so addicted to knowing the future which makes following Jesus that much more difficult. He did not have a map or Global Positioning System to give to those he called, or his beloved disciples. He offered them the clarity of a relationship.

 

 by
Larry Gillick, S.J.
Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality

 

 

 "No one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God"

Wouldn't you be hurt and angry if someone refused to treat you with respect and  fairness?  When Jesus made preparation to enter a Samaritan village he was rudely told to go elsewhere, no doubt because the Samaritans perceived that he belonged to the other party they were in dispute with.  The Jews and Samaritans had been divided for centuries.  Jesus' disciples were indignant and wanted to see revenge.  Jesus, in turn, rebukes them for their lack of toleration.  Jesus had set his face toward Jerusalem in order to die that Jew, Samaritan and Gentile might be reconciled with God and be made one family in Christ. God's grace sets us free -- from intolerance and prejudice and from everything that would keep us from following him.  Do you allow any prejudice or intolerance to keep you from loving and serving others as Christ would?

When the Lord calls us to follow him he gives us the grace to put aside everything that might keep us from doing his will. Loyalty to Jesus requires sacrifice, letting go of my will for God's will.  A would-be disciple responded by saying, I must first go and bury my father, that is, go back home and take care of him until he died.   Jesus certainly did not mean that we should refuse to care for others, especially our parents in their old age. His startling statement, however, made clear that God must always be first in our lives.  If we love him above all, then everything else will fall into its proper place and time.

Jesus surprised his disciples by telling that they must not look back but keep their focus on the goal set for their lives -- full happiness and union with God. A plowman who looked back caused his furrow to be crooked.  Likewise, if we keep looking back to what we left behind, our path in following God will likely go off course and we'll miss what God has for us   When the going is rough or the way ahead looks uncertain, we are tempted to look back to the "good old days" or to look for "greener turf". Are you resolved to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and to "stay the course" in following him to the end?
.
"Heavenly Father, keep my mind fixed on the surpassing  joys stored up for me in your kingdom.  And let me be willing to put up with all the suffering, hardship, and pain that may come my way in serving you."

Psalm 16:1-11

1 Preserve me, O God, for in thee I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, "Thou art my Lord; I have no good apart from thee."
3 As for the saints in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.
4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their libations of blood I will not pour out  or take their names upon my lips.
5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; thou holdest my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure.
10 For thou dost not give me up to Sheol, or let thy godly one see the Pit.
11 Thou dost show me the path of life; in thy presence there is fulness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.

 

 

 BURNT FLESH

'Remember that you have been called to live in freedom but not a freedom that gives free rein to the flesh.' Galatians 5:13

Most people refuse to admit that they give 'free rein to the flesh.' However, most people in our contemporary American culture do indulge the flesh, contrary to God's command. The fact that the Spirit is stifled (Gal 5:17) and our souls are embattled (1 Pt 2:11) proves this conclusively.

The Lord is aware that we're not concerned about our compromise with worldly desires. Therefore, He commands us to 'make no provision for the desires of the flesh' (Rm 13:14). We are not only to control our flesh but crucify it (Gal 5:24). Jesus calls for uncompromised Christianity. We cannot serve both God and mammon (Mt 6:24). We must burn the bridges behind us as Elisha burned the things of his past when he followed the prophetic call (1 Kgs 19:21).

When we make our move for God, there's no turning back. 'Whoever puts his hand to the plow but keeps looking back is unfit for the reign of God' (Lk 9:62). If we give Sodom and Gomorrah even a backward glance, we risk turning into a pillar of salt, as Lot's wife did (Gn 19:26). Through the cross we have been crucified to the world and it to us (Gal 6:14). We do not play games with the flesh. Instead, by the power of the Spirit we strongly oppose it (Gal 5:17).

