Category: Sermon
Pop Quiz Time! ~ Sister Dollie Wilkinson, OPoc
In a recent conversation with my husband one morning, while we were discussing what to fix for dinner, the thought never occurred to me that there would be no food to fix that evening. Despite food stuff in my cabinet and freezer, I knew that a quick trip to the store would surely provide items that I could turn in to a tasty meal. But what if there were no pantry staples, no meats, or no fresh fruits or vegetables in my fridge? What if I had no money to buy items at the store, or there were no stores around, and all my neighbors or friends also had no food to eat or share? Sounds almost like a plot for an apocalypse movie, where mankind has suffered a crisis, and the modern conveniences we once took for granted were gone. Now also imagine that everything you own, you must carry on your back. Men, women, children…….no one is spared from this hardship. And you are told this is for your salvation, as a means to end suffering and save your people. After walking for a few days, with very little food, would you grumble and complain? This is just what the Israelites did in Exodus 16:2-15:
“The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Then the LORD said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your complaining against the LORD. For what are we, that you complain against us?” And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the LORD has heard the complaining that you utter against him–what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the LORD.” Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, ‘Draw near to the LORD, for he has heard your complaining.'” And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. The LORD spoke to Moses and said, “I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'” In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.”
Kind of an ungrateful lot, them Israelites! They were led out of Egypt, so they would be saved. And here they are complaining because they don’t have enough to eat. Are we not the same though? How many of us go about our day, whining and complaining over something which turns out to be minor? I know that I do, until I stop and realize how many blessings there are in my life. So, did Moses’ people stop, and praise the Lord for all they have to be grateful for? No, just the opposite. They whined to Moses, saying maybe it would have been better to stay in Egypt, where at least they had food. But our Father, in His infinite mercy, heard their complaints and told Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day.”. So though the people did not bring their petitions to the Lord, he heard their cries and provided food enough for them to eat, but only for one day. Why just the one day? To test the Israelites, to see if they were ready to follow and obey His commandments. So the Lord sent birds in the evening, and manna in the morning,
“In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.””
So why did God test these people? Remember when you were in school? What was the most dreaded part of your day? I’m guessing for many of you, it was knowing you had a test that day. For me, I always detested having a pop quiz. You know that test that teachers like to randomly give you, with no warning and thus no way to study and prepare for. Well, this is what the Lord is doing for the people Moses led out of Egypt. He gave them a pop quiz……a test of faith. How many of us could have passed that test? If we go back to the movie scenario, and you find yourself wandering in the wilderness, no food, very little water, and the only things you own you carry on your back, would you complain to each other, or would you have a strong enough faith to seek help from the Lord?
Every day of your life is a pop quiz from God! We wake in the morning, some with an agenda set in stone, others with a more flexible schedule. And because we are human, inevitably there are going to be problems and issues that trouble our day. How do we handle these perplexing problems? We could complain to a co-worker, a friend (I do this one quite a lot), or a family member, or…….we could take our worries and troubles to the Lord in prayer. We may not be wandering in the wilderness, but we are still our Father’s children. He will take care of us, if we only have the courage to ask.
Jesus’ Cross: Barbaric Baggage or Blessed Beacon? ~ Br. Jay Van Lieshout, Postulant
Symbols: since the dawning of human society, we have used symbols to convey thoughts, ideas and concepts. We have developed a whole system by which we can pass on ideas and information from person to person, from generation to generation: spoken language where complex patterns of sounds recreate the stories and emotions of our daily lives, the written word where lines and squiggles are phonic representations and signals of rhythm and inflection. We humans have filled our universe with the echoes of our history, our knowledge, our emotions, our joys, our pain, our hate and our love; from sounds fading into the ether to our graffiti marks in the hard surfaces of our environment or on leaflets of skin and cellulose. But still the greatest and most powerful, and often the simplest, of all human symbols is the image. Whether it is a handprint on the wall of a subterranean cavern to say “I was here”, or an emoticon of a smiling face, recognition is immediate and the attached emotions are clear and powerful.
