Category: Member Posts
Why Can’t We All Just Get Along? ~ The Feast of St. Keteri Tekkawitha ~ Br. Chip Noon, Novice
Why can’t we all just get along?
Oh how many times have we heard that trite, yet poignant question? “Why can’t we all just get along?”
The clash of cultures, races, nations – even neighbors – has always been with us. Those who are different from us, who think differently, look different, sound different, dress differently, these are all signs that we should be on our guard. It must be inbred, this fear of “the other.”
How many generations does it take to assimilate? When do we stop noticing the differences? When do we all start getting along? Let me come back to that at the end of this homily…
How fitting is it that on this day of the Feast of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the reading from Exodus tells the story of the Hebrew Moses and the Egyptian Pharaoh’s daughter, of the Hebrews and the Egyptians. How different can two cultures be? One that worshipped cats and crocodiles and the other that worshipped one God, unknown and unknowable. One people that lorded it over a foreign people, going so far as to kill the male children of those foreigners.
And then, when Moses grows to adulthood, he continues the clash of cultures, killing an Egyptian overseer who was mistreating the Hebrews.
Now let’s examine the time and place where today’s saint, Kateri Tekakwitha, grew and flourished: New York in the late 17th Century. Talk about culture clashes! There were the Mohawks, Mohicans, Hurons, Algonquians, Dutch, French, English, and clans within these tribes. A veritable cauldron of competing desires and aspirations, all quite incapable of “just getting along.”
And here is Tekakwitha (She who bumps into things) the daughter of a Mohawk father and a Roman Catholic Algonquin mother, the very embodiment of the mixture of cultures that marked New York at that time. She was even stricken by an Old World disease that killed almost half of the Native American population of the Northeast, including her family. It left her scarred and almost blind.
And yet, she was given sight by her mother in the form of Christianity, which she embraced with a fervor unknown to most of us. This set her apart from her family and tribe and caused her much grief and loneliness, all of which she bore with the grace that would later mark her as the first female Native American saint.
So are there parallels between the tribe of the Mohawks and the tribe of the Hebrews? Of course: murder, disease, treachery, compassion, love, grace. Everything that the Egyptians and Hebrews faced and suffered could still be found amid the frontier of the New World peoples. But what do we remember? The trials and tribulations are only the scenery of the world that good, gentle, and compassionate people moved among. Three thousand years ago or three hundred years ago, nothing has changed in human interactions. Even today! We have the same clashes, the same pains, and the same joys.
Now let’s get to the Gospel for today: Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld? Jesus could ask the same of us today, or of the Mohawks and the French of St. Kateri’s time. We have seen the wonders and yet we think we are beyond and above them. We have seen the heartaches and the joys, and yet we think we are beyond reproach, beyond the trials of years ago.
“Woe to you Chorazin! Woe to you Chicago! Woe to you Bethsaida! Woe to you Bethesda!” Is Jesus still calling to us? Is he still warning us? Are we still complaisant?
How can we imitate a young woman ravaged by smallpox, shunned by her family for her faith, yet admired and recognized for her piety and true Christianity? Is Jesus calling to us as he called to St. Kateri? Do we look for the differences or do we look for the consistencies? How long, Oh Lord, how long?
St. Kateri at one time said, “I have deliberated enough. For a long time my decision on what I will do has been made.” We have deliberated enough, haven’t we? We know what decision we need to make. We know already what the path is. Why do we hesitate? Why do we not embrace Jesus and our neighbor as we already know we should? Are we not all made the same? Are we not all capable of “getting along?”
Lord, in your mercy guide us to that land where we work for the good of others and for the glory of God and not for ourselves. Where we bow to the compassion that Jesus showed for us and not for the things that we think set us above and apart. Help us to imitate St. Kateri Tekakwitha in her love for you and her clear determination to follow your footsteps. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
And They Went Out Two by Two ~ The Rev. Deacon M. Scott Brown, OPI
And they went two by two: Not Noah and the Ark – The Apostles silly!