Praise: Praise Jesus, Who totally trusted His Father through His death and resurrection.
Prayer: Jesus, may I be all Yours, totally sold out to Your kingdom.
Promise: 'As the time approached when He was to be taken from this world, He firmly resolved to proceed toward Jerusalem, and sent messengers on ahead of Him.' Lk 9:51

 

 

 Elijah was the greatest of the Old Testament prophets.  His stories are found in I Kings 17-22 and II Kings 1- 3.  When he was about to leave this world, Elijah called Elisha to be his successor.   Elijah expected Elisha to follow him promptly.   Apparently, Elisha wants to wind up his business affairs first.  As a sign that he would leave his old way of life, Elisha burns the plow he had been using, and offers the oxen in sacrifice.
St. Paul was very angry when he wrote the Letter to the Galatians.   The Galatian people were returning to the practices of Judaism.   They seemed to think that they were saved by keeping the Law of Moses instead of by faith in Christ Jesus.  Paul tells them not to return to the "yoke of slavery."   Christ has freed them (and us) from the Torah.  But freedom doesn't mean we can do as we please.  We must always seek to please God in a spirit of joy and thanksgiving.  By "flesh" Paul means "the natural person who is subject to  the effects of original sin."   By "spirit" Paul means "the person considered as filled with the grace of Christ.   In this sense, the "flesh" is against the "spirit."   Let us live by the spirit.
St. Luke makes a great drama of Jesus' journey up to Jerusalem for his "Exodus" or his return to his Father.   Today, we begin that journey.  Several people want to follow Jesus on his journey.   But they all seem to want to take care of worldly affairs first.   Jesus asks for prompt and loyal service.   This world will take care of itself, if only we are loyal to him.    Let us pray that we shall always put God in first place in our lives.   If we serve him promptly, loyally, and generously, he will take care of everything else in our lives.

 

 

«Follow me»

Today, the Gospel invites us to ponder over our following Christ. It does matter to follow him as He expects us to. James and John had not yet learned his message of love and forgiveness: «Lord, do you want us to call down fire from Heaven to reduce them to ashes?» (Lk 9:54). There were others also called by the Lord but they were not yet ready to completely part with their family bonds. To follow Christ and accomplish our mission, we must do it free from any tie: «Whoever (...) looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God» (Lk 9:62).

At a World Missionary Journey, John Paul II made an appeal to all Catholics to become missionaries of the Gospel of Christ through dialogue and forgiveness. The motto was: «The mission is an announcement of forgiveness». His Holiness said that only our love for God can unite men of every race and culture, by making disappear the painful divisions, the ideological contrasts, the economic inequalities and the violent abuse humans are still subject to. Through evangelization, we believers may help men to recognize one another as brothers.

If we truly feel like brothers, we may start by understanding each other and debating always with respect. His Holiness has emphasized that our determination for an attentive and respectful dialogue is a necessary condition for the true testimony of God's saving love, because who forgives is already opening his heart to his fellowmen and is able to feel love. In the Last Supper the Lord said it too: «A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you (...). By this all men will know that you are my disciples» (Jn 13:34-35).

To evangelize is a task for all of us, although in different ways. For some of us, it will mean going to countries where Christ is still unknown. Others will be supposed to evangelize in their own environment. Let us ask ourselves whether those around us know how to live the fundamental truths of our faith; and whether we are already doing something to remedy this situation. We all can and must support the missionary tasks with our prayer, sacrifice and behaviour, in addition to the testimony of our forgiveness and understanding towards the rest of our fellowmen.
 

 

 Homily from Father James Gilhooley
Click here to order Fr. Gilhooley’s book of homilies

 Pope John XXIII told us, "You may be the only Bible that someone may ever read."
    
Dag Hammarskjold, the late Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Prize laureate,  wrote but one book.  And even then it was not published until after his death in an airplane crash in Africa in 1961. But what a volume it is! It will be read and prayed over up to a day after the Parousia. It is titled Markings. In it, Secretary Hammarskjold wrote, "The longest journey is the journey inwards of him who has chosen his destiny."

As the Gospel of Luke opens, an unknown writer points out that the Christ is about to begin His own "longest journey." It is a trip by foot, but also it is a "journey inwards" as he moves without hesitation to complete the destiny marked out for Him by the Father.