For Christians, the most powerful of all symbols is a simple set of two lines intersected to form a cross. Simple, elegant in design and filled with emotion; one simple icon that conveys more in a single flash of viewing than has been scribbled in 2000 years; or is it? During his homily for the Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross, the Arch Bishop talked about a new offshoot of Christian teaching in which the cross is stripped of much of its power and is relegated to nothing more than a barbaric symbol of execution; no more fulfilling of prophecy, no more sacrificial lamb of salvation, no more looking to the cross, being healed and given life- just a symbol of meaningless death and the potential death of a symbol.
Needless to say I was appalled and my mind filled with screams of “what about” this or that; for a moment I felt like Peter staring at Jesus after hearing one of His parables. Once the dust settled it was time to contemplate, to stare at the cross and ask “ok, so why should you be so important to a Christian, why should you be so venerated, why should you be such a powerful symbol of our faith?”
Our journey begins with the Old Testament reading for the feast. A typical Moses in the wilderness story, God is leading the Israelites to the promised land, Moses is co piloting, the masses are in the proverbial back seat whining “I’m hungry, I’m thirsty, she’s touching me, it’s hot, are we there yet, when are we gonna get there?” God the Father gets mad, sends some venomous snakes, cleans house and then tells Moses to make a bronze serpent, put it on a pole and if anyone gets bitten, they are to look at the serpent and live. Seemingly another old story which doesn’t really fit anywhere so let’s just attached to one of the Sundays and hope no one notices. But is it really just that? Instant message from God: “ Think Symbols”.
This recount of the journey of the Israelites is more than just a simple story if you think in terms of the symbolic. We have the people of God wandering the desert looking for the Promised Land, the Eden here on earth where the people and God live in harmony. This is a straight forward enough analogy of our daily spiritual journey where each of us seeks to be closer to God and find the joy and freedom from our transgressions. There is Moses, God’s man on Earth, trying to teach and lead God’s people to this Earthly Eden, a man with power and knowledge who is often at his wits end on what to do with this stubborn flock of well meaning but unruly sheep. Then there are the serpents, a symbol for yetzer ha-ra,, the Hebrew version of Satan, the provocateur sent by God, but unlike the modern Christian view of Satan, this is a minion under God’s control, it is the ambition in each human and hot desire in each of us, the DRIVE with which we can do great things for the good of all as God so desires, or by which we can do evil and so turn away from God; it’s our choice for He has given us free will. And lastly there is the Serpent on a Stick (it almost sounds almost like some ancient fast food delicacy), a Hebrew version of the caduceus, the rod of Alcepius, the Greek god of healing, seen in most medical offices today, and for the Hebrew a symbol which when looked upon restores life to the bitten.
The stage is set, the symbols defined, it’s time for lights, camera, and action! Moses is attempting to lead his people along the path of righteousness; back to God, to the promised ancestral homeland, to Eden on earth, all the while God the Father is watching the trials and tribulations from a good distance. Enter stage left, yetzer ha-ra whose venomous bit leads some people astray and they become lost, confused, crazed. God then tells Moses to erect a standard, a serpent on a pole for the people to see. Some people choose to turn their back to this desert lighthouse, they wander away and by their actions separated from God and die. Others who look on this symbol, this beacon from God are healed, are redirected toward the right path, returning to God and the life that the Father gives to his people; they have been saved. And cut. And thus the message has been delivered, turn your eyes from God, choose sin and die or look to God, see His light, follow the path of righteousness and LIVE.