Jesus told the twelve Apostles to go out two by two and proclaim the Gospel of the Lord. How far did they go? How long did it take them? Did they do this until they died? Did they do it for a few years until they got tired? They were to heal the sick, cast out evil spirits, and proclaim the gospel. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but I imagine that would have been a daunting task in those days. Cities were many miles apart, there were no paved roads, no mass transportation, and they were not even allowed to ride a camel per Jesus’s instructions.
We should consider these as our instruction as modern day Christians. We should be proclaiming the gospel of the Lord to everyone we meet, in every situation, and every day. We can heal the sick by helping the homeless and the poor with nutrition and food, we can cast out evil spirits by teaching people about Jesus and the love of our God. Not just on Sundays, but every day of the week; every place we go; and in every situation in which we find ourselves.
Jesus also told the apostles that if any place would not accept them to leave and shake the dust of that place off their feet. By this I believe he meant that only so much can be done in some situations. If someone does not want to listen to what you have to say then move on to the next. Not everyone is going to be open and accepting as we see in our world today in so many other areas such as equal rights and marriage equality. Do the best you can; if they won’t listen or don’t seem open then leave them and go where you are accepted and welcomed. I am sure the apostles were not welcomed with open arms everywhere they went. I highly suspect that they were even run out of some areas before they were even able to speak simply because of who they were. We run into that type of discrimination in our lives every day also. So what do we do when we encounter this type of rejection? We pray for those who are not willing to listen that the Lord will open their hearts and minds. We pray that the Lord will open their ears that they may hear the good news of salvation available to those who believe. I am sure that is how the Apostles handled the rejection they must have faced.
Jesus told the Apostles “You may take along a walking stick, but carry no food or money.” Because Jesus knew that the believers would take care of the Apostle’s needs as they traveled proclaiming the Gospel of the Lord, just as we should be taking care of our brothers and sisters that do this same work in this day and age. Jesus knew that his Apostles’ needs would be met and none of them would suffer while on their journey. Jesus said “When you are welcomed into a home, stay there until you leave that town,”meaning that the Apostles should stay and preach until they felt they had accomplished all they could in that town. Not to just preach one sermon, but stay and listen to and answer questions, minister to the people of that town until the Apostles felt that they had reached every person who was willing to listen, and wanted to hear what they had to say.
Mark tells us that the Apostles healed many sick people and cast out many demons on their journeys. We still don’t know for certain how long it took them, how far they went, or how many people they had contact with. All we have is Church Tradition to fall back on, but I believe they carried out Jesus’s instructions well into their old age or even until their deaths, without ceasing and without fail. As modern day Christians we should pattern our lives in the same way: go and preach the Gospel, heal the sick, and cast out demons. For if we do the Lord will see to it that our spiritual and physical needs will be met. Go on and be a modern day Apostle.
“Perfect in Weakness” ~ Sister Dollie Wilkinson, OPI
Our reading today comes from 2 Corinthians 12:2-10:
“I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven–whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person–whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows–was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.”
In this second letter to the Corinthians, Paul is at first trying to explain why the people should listen to him, and follow his lead, in becoming children of a loving Father. He starts at first by boasting, but quickly realizes that that is not the right way to go. In the process, he learns a couple of valuable lessons. A couple of crucial lessons that are still relevant today.
The Lesson of Humility:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Paul had to learn two lessons. The first was the the lesson of humility. Paul had to learn that grace had to replace ego. This was difficult for Paul. We live in a culture that prizes strength. It was no different in Paul’s time. In spite of this fact, Paul said, “My authority comes because of my weakness.” Paul had revelations from God in which he was taken up into paradise. Paul could have said, “Look at all of these revelations I’ve had. These are my authority.” No, he said he would boast only of his weaknesses. He was a very learned man. He demonstrated great intellectual skills so God gave Paul an infirmity. He called it his thorn in the flesh. Scholars have expended a great deal of time, ink and paper speculating on the nature of the ailment but are not even close to an agreement. Some think it was an inflammation of his eyes that caused swelling, others contend that it was severe headaches or even malaria. While we do not know the precise infirmity we do know that Paul’s opponents used it against him. They argued that if he had enough faith or was truly called to be an apostle, God would have healed him.