But our mystery writer wants us to realize that St Luke has the Teacher constantly on journeys. Mary, while bearing Him in her womb, journeyed to spend time with her cousin Elizabeth. Mary and Joseph of course journeyed to the city of Bethlehem for His birth. Subsequently they journeyed with the Infant to Jerusalem to present Him in the Temple to the Father. Then faithfully they journeyed with the Boy to the capital city to celebrate the solemn Passover.

But all these trips, outlined by the skillful and clever Luke, are comparatively speaking but sidebar journeys. Luke has been preparing us all this time for THE GREAT JOURNEY which begins in today's Gospel. That momentous journey, beginning here in chapter 9, will close out in chapter 19. There we will read of His arrival in Jerusalem ready to begin the processions of Palms. With that entry, Luke wants us to reflect that the Master is preparing Himself for His death, resurrection, and ascension.

For obvious reasons, scholars call Luke's long account of THE GREAT JOURNEY the Journey Narrative. It occupies a third of the Lucan Gospel and is found in his Gospel alone.

Luke lets us see that the Teacher is about to commence THE GREAT JOURNEY in the first line of today's Gospel. "Now as the time drew near for Him to be taken up to heaven, He resolutely took the road for Jerusalem..."

My unknown author assures us that the GREAT JOURNEY is a type for the journey that each Christian and Catholic must take.  All of us should be walking resolutely on the road that will take us to the heavenly Jerusalem. Obviously we will need instructions for such an important march. And happily we will find them in the ten chapters of the Journey Narrative. They make up a textbook of pilgrim instructions. They are a how-to manual of Christian discipleship. They tell us how we shall walk with the Nazarene on this none too easy and slippery road.

In the Lucan manual, the words retreat or defeat will never be mentioned. At all costs, we must keep advancing. And, if we stumble and fall, we must like our Master pick ourselves up and move forward once again.

The type of disciples that Jesus the Christ is looking for is illustrated in a story told by a preacher. The Church was undergoing persecution in a certain country. The Catholics of one village gathered together for the Eucharist in their church. Suddenly their door loudly burst open. Standing before them was a soldier menacingly brandishing a machine gun. He shouted, "If you do not really believe in your Christ, get out immediately to save your lives." A number of people slinked out one by one. The soldier kicked the door after them. Then he said to those remaining, "I too believe in Jesus. We are better off without those people."

None of those terrified people who remained in that church had looked back. They had no intention of retreating. Rather, they wanted to move forward at all costs into the Kingdom. None of them believed in good weather discipleship. Each was in for the long haul. And, as they were, so must we be in our own GREAT JOURNEY.

Do not be one of those many who, as the preacher says, talk cream and live skim milk.

 

 Homily from Father Joseph Pellegrino
http://www.st.ignatius.net/pastor.html

“All Aboard!!”

Today we meet Jesus on the road to Jerusalem.  The Gospel reading begins a unique section of the Gospels, found only in Luke, where Jesus' face is set like flint to go to Jerusalem, the place of His suffering, death and resurrection.  Jesus can not be bothered with whether or not the Samaritan villages on the way accept him.  Nor does He have time to indulge James and John with a display of his power by sending fire upon these villages.  He has a clear mission: to proclaim the Kingdom of God through His suffering and death.  He needs only one thing: loyal followers who will continue to proclaim the Kingdom after his mission is complete.

By using the device of the Lord’s journey to Jerusalem, St. Luke encourages Christians to look at their lives as a journey with the Lord.  This journey can be  rigorous, “foxes have lairs, birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no where to lay his head.”  But the journey has a purpose.  We travel to that place where our lives have meaning.  Each of us was created with the ability to bring a unique reflection of God to the world.  The journey isn’t to a place.  The destination is to a state of existence where we are all that God created us to be.  We do not journey alone.  Our traveling companion is the one whose presence makes our hearts burn.  We walk with Jesus.