And so let us return our focus on the cross, this symbol of Christianity; how does veneration of the cross of Christ relate to Moses’ serpent on a stick? Like Moses, Jesus was sent by the Father to guide His people back along the path of righteousness; Moses’ standard had been destroyed, the people were wandering like lost sheep. Yetzer ha-ra had filled their hearts with ambition and they ran about in a frenzied state as if they had been bitten by venomous vipers. Jesus called out to these sheep and some saw and heard his call and so followed Him out of the wilderness, others ignored his call and wandered farther and farther away, only to fall prey to the poison and die. Now Jesus knew there still were other lost sheep who did not hear his call; and He also knew that the sound of his voice would echo and fade into the ether with time. So God the Father told him to erect a standard that would stand for all time as a beacon to guide the lost sheep back to His flock. I sign post to the Promised Land where the flock may safely graze on the fine grasses of Eden. A sign where the fires of yetzer ha-ra are soothed with a healing balm of love so great that the ultimate gift of a life for the life of another life is given. And so Jesus does as His Father willed, and willingly was nailed to a post, was erected and hung for all to see His choice to yetzer ha-ra’s temptations: to shed his blood and give his life so that all who look to him may be healed and LIVE.
So is veneration of the cross important to the followers of Christ or is it just a remnant of some barbaric medieval church tradition? The cross is a reminder of our free will, of our choices in life, of our transgressions we have committed, of those we might commit and of the grace of God given to use when we repent and not only seek forgiveness, but give it in equal and overflowing measure. The cross is the symbol of what we need to be reminded of each and every minute of each and every day. To me the spirit of the cross is best reflected by the words of Kierkegaard “Father in Heaven! Hold not our sins up against us but hold us up against our sins so that the thought of You when it wakens in our soul, and each time it wakens, should not remind us of what we have committed but of what You did forgive, not of how we went astray but of how You did save us!” The cross, like the brass serpent on a pole IS the fundamental symbol of Christ’s mission, of God’s gift to His people, the perfect example of how we are to live, a statement that we are so loved that Christ gave his life so that we might look to him and find life everlasting! So I ask each and everyone one of you, should we as Christians, bitten by yetzer ha-ra, look to the cross as THE symbol of our faith? Verily I tell you only if you wish to LIVE!
A Holy Cross~by Fr. Bryan Wolf
Today we celebrate The Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Symbolic of the discovery of the Cross upon which Christ was crucified by St. Helena in 326, today is a holy day which transcends many Christian denominations. Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, and Eastern Orthodox among others, proclaim the significance of the Holy Cross. For Christians the Cross becomes the symbol in which to reconcile ourselves to God. The Catholic practice of “making the sign of the Cross” itself becomes a prayer. Indeed, there is no other more recognizable symbol of Christianity than the Cross. From car bumper stickers, to jewelry, to cemetery markers and gravestones; even to ornate and sublime churches of every kind- we can easily know who is Christian. Is this becoming a problem?
In the beginning of Christianity many suffered for their belief and faith in Christ. Many became martyrs, and eventually, saints. Throughout history, even to modern times, many have been persecuted for their Christian faith. During World War II, more than 2600 Catholic priests were executed in the Dachau Nazi Concentration Camp alone. Rebel organizations throughout Central America have used the kidnapping and execution of vowed religious as a means of intimidation. Coptic Christians in Egypt have recently witnessed their churches being damaged, looted and burned. Most recently extremist there paraded three captured nuns from a Franciscan school they burned, like prisoners of war. So dire are the circumstances in Egypt, that for the first time in 1600 years this past August, prayers and Mass were suspended at the Virgin Mary Monastery for fear of violence.
Now horrifically, the world is confronted by ISIL. Before I continue, I need to convey a little research here. This Islamic terrorist organization, is just that- a terrorist organization. It is not representative of Islamic peoples or the message of their founding prophet Muhammad; for even he considered Jesus a fellow prophet of God and Muhammad preached peace. First known as ISIS (The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), they desire now to be referred to as ISIL- the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (the Levant being an old French term which refers to all the lands of the Eastern Mediterranean region.) – or to be simple known as The Islamic State. Their means of influence are barbaric and brutal; so much so that even al-Qaeda, as reported by The Washington Post, has distanced themselves and severed political ties. According to the Human Rights Watch, “they (ISIL) stand to a global jihadist principle for the purification of Islamic and Muslims lands, even to the point of excess for their defense.”