Physical health is often used as a sign of God’s blessings. How many times have you heard someone remark, “Why doesn’t God heal me?” “What have I done to deserve this?” We assume that if we live a good life we will be free from chronic physical ailments or that spiritual maturity can be measured by good health. This argument may appear ridiculous to hear now, but how often do we think about this in moments of frustration. Or how often do we use some form of disability or physical ailment as a reason for not doing what we feel God has called us to do? I know, I do….for example, I have hand tremors. How many times have I let this neurological ailment prevent me from doing things? More often than I can count.
God had given Paul a vision so incredible that words could not describe it. Anyone who has had such a mystical experience would be tempted to brag about it. Paul’s thorn prevented that because the severe pain or the physical disfigurement reminded him each day that he was still just a mortal man. He had to rely on the grace of God, not on his good looks or skillful speaking to accomplish God’s work.
Sometimes, fear is what’s holding us back from becoming a better Christian, or from taking a more active role within the church. We are reluctant to try something new because we are afraid of failing. Or we are embarrassed by the quality of our work compared to someone elses. In the back of our mind we are saying that unless we can do an excellent job, then we will not risk doing the project. Of course there are some jobs that this attitude is indeed important. We do not want a NASA scientist doing a less than a precise job on the design and construction of the Space Station. We do not want our doctor saying when writing the prescription for our medication to make us feel better, “Now was that dosage 15mg or 150mg or 1500mg.” Nor do we want to hear the teller at the bank make a mistake in adding up our bank deposit. Those professions require an exactness. But God does not expect that every person will produce an award winning performance in every task, job, project or ministry.
Sometimes, its just showing up, and trying your best, that truly reveals how gifted you really are. You may not be able to teach Sunday School like a trained school teacher, but if you can share your love for Jesus who cares if you follow the lesson plan. You may not be able to heal the sick or say elegant prayers, but if you can just sit with someone who is sick and hold their hand no one will fault you. You may not be able to pound a nail in straight or climb onto the roof, but if you can mix up fruit drinks and serve sandwiches during a Habitat for Humanity project, then you will be just as important as the people doing the hard labor.
The Lesson of Weakness:
“my power is made perfect in weakness.”
We may consider ourselves inexperienced, unpolished, and unskilled. We may consider ourselves unqualified to serve God in the church because of our past or even a present that is not consistent with the teachings of Christ. We may consider ourselves unprepared because of a lack of education. We all have our weaknesses. We all have “flaws” but whatever we lack God can take it and make it into our source of strength.
Our weaknesses can lead to strength. Our weaknesses, struggles, and shortcomings, though they are painful and may be embarrassing, can keep us from that awful smugness and arrogance and open us to God. I myself have found that my own personal experiences and struggles, whether as a mom, wife, grandmother, and a Sister in the Church, have better allowed me to help others. If someone is talking to me on a matter with which they’re dealing, and if I can say, “Maybe I haven’t struggled with exactly that same thing, but, I have dealt with something similar”, then that recognition is my credential, not the college degree or formal training. A person can have all that and come off as pompous. I don’t think people are very helpful when they feel like they have not experienced the usual sufferings of life. When a person can say, “I understand that. I have experienced something similar”, a person may then go on to say, “My power really does come from God.” Paul is saying here that it is his personal weaknesses, including the thorn gifted to him by God, that reveals his greatest strengths. In this he feels justified in boasting, as should we all. For it is in being our most humble, and human, that brings us into a closer relationship with our heavenly Father.