Also in today’s gospel reading the Lord confronts a man He meets on the road who wants to put off the call to follow until later in his life.  First having to bury his father means that the man wants to wait several years, perhaps many, until he is ready to join Jesus. The only trouble is that Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem now.  He calls now.  If the man does not follow, then the Lord is going to pass him by.

There is no deferred enlistment with the Lord, like there is with the Army.  When we feel the need to come closer to him, to perform a Christian service for someone else, to stand for our moral principals, that is the Lord calling us to follow him now.  It is easy for us to say, “I'll do it later.”  The trouble is that very often later never comes.  By then the Lord has passed us by as he journeys on the road to making his kingdom a reality.  And we have missed the opportunity to follow.

I’m sure we all can look back on our lives and find a whole host of should-have-dones. Perhaps we never visited a sick neighbor.  Then that man or woman died.  Perhaps we allowed our children to talk us into letting them do something we didn't think was proper.  Then we were faced with a major battle, forced to take something away that should have never been there.  Perhaps we wanted to set aside time every day for prayer, but never got around to it.  Now we feel spiritually drained.  We can all look back on the times that we didn't answer the Lord's call.

At the same time, being concerned about the past doesn't get us anywhere now.  We need to focus on the present.  How is Jesus calling us to follow now?  How can I be a better Christian today?  What does the Lord want from me?  How can I be kinder to my wife, husband, children, my parishioners?  Do I have the courage to stand up for him, for the faith, for his way of life, for Christian morality? 

Today’s Gospel is a call to Christian action.  But the Lord is not standing on a corner calling.  He is walking towards Jerusalem.  He’s more like a conductor calling out at the train station, “All aboard.”  If we don't listen and join Him, we’ll miss the train going to Jerusalem.  If we let Him pass us by, we will never get to that place where our lives have meaning and purpose.

 

  Homily from Father Phil Bloom
http://www.geocities.com/seapadre_1999/

True Freedom
(July 1, 2007)
Bottom line: Bottom line: True freedom involves submission to the Spirit, then putting ones hand to plow and never looking back.

This week many orators will quote the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Those words continue to echo in people's hearts. This Sunday I will focus on the word, Liberty. I would like to ask the question: What is liberty? What does freedom mean?

Sometimes we think that freedom means doing what one wants, when one wants. That's OK as far as it goes. None of us should unnecessarily burden the other person. on the contrary, we should respect others and give them room to maneuver. But that's not the deepest meaning of freedom. Today St. Paul talks about real freedom: "You were called for freedom, brothers and sisters." Then he adds, "But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh."

Freedom involves something different than doing what I want, when I want. A guy can think, "I am free. If I want to get a six-pack and drink it, that's my business. I'm free to do what I want." That guy is not free. Little by little he is becoming a slave.

Something similar happens with pornography. Many people consider that pornography is not that big of a deal. However, it can have terrible consequences. Let me give you an example from early twentieth century. At that time pornography was much milder than it is today, but it still did damage. A nineteen-year-old man named Alessandro (Alexander) Serenelli had become a regular user of pornography. It affected the way he looked at girls in his small Italian village. Wanting to act out his fantasies, he approached an eleven-year-old girl. She said to him, "No! No Alexander! It is a sin. God forbids it. You will go to hell, Alexander. You will go to hell if you do it!" The young man flew into a rage, took a knife and stabbed her. The girl was taken to the hospital, where she lived long enough to receive Communion as Viaticum. The priest asked her if she forgave Alessandro. She said, "Yes, for the love of Jesus, I forgive Alessandro. I want him to be with me in Paradise." You may have heard of this girl. She is represented in one of our church windows. Her name is St. Maria Goretti. Now, Alessandro's life had a good ending. While he was in prison, Maria appeared to him in a dream. The dream led him to a profound conversion. Alessandro was present in St. Peter's Square when Maria was canonized. I believe that Alessandro is now in heaven with Maria - and that those who are troubled by pornography can ask his intercession. Pornography always does harm, sometimes terrible harm, but with God's help, liberation - true freedom - is possible.