“Open Doors”, a world wide Christian organization based in The Netherlands, tracks Christian persecution throughout the world. Releasing their 2014 list of countries in which Christians are at risk of biased attacks all, except for North Korea, are in Islamic countries. At the top of the list- Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt and Sudan. To dispel the appearance of a “holy war against Christians” ISIL itself maintains “Christians have options”, as reported by Catholics Online. “To avoid death, Christians may convert to Islam or pay a jizya.” A Jizya, is a monetary tax under Islamic law which allows “infidels” (someone who does not profess Islam) to remain in an Islamic country. Usually their homes are marked with a red cross, which itself can bring violence.
Without dispute, we have all witnessed the violence and brutality of late. From the barbaric beheading of journalists to the marched execution of Syrian soldiers in the desert. There indeed does seem to be a holy war brewing. Or more exactly in the words of a Bishop friend of mine, “an unholy war”.
What does this all have to do with The Exaltation of the Holy Cross? It is a stark reminder of what may need be endured for our Christian faith. Each day we must affirm our faith and evangelize for our faith. To live by and profess the message of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Whether it is in the face of radical Islamic extremists or radical Christian extremists, such as the Westboro Baptist Church. There are fundamental extremists in all denominations who have lost the basic message of their religions- God is peace.
At all peril, we must hold true to the message of the Cross. We must carry our own individual crosses, as Christ carried his before us, (and he helps us carry ours now.) There is indeed a war brewing. A war in which we will be challenged to the foundation of our faith. We pray for God’s mercy and peace. We pray for God’s justice. Indeed, we may find ourselves being God’s instrument of intervention for those who are persecuted and oppressed. For today, it is becoming more apparent that that is the reality behind The Holy Cross.
“Onward Christians soldiers, marching as to war. With the Cross of Jesus, going on before.”
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way the prophets were persecuted who were before you.” Matthew 5:10-12
Jesus, Our Lord and Optician ~ Br. Jay Van Lieshout, Postulant
Jesus told his disciples a parable:
“Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother,
‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.”
Jesus loved parables; and rightfully so, they are an excellent way of teaching, of conveying concepts and are a continuation of the techniques in the Torah. Today’s gospel shows how well this teaching technique can be used to present ideas in a way that withstands the cloudy nature of time. But there is another side to parables, a side again well used in this gospel: you can critique people without ever pointing a finger or mentioning names and yet it will be clear about who or what the parable is referencing; it is in this manner that Jesus aims strip us of our arrogant ways so that we may begin to walk in his footsteps.
Jesus has found the perfect “teaching moment” for his disciples and one that they and all of us need if we hope to spread the good news. We know that Jesus thought of the practices of the Pharisees and Sadducees, and one can imagine that his disciples would gossip and lambaste the church leaders among themselves as well as to those they encountered. We also know that this type of behavior is contrary to Jesus’ methods of conflict resolution and the path to salvation. Thus, we have the parable of the blind leading the blind. It’s important to note that Jesus prefaces this parable with teachings on loving one’s enemies and the perils of judging and condemning others the result of which will be return judgment and condemnation. But if you love your enemy and forgive them their transgressions, this favor will be returned and “A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Now the parable begins with Jesus rhetorically asking his disciples “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?” On the surface this seems to be an almost comic image about the visually impaired, but underneath the disciples understood Jesus was referencing the blind of faith, those who know and enforce the law but are blinded to their own transgressions, such as the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the pit isn’t a hole in the ground, but is the eternal grave that such arrogance digs here on Earth. It is very likely that the disciples immediately understood the implications of this parable and, before one of them could utter the standard “but Rabbi” , Jesus turns his attention to his followers and says “No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.” This is clearly meant quell their growing self righteousness and remind them they still have a long journey, much to learn and even more to change before they are ready to fill his shoes.