Singin’ In the Rain: The Feasts of St. Peter and Paul ~ Br. Jarred Smith, Postulant
In today’s first two readings we find Peter and Paul in what looks to be in times of tribulation. They are both in prison, and in those days jail were not like the ones today. Most of the cells in those days were places where raw sewage would come in. There were no regular meals provided. There was no heat, no air conditioning. These were terrible conditions.
Peter is facing almost certain death. Paul is nearing the end of his race and his death takes place shortly after this passage was written.
What I find from these passages is that despite their surroundings and predicaments neither Peter nor Paul are complaining, or saying “why God?” But rather they are rejoicing!
Today on the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul I would like to refer to this message as “singing in the rain”.
We all go through trials, tribulations, and hard times in life. It is often easy to say, “Why, God, am I going through this?” I am as guilty of this.
I suffer from anxiety and depression. My brain doesn’t produce enough serotonin. This simply means my brain doesn’t produce enough happy juice to surge through my brain. I go through trials of depression which often not only affects my mental state, but also affects me physically.
Back in November I started a deep depression which lasted till January. The whole time thoughts of, “Why God did you make me like this? I’ll never be happy or content.” Thoughts of worthlessness, and failure flooded me.
I tell you this because in those moments I doubted and wallowed in my own self-pity. I was asking, “Why God? How could God have created me like this?” Toward the end of this time period, I actually began to wonder, “Did God make a mistake when making me?”
When I actually gave voice to that question, and realized what I was feeling, it hit me hard. I realized that in asking that question I fully gave into my humanity and questioned God in his plan and his being God.
You see, God doesn’t make mistakes. Allowing trials to happen is God’s way of strengthening our faith, our resolve, and our relationship with him. Often it also is to give hope and to strengthen us, and to bring others to him.
It is so tough during these down and low times to find joy, or to say it’s been great, or to thank God for the persecution. Sometimes it is hard to praise God for all that you’ve been through or are going through. But Peter and Paul both point out that if we place our trust in God, he will see us through, and then he will do as he has promised.
What are we to learn from these scriptures?
We are not to dwell on the injustices that had befall us. Instead, we are to trust that God has us right where He wants us. Like Peter and Paul, we are to turn our attention to others, the church, and to God. You see, if we step back from our situations we might just see that no matter the outcome, God has provided us an opportunity to grow, to learn, and given us a chance to become closer to him. Romans 8:28 says, “All things work for the good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.” In Jeremiah 29:11 we hear, “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to give you hope and a future.” In John 16:33 Jesus Himself addressed this when he said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows; but cheer up! I have overcome the world!”
Cheer up! Jesus has this! Cheer up! God has you in His hand! Cheer up! Or, as the musical says “I’m singing in the rain! Oh, what a glorious feeling to be singing in the rain”.
The Nativity of John the Baptist ~ Br. Michael Marshall, Novice
Prepare ye, the way of the Lord
Prepare ye, the way of the Lord”
This is a song from the musical Godspell, which is John the Baptist foretelling the birth of Jesus. Some people thought John was the One, yet he knew he was not. The story of John’s birth is accounted for in all of the Gospels yet in today’s readings we read the story according to Luke:
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
“No. He will be called John.”
But they answered her,
“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
“What, then, will this child be?”
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
The child grew and became strong in spirit,
and he was in the desert until the day
of his manifestation to Israel. (1:55-67, 80)
We can see a foretelling of John, even though John is not specifically stated in the first reading from Isaiah (49:1-6), so this is definitely a very important part of history for humanity. What we need to keep in mind is that if there had not been John the Baptist, there would have been no foretelling of Jesus coming to this world. This all is rather obvious for us. But how does this really apply to us today other than understanding the Scripture?
John was a herald, a messenger in his own way; trying to help others understand who was to come. We as Christians today are called to do the same thing, yet help others understand that Jesus will return. As much as some folks try to use a fear tactic of damnation to bring others to Christ, that really isn’t our purpose. Our purpose is to show love, the love of Christ through our actions and faith. We are to be heralds and messengers, and share the Good News!