I am sure you can see that real freedom does not mean following ones impulses. That ends in slavery. True freedom involves self-domination. St. Paul tells us how to achieve self-mastery. It's not a program of do's and don'ts. Paul offers us something simpler, but much more profound: "Live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desires of the flesh."*

At this point we come to one of the great paradoxes of Christianity. A paradox is a seeming contradiction. The paradox is that in order to achieve self-mastery, a person must submit to a power greater than himself. Those who participate in groups like Alcoholics Anonymous know the truth of that paradox. They begin their meeting by reviewing the Twelve Steps. The first step says: "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable". After admitting their powerlessness, they then say that they "came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity." That power has different names, but you and I know that the higher power is the Holy Spirit.

Archbishop Hunthausen once gave a talk on what it means to become a disciple of Jesus. He underlines something very basic and it bears repeating: The word disciple is almost the same as the word, discipline. You cannot be a disciple without discipline, without self-mastery. The person who does not master himself has no self to offer the Lord. Self-mastery involves submission to the Holy Spirit - allowing God to master one's life. That is true freedom.

In today's Gospel Jesus talks about the freedom involved in becoming a disciple. He tells that once we have put our hand to the plow, we must never look back. This is very practical advice.

Once a man was struggling with a gambling addiction. It had nearly ruined him and his family. Like a person enslaved to alcohol, his life had become unmanageable. He recognized that only a higher power, God's Spirit, could restore him to sanity. Still, when got near a casino, he heard a little voice, "Why don't you in? You don't have to gamble. Just have some food. Salmon and Chips for two dollars. It's the best buy in town. Then take a look around. It won't hurt you." But he was smart enough to know that once he got inside he could never resist his favorite game. It required a superhuman effort for that man to not turn into the parking lot. By the grace of God, he firmly held the steering wheel. He kept his hand to plow. He did not look back.

That can apply to any form of addiction or enslavement. Maybe you do not have such an obvious addiction as alcohol, gambling or pornography. But we all have areas where we are not free. Bursts of anger, indolence, gluttony, envy, self-importance, desire for revenge - those tendencies can enslave a person. Sure, when someone gives in to those tendencies, it offers momentary relief. But it is an illusion. In the end they only bring isolation, rage, impotence and misery - which lead to another cycle of self-indulgence. There is, thanks be to God, a way to freedom: Accept God's Holy Spirit. Allow Him to direct your soul. By submitting to God, you will attain self-mastery. You will have a self to offer to God - and to those you love. Do not look back. The way ahead will bring power, satisfaction, inner peace and family. Keep your hand to the plow. That is the path to true freedom.

 

 

Homily from Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe,Pa
http://benedictine.stvincent.edu/archabbey/Weeklywords/Weeklywords.html

  

Gospel Summary

A synagogue official named Jairus pleads with Jesus to cure his daughter, who is at the point of death. While on the way to the official's house, a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years comes through the large crowd that is following Jesus, and touches his cloak. She is instantly cured. Jesus, aware that power had gone out of him, asks, "Who has touched my clothes?" The woman in fear and trembling tells him that it was she. Jesus says to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."

While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official's house arrive and announce that the young girl has died. Jesus says to the official, "Do not be afraid; just have faith." Taking Peter, James, and John with him, Jesus goes to the official's house. Upon arrival, the crowd ridicules him when he says that the child is asleep, not dead. He then takes the child by the hand and says to her, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!" The girl, a child of twelve, arises and walks around. Jesus gives strict orders that no one should know about what he did, and adds that the girl should be given something to eat.

Life Implications

The same Jesus, now Risen Lord, who reached out with compassion and with power to heal and to give life is with us. Gathered in his name, we pray that in our moment of affliction, we too will hear his words, "Do not be afraid; just have faith." Likewise, we pray that the Lord will extend his compassion and power through us to others who are afflicted. For one, it may be care given to an aging parent; for another, it may mean long hours spent in a laboratory searching for a cure for cancer.