I surmise that there must have been some discussion and perhaps even rumblings among the disciples after Jesus so aptly adjusted their attitudes, though any such parlay has was not recorded by the writer of Luke. Yet the next few stanzas of this gospel are a pointed critique and chastisement of one or more of his student’s seemingly lofty and pretentious behavior. “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.” I imagine the wide eyed and astonished look on his disciples faces in response to this stern tongue lashing by their Mentor. But, like all of us now and then, they needed to learn an important message if they ever hoped to emulate their teacher: don’t judge other’s behavior until you are sure that your behavior is above reproach!
We all must consider how our actions are perceived in the eyes of those around us. To them we are no better than the way we act and if our actions do not reflect our words we are no better than a liar and a fraud. Jesus is reminding us that we must focus on KNOWING and CHANGING ourselves on the inside and only then could we be like the teacher and lead by example. Jesus finishes this lesson with a charge to his disciples to actively respond to his words for “someone who listens and does nothing is like the man who built a house on soil, with no foundations; as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!”
Like the original disciples, we must see our own flaws, hear the words of Jesus and with them build a foundation of love and mercy, of openness, forgiveness and unity and equality. Only then will our eyes be clear enough to guide the blind in faith past the perilous pit and follow in the footsteps of our Lord and Teacher.
Resolving Conflict??? ~ Br. Jay Van Lieshout, Postulant
Commentary on Matthew 18:15-20
In today’s world, just like in the time of Jesus and when the Gospel according to Matthew was written, interpersonal conflict resolution was a key theme. And if we think about it, Jesus’ message is all about understanding, handling and resolving such conflict between people so that we may go to the Father with open arms and a loving heart. The author of Matthew was living in a time of growth in the church and most of the converts were gentiles. The clash of gentile with Hebrew culture and traditions must have fueled many a disagreement and given rise to a lot of hurt feelings. In this gospel, Jesus prescribes a simple 4 step approach to handling when someone steps on your toes in life: 1) one on one, 2) bring mediators to the table, 3) elicit community support, 4) reindoctrination.
We have all unknowingly said or done something that others found offensive and yet nothing was said at the time. Unfortunately these unaddressed events add up, snowball and fester until that one fateful day when the situation explodes and your relationship, and your life and theirs are forever changed; if only you had known, if only they has said something; you would have apologized, changed your behavior, made atonement, done the right thing. How many times have lives so drastically changes because we were not offered, or we did not offer the chance to say “I’m sorry, I was wrong, please forgive me and allow me to change”? Jesus knew the immediate, cleansing and healing nature of the one on one interaction, how “nipping it in the bud” usually resolves a transgression without escalation. He also knew we can be unwilling to admit fault and this requires the involvement of unbiased witnesses in faith to evaluate, clarify and encourage repentance. And, sometimes our hearts are hard, and our minds are so unwilling that it requires the SUPPORT of the whole community in faith to guide us towards accepting our flaws and giving in to reconciliation.
One can imagine the apostles thinking, “and if all this is unsuccessful, then what do we do”? Without prompting, Jesus tells us the answer without the question being asked: “If he also ignores the congregation, regard him as an unbeliever and a tax collector.” Now many have interpreted this line as a justification for tossing someone out of the church and closing the doors on them. I tell you from my heart this is not what Jesus intended! Consider how Jesus treated the gentiles (and Matthew the tax collector); He called them to listen, to follow, and to learn anew. Jesus never closed the door, He never gave up, and so neither should we. Matthew codifies this need to be persistently forgiving by bookending this gospel with two parables: that of the lost sheep and, the unforgiving servant. In the parable of the lost sheep which immediately precedes today’s gospel: a good shepherd leaves his flock of 99 to tirelessly search for the one that is lost and rejoices more in the reclaimed sheep than those 99 who never went astray. Later, when Peter asks Jesus how many times to forgive someone who sins, Jesus says 77 times (i.e. a whole lot) and proceeds to tell the parable of the servant who asks for forgiveness from his master and yes fails to give forgiveness to one in his debt. This parable reinforces how we as servants of God must forgive those who sin against us if we hope to have our sins forgiven.