Stormy Weather ~ The Rt. Rev. Michael R. Beckett, OPI
Did you ever have one of those days? You know, one of THOSE days when you were tired, when you had had enuf, when you just wanted a break? When you wanted to get away? Me, too. And apparently Jesus and the disciples had them on occasion. In the Gospel reading for today, we find that Jesus wanted to ‘cross over to the other side’ of the Sea, so that he could have some time alone, away from the crowds, and with his disciples for some quality time, I would imagine. The disciples were all for it, and away they went. Jesus needed a break. He gets in the boat, and goes to sleep.
And then it stormed….. Not just your average run of the mill storm, but a STORM…..at sea even. Thunder. BOOM! Lightening. FLASH! Waves so high over the little boat that it was tossed about. CRASH! And to top it off, the boat started filling up with water. SLOSH…..Sink? And Jesus slept on. And on. And on.
And then it happened. The disciples, those stalwart fishermen, panicked; so much so that they wanted Jesus to panic, too. So, they woke him.
Now, I dunno about Jesus, and I’m pretty sure they didn’t have a Keurig on that boat, but anyone who knows me well, knows, that no matter what, one does NOT speak to the Bishop when he first wakes up until after his (at least) second cup of coffee. Can you not see Jesus? He throws the blanket off and says, WHAT?
The disciples point out the storm, Jesus’s eyes focus, and then he gets it. He understands what all the fuss is about…..and then, like so many of us, he says,
“Really?”
I can just imagine him rolling his eyes. He quiets the storm, grumbles, and goes back to sleep…..and the disciples are tripped!
This past week, we have had a storm…a dreadful, dangerous, haunting storm. And we are still in the midst of that storm. This past week, the thunder of gunshots rang out at Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. This week, there have been torrents, waves of tears. This week there have been flashes of anger. This week, we have, many of us, felt that we were in danger of sinking. This week we have, all of us, felt the sense of being overwhelmed: with sadness; with grief; with disbelief; with horror. I am certain that this week there are those who wondered if God slept.
This week, we have seen evidence, proof, that God does not sleep. That God is very much awake, and involved, in our lives. This week we have seen the families of those martyred in Charleston demonstrate to the world what Love is all about: Forgiveness. Charity. Good will. Reaching out. Love. When we heard the victims’ families say to the young man who killed their family members things like, “I forgive you.” “We will pray for you,” we know that we have seen Christ in action. This week we have seen countless thousands come together to support each other, regardless of race, religion, creed, or any of the other differences that often divide us. This week we have seen, we pray, the beginning of the end of this storm of racial divide.
This storm is far from over. FAR from over. Before this storm ends, hearts will have to change, attitudes will have to change, laws, rules, regulations, the government, will have to change, society will have to change. And before any of that can happen, WE will have to change. We will, all of us, have to examine ourselves carefully, and honestly, to find the roots of our prejudice, our fears of those who are ‘other’ than ourselves. We will have to look with new eyes at all of those with whom we come into contact, ALL of them, EVERY ONE of them, and strive to find the Jesus in each of them. The Jesus in us must reach out to the Jesus in our brothers and sisters, regardless of race, creed, color, gender, gender identity, sexual preference, ability or disability, or any of the other million and one things we use to denigrate, disgrace, and damn our brothers and sisters.
Like the disciples, we will be afraid. Sometimes we may even panic. But I can assure you that, like the disciples, we can go to Jesus. And when we do, he will say to us, “Peace. Be still.” And in the calm and quiet that results from our trust in Him, we will be able, with full hearts, learn to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Amen.
I’ve Got Confidence ~ Br. Igor Kalinski, Novice
This is what the Sovereign Lord says, “I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it, I will break off a tender spring from its top most shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it, it will produce branches and birds will nest in it, they will find shelter in the shade of its branches. All the trees of the field will know that I the Lord bring down of tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish, I the Lord have spoken and I will do it.”