Two things in today's gospel passage suggest further exploration of the mystery of Christ and its implication for anyone who wishes to follow in his way. Mark gives us the apparently needless information that Peter, James, and John witnessed the power of Jesus in raising the daughter of Jairus; secondly he tells us that Jesus gave the strange order about keeping what he had done a secret.

Jesus is quite aware of the large crowds that are beginning to follow him with the expectation that with his extraordinary power he will help them. Jesus recognizes their afflictions and responds with compassion. Yet, he must resist the temptation to reduce his mission for God's kingdom to pressing earthly afflictions like illness and hunger. He commands silence about the raising of the daughter of Jairus because he does not want the essence of his mission to be misunderstood. The fourth gospel also refers to the fact that many people misunderstood the mission of Jesus (Jn 6:2,15,26).

Mark tells us that Peter, James, and John were also with Jesus on the mountain of tranfiguration (9:2-13) and in the garden of Gethsemane (14:32-42): even though beloved son of God, he will be stripped of power. In consequence of his trusting obedience to his loving Father, he will suffer greatly, be treated with contempt, and be killed. Dying upon a cross, he was in fact mocked for his loss of power: "He saved others; he cannot save himself" (15:29-32). Paul wrote that the message he preached, Christ crucified, is an obstacle to faith for Jews, and foolishness for the rest of us (1 Cor 1:23). Yet it is in dying powerless on a cross that Jesus reveals the ultimate meaning of divine power as self-giving love in response to his Father's love. In this action Jesus heals the ultimate human affliction--separation from God.

Peter, James, and John, however, also witnessed the surprise of resurrection. Because Jesus emptied himself, becoming obedient even unto death, God greatly exalted him (Phil 2:5-11). No longer enjoined to be silent about what Jesus had done, they with other apostles have proclaimed the good news to the entire world. By following in the way of Jesus, each of us also as beloved son or daughter share in that life with God and with each other that no earthly affliction, death included, can destroy.

At our Eucharist today we might pray for the grace to grasp the meaning in our own lives of a truth that is as incomprehensible to human reason today as it was the day Paul wrote it: "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Cor 1:18).

 

 

  Homily from Father Cusick
http://www.christusrex.org/www1/mcitl/lowhome.html  

The Lord we follow, though God Himself, humbled Himself in this world as one with the poorest of the poor.

"Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." (Lk 9:58)

If we would truly follow Him, then we must embrace His humility, expressed outwardly in His humble earthly circumstances.

"The kingdom belongs to the poor and lowly, which means those who have accepted it with humble hearts. Jesus is sent to preach good news to the poor; (Lk 4:18; cf. 7:22.) he declares them blessed, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Mt 5:3.) To them--the little ones--the Father is pleased to reveal what remains hidden from the wise and the learned. (Cf. Mt. 11:25) Jesus shares the life of the poor, from the cradle to the cross; he experiences hunger, thirst, and privation. (Cf. Mt 21:18; Mk 2: 23-26; Jn 4:6-7; 19:28; Lk 9:58.) Jesus identifies himself with the poor of every kind and makes active love toward them the condition for entering his kingdom. (Cf. Mt 25:31-46.)" (CCC 544)

The kingdom is ours through humility because we learn through this virtue to shun the desire for what is not ours and is thus not Gods will for us. "The baptized person combats envy through good-will, humility, and abandonment to the providence of God." (CCC 2554) As the Son loved and accomplished the Fathers will, so we seek as our mission in this life to do the same. Some will answer the call to poverty and some will not. But all are called to humility that the riches of Gods grace might be theirs.

The poor are blessed when with childlike simplicity they are content with what they have and the humility of their circumstances is simply the outward ｅxpression of the spiritual truth that all of us are most needy before God, from whom every blessing flows. We are all equal before God and all humbled before Him. All of us are sinners and therefore all in need of salvation. The way in which we use the good things of this life should walys be ordered toward salvation. My neighbors blessings can be mine as well if I will but allow myself to share in the rejoicing.

"Envy represents a form of sadness and therefore a refusal of charity; the baptized person should struggle against it by exercising good will. Envy often comes from pride; the baptized person should train himself to live in humility:

Would you like to see God glorified by you? Then rejoice in your brother's progress and you will immediately give glory to God. Because his servant could conquer envy by rejoicing in the merits of others, God will be praised. "

(CCC 2540)

Shunning envy opens the path of simplicity, a constant receptiveness to the presence of God within despite ones earthly circumstances. Though a vow of poverty is the easiest and surest way to simplicity in this life, all are called to the virtue of humility no matter their rank or station.

Our life of prayer, and in particular the prayer Christ Himself taught us, is offered in a pleasing way through the humility of childlike simplicity before God, "Our Father".

"Before we make our own this first exclamation of the Lord's Prayer, we must humbly cleanse our hearts of certain false images drawn "from this world." Humility makes us recognize that "no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him," that is, "to little children." The purification of our hearts has to do with paternal or maternal images, stemming from our personal and cultural history, and influencing our relationship with God. God our Father transcends the categories of the created world. To impose our own ideas in this area "upon him" would be to fabricate idols to adore or pull down. To pray to the Father is to enter into his mystery as he is and as the Son has revealed him to us.

The ｅxpression God the Father had never been revealed to anyone. When Moses himself asked God who he was, he heard another name. The Father's name has been revealed to us in the Son, for the name "Son" implies the new name "Father."

(CCC 2779)

 

 

Homily from Father Clyde A. Bonar, Ph.D.
Contact Father at cbonar@cfl.rr.com

  

It's All or Nothing, Mostly

Introduction

In our first reading, God tells the Prophet Elijah to anoint Elisha as his successor. As a symbol of this call from God, Elijah throws his cloak over the shoulders of Elisha. Then, Elisha does something strange. He invites all his friends and relatives, he breaks up his plow for firewood, kills his oxen, and has a barbecue!

Why the cookout? Because, prophets have no need for farm equipment. Before, he was a farmer. Now, he will be the prophet. By having the barbecue, Elisha tells us he's making a clean break, a total break with his past.

"Nowhere to rest his head"

We Christians are called to make the same total break. Jesus said, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." As a disciple, we have to be ready to go where God calls us to go.

That's not as radical as it sounds. To get married, we leave our parents and form a new family. As our children grow up we let them go, to follow a life and career of their choice. And, when we choose a career, we set aside other careers that might have attracted us.

At weddings, we often hear these words from Genesis (2:24), "a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh." The two join as one, to form a new family. From the wedding day on, husband and wife take priority with each other. In fact, should a husband or wife stay too attached to his or her mother or father, trouble is certain to brew in their marriage. Of course, no one can equal mom's apple pie. But, keep telling your wife how wonderful your mother's apple pie every time your wife bakes an apple pie, and before too long the husband will get an apple pie in his lap.

When we get married, our first priority has to be our husband, our wife.

The flip side of the coins is, we have to release our sons and daughters. A mother tying her apron strings around her son very quickly can spoil a marriage. Remember Howard Sprague on the "Andy Griffith Show?" Every time Howard gets a date, his mother gets a headache. His mother says, Howard, you go ahead, enjoy yourself, I'll just sit home with my headache. Try to control our sons or daughters and we'll very likely ruin their marriage. We let our children go, to live their own lives.

Career choices also involve letting go. A famous spiritual writer talks about his choice to teach. A priest, to become a part full time university professor he had to give up being a parish priest. He tells us, not until he'd been ordained over twenty years did he baptized a baby. Parish priests are always baptizing babies. Choosing a career means we give up other attractive career options.

Jesus said, "the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." Our commitment to God must be total, no holding back. We do not hold back in our marriages, we do not hold back our children, we choose our careers and stick to them. So too as a disciple, we go where God calls us, no holding back.