Dear brothers and sisters after all the troubles that we all of us face in our everyday lives, we need to remember that God does not stop encouraging us to persevere in spite of our troubles. Life on earth is full of temptations, and His encouragement is necessary so that we may attain salvation. He doesn’t want us to be discouraged but confident! Temptations, persecutions, death, exile, the sufferings of this world: we know they are of limited time. Because of this, we should feel confident that we can count on God’s help and love. We are to maintain our faith, and to persevere. God will give us the strength to do so.
“in the body we are away from the Lord” 2cor5:6
These words are not contradictory but reminding us that in time of living here on earth, man is more in touch to the earthly things than the things of heaven. So we are warned from the word of God, dont be so self-confident in ourselves and to not be involved with the earthly pleasures that separate us far from God.
But in case someone thinks that the body is the reason we are separated from God, is also written:
”We live by faith, not by sight” 2Cor5:6
This mean that we cant have knowledge of God through the human body´s senses that are limited, that mean for example: although through looking we discover partially the world, yet to come to real knowledge of God, its necessary faith that is beyond the human senses.
Dear brothers and sisters: we have eternal home in Heaven, let us stop what separate us daily from our Lord, pray one for another, this thing don’t distract from our courage in this limited time. Eternity is the best ,and all of this worlds evils will not last for long. We to be confident in His love, in his mercy, and in His strength to help us.
Solemnity of Corpus Christi ~ The Rev. Lady Sherwood, OPI
Reading 1: EX 24:3-8 Resp Psalm: PS 116:12-13,15-16,17-18 Reading 2: HEB 9:11-15 Gospel: MK 12-16, 22-26
Today we celebrate the Great Feast of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, an important feast observed by Christians throughout the world. We celebrate the fact that we as Catholics know that the Holy Eucharistic gifts of the bread and of the wine are not merely representing Christ, but truly are the body and blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ as instituted at the last supper by Our Lord Jesus and his disciples just prior to his passion.
Whilst the institution of the Eucharist occurred on Holy Thursday, the solemn nature of Holy Week and the focus on Good Friday somewhat overshadows that aspect of Holy Thursday. The Feast of Corpus Christi is held on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday, but many churches have now transferred this feast to today, the Sunday after Trinity Sunday.
The Feast of Corpus Christi, also often called The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, goes back to the 13th century. In 1246, Bishop Robert De Thorete of the Belgina Diocese of Liege, at the suggestion of St. Juliana of Mont, convened a synod, and at this synod the Feast of Corpus Christi was instituted from Liege. After this, the feast spread and on September 8th 1264, Pope Urban IV issued the papal “Transiturus” which established the Feast as a universal feast of the church.
At the request of Pope Urban IV, St. Thomas of Aquinas composed the office for the feast which is still used by many churches today. Until recent times, the Feast of Corpus Christi was celebrated with a Eucharist procession, in which the Host was carried throughout the town, accompanied by hymns and litanies and the faithful would venerate the Body of Christ as it passed by. Today this practice has almost but disappeared. However, some churches still hold a smaller version of the procession around the outside of their church.
In John 6:53-56 the Lord tells us: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”
Let us offer to the lord this prayer of Anima Christi:
Soul of Christ, be my sanctification;
Body of Christ, be my salvation;
Blood of Christ, fill my veins;
Water of Christ’s side, wash out my stains;
Passion of Christ, my comfort be;
O good Jesu, listen to me;
In Thy wounds I fain would hide;
Ne’er to be parted from Thy side;
Guard me, should the for assail me;
Call me when my life shall fail me;
Bid me come to Thee above;
With Thy saints to sing Thy love,
World without end.
Amen.
1+1+1+1=1???? ~ Br. Chip Noon, Novice
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
In the Baltimore Catechism, of ancient (and not so venerable) memory, I learned in Number 27:
- Q. What is the Blessed Trinity?
- The Blessed Trinity is one God in three Divine Persons.
I may have learned the words, and I knew I had to recite them, but this was one of the most difficult concepts for me…and for many others, as I have found out. How can there be three persons and still one person?
Unfortunately for those of us speaking English, “person” is not a proper translation from the Greek. This is not to say that the original Greek-speaking Christians were not also perplexed by the divinity and the humanity of Jesus.
Let me start again. There are two words in Greek that translate to “person”: prosopon and hypostasis. The first means the “self-manifestation of an individual” that can be extended by other means and the second means “being” or “substantive reality.” The early church fathers had as much trouble with the concepts as I do now. But the point is that we are not talking about three distinct human beings…
OK, let me start again. The philosopher Kierkegaard wrote that the dual nature of Christ is the “ultimate paradox.” God is perfectly wise, good, powerful who became fully human, tempted by sin, limited in goodness, knowledge, and understanding. This paradox, he believed, can only be resolved by a leap of faith, away from reason and understanding toward belief in God.
And so now, I will start for the fourth time. In the first reading, Moses is exhorting the Israelites to acknowledge that the Lord is God by reminding them of the manifestations that God performed to free them all from slavery in Egypt. In the Old Testament understanding, we are still relying on proof to come to the belief in one God. In the second reading, St. Paul is exhorting the Romans to recognize that as they received the Holy Spirit, they are then heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. Not proof, but simply remembering and accepting the gift of the Spirit.
But here is where he throws in the kicker: “…if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”
In the early days of Christianity, to suffer was a real and present possibility. Today, some around the world still face this kind of physical suffering. But we, fortunate as we are, can only suffer with him in our prayer, our study, our life of preaching, our throwing aside proof and evidence; and through contemplation and proactive living accept in our minds, hearts, and souls the faith which we proclaim.
And Jesus said,
“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Ultimately, the Trinity is not about Greek words, theological concepts, metaphysical speculation, but about observing all that Jesus commanded – the heart of our salvation, and recognizing finally that he is with us always, until the end of the age.
Lord, as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity, may we enter into your peace with calm gratitude and joyful acceptance of your message, that we love you and we love our neighbors as ourselves. Help us in our faith and help us in our suffering to become one with you, your Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Happy Birthday!!! ~ Br. Michael Marshall, Novice
Let’s all sing…
Happy Birthday to You,
Happy Birthday to You,
Happy Birthday, Church,
Happy Birthday to You!!!
Streamers, balloons, a banner, people blowing through noise makers… and a big cake! Well okay, Pentecost is not that kind of birthday party, but it is a celebration of the beginning of the Church. Instead of these fun festive things, we remember things which took place that are even more awesome!
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. (Acts 2:3-6)
The Holy Spirit put things into motion for Christianity as it descended upon the Apostles and others present. If the Holy Spirit had not come down, the Church would not be what it is today because the Gospel would not have spread beyond Jesus’ closest followers. The fact the people received the gift of the ability to speak in various languages; they could go off to spread the Gospel to others than of their own native language. We would not be able to be a witness to others today. Jesus makes the point in the Gospel:
“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:12-15)
The message of Jesus is the truth, and because the disciples were given the gift to teach what Jesus instructed in languages other than their own, teaching the truth of what is yet to come has been passed on. The message was not to stay with the disciples. Because the Gospel has been spread throughout the world and through history, it is not intended to remain with us. We are called to be witnesses of the Gospel for others to spread the message so that they may also spread the message.
There are so many individuals and groups who need to hear the Gospel, and they often hear the opposite of the Gospel. They hear the message of ignorance, indifference, or even hate because of social status, ethnicity, gender preference, or disability. I have seen posters at “Christian” rallies which say, “God hates Gays” and “God is White”. I read a news article which was about a city making it illegal to aid the homeless, and it hurts me deeply to see people who claim they are Christian only turn away from the Gospel. Jesus did not avoid the leper and other “impure” people, but instead he reached out to also minister to them. It is not always easy to love our neighbor, but it is our call to be witnesses of the Gospel to everybody. Are you spreading the Gospel???
The Order of Preachers, Independent 
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