"Let the dead bury the dead"

But, in our gospel, the man said, "Let me first bury my father." Jesus answered, "Let the dead bury the dead." In other words, make your choice. We cannot straddle the fence. Some famous people give good examples.

About once a year, the movie classic "The Sound of Music" re-runs on television. It's a true story, about the von Trapp family. The time is the late 1930's. The Third Reich marches across Europe. Baron von Trapp was a wealthy man, owned a sizable estate, and he was a former captain in the Austrian Navy. Now, he's being recalled to serve the Nazi cause. But, Baron von Trapp refuses. He packs up his wife and his seven children, and with only the clothes on their backs, they hike across the Alps to freedom. No looking back.

Another well known man, Albert Schweitzer. By his early thirties, Schweitzer had world-wide recognition as a theologian, and he was a professional organist. Until, he learned of the desperate need for medical doctors in central Africa. Schweitzer went to medical school, then raised money to open a clinic in the country of Gabon. For the rest of his life, Albert Schweitzer treated the sick in a poor village in a remote corner of Africa. He never regretted his decision.

Or, recall the international pop singer, Celine Dion (b. March 30, 1968). At fourteen, she won the gold medal at the Tokyo Song Festival. She sang for Pope John Paul II at the youth festival in Quebec, and for the inauguration galas of President Bill Clinton. Celine Dion received a Grammy for singing the title song in "Beauty and the Beast." Then, in her mid-twenties, at the peak of her popularity and success, Celine Dion left the stage and the recording studio to "concentrate on her family." She never looked back.

The von Trapp's, Albert Schweitzer, Celine Dion, left wealth and career and success. By their examples, we know, it can be done. A clean break. No looking back.

"No one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God"

Then, Christ throws in a kicker. Jesus says, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks behind is fit for the kingdom of God." Problem is, everyone of us looks back! We stumble, we fall, we fail, we doubt. But, we also keep our faith. We do believe. And, we know, if we do stumble, Christ picks us up. Then, we try again.

To see how we are doing, we might ask ourselves some questions. We ask ourselves, do our lifestyles appear to be the lifestyles of Christians? Do we act like Catholics? Every once in a while, someone comes to confession and tells me they have not been to church for five years or fifteen years. Obviously, that's not the lifestyle of a Christian. Catholics go to Mass.

Or, how about parents who drop off their children for religious education, but never bring them to church. That's telling the child, religion is for children. When you grow up, you can forget about church. That's not the lifestyle of a Christian. Catholics come to church as a family.

First, we check our lifestyle. Probing deeper, we ask where our hearts are. Christ told us, "love your enemies, do good to those who hate you." In our gospel today, when the Samaritans did not welcome Christ, the disciples wanted Christ to punish the Samaritans. Jesus rebuked his disciples, told his disciples to treat the Samaritans with love. Christians do good to everyone, including those who dislike us.

When someone gives them a hard time, or criticizes them, Christians respond with kindness. Remember the saying, you can attract more bees with honey than with vinegar. We turn our hearts over to Christ, we sow love.

As another check on our devotion to God, we ask ourselves whether we reach out with our love.1 Many of you brought food for the homeless to this Mass. Filled up an aluminum tray you took home last week from Mass. Your gifts are taken to the Coalition for the Homeless, and served as a meal to those down on their luck. The food you brought feeds perhaps 400 or 500 people. And, this parish provides Food for the Homeless each month, every month.

On a more personal level, Millie reaches out. Everyone in her neighbor knows, if you get sick, Millie will be knocking on your door with some of her homemade soup.

Christians reach out with love. When we see the homeless, the hungry, those in need, we do what we can to help.

Jesus tells us not to look back. But, we stumble. Then, we try again. Always we want to live our faith with a good Catholic lifestyle, with love for everyone, including those who do not like us, with an outreaching love for those in need.

Conclusion

A challenging gospel today. Jesus says "the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head," tells the disciple lets "the dead bury the dead," and never looks back.

Sounds hard. But, only until we try it. Put God first in our lives, be loving, help others, and life gets very good. In fact, we step right into the kingdom of God.