In the midst’s of these parables and at the end of today’s gospel is the most poignant and beautiful of Jesus’ teachings: “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Jesus is ensuring the apostles, and us, that He and the Father are always there for us, helping us to walk the path of the righteous and as a result of his real presence we too have the power to call back the lost sheep with the powers of prayer, care and diligence. The reward for loving our neighbors as Jesus has loved us is clear, when we ask for and grant forgiveness to others, God grants this petition for them AND heaps on us the rewards His boundless love, grace and forgiveness. Amen.
Love in Action~ by Fr. Bryan Wolf
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ” Romans 12:9-18
Our scripture lesson this Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost is from Paul’s Epistle to the Romans and might simply be entitled, Love in Action. Because in these few short sentences, Paul is reminding us of what it is to be truly followers of Christ. All to often, we believe ourselves to be Christian but in reflection~ are we?
Sadly, I find myself the victim of this litmus test. Recent events surrounding a police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri have me questioning my beliefs. As priestly as I try to keep myself, I cannot repress those thirty years of being a police officer. I look at the situation not with compassion, but with a critical eye. Was the shooting justified? Was the police response excessive? Were the actions of the protestors reserved? Can the looting and the violence be any means to an end?
It is indeed a difficult test. Nevertheless, it is a test we all must undergo. Not just because of this incident in Missouri, but with the escalation of violence throughout the world. We find ourselves, our belief in the fact that we are followers of Christ; challenged by the very concept that developments in the world today do not make being truly Christian, easy. But nothing truly worth while ever is.
Christ tasks us in today’s Gospel to, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ” [ Matthew 16:24 ] This not only implies worldly tangibles but also our opinions and judgments. We must look at people and their conditions in life with a new perspective. To seek to understand and appreciate that which influences their reactions and beliefs. ” Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye and pay not attention to the beam in your own? You hypocrite, first remove the beam from your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. ” [ Mathew 7:3-5 ]
As difficult as we find the situations that present themselves to us, we must pray to resolve them as Christians. In doing so, we provide examples to others as to the compassion and charity of Christ. We can condemn that which is wrong and unjust, as long as we serve up solutions and answers which are fair and just. ” If you love only those who love you, what is your reward? “; Christ ask us. [ Matthew 5:46 ]
For the most part, these are personal opinions that must be overcome. We need to look at the world through the eyes of Christ. So that not only our actions are compassionate and charitable, but that we are truly as well. Easily, not easy but if we put on love and put love into action, surely this can be done.
“Therefore, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility and patience. Forgive one another, as Christ forgave you. For of all virtues, put on love. It is love that binds us together. Let the peace of Christ be in your hearts.” [Colossians 3:12-15]
Maintain Justice, Maintain Faith
First Reading – Isaiah 56:1, 6-8
Response – Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8
Second Reading – Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32
Gospel – Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28
“I walk the miles
into the desert of my need
til God finds me.”
~ B. English
It is interesting, is it not – that someone so faith-filled can be healed or have someone healed on their faith alone? But already I am getting ahead of myself. I should take a cue from a wonderful song and start at the very beginning.
Our first reading today is a bit of a tangent from our normal Sunday discussions. We will catch up with the departure in part of our Gospel, but today we hear those magic words infiltrating mass media coverage – “WE NEED JUSTICE”. But justice, it seems, is destined for those who are foreign. Of course the author is not suggesting that only those of foreign birth can receive that Justice, but what is being Divinely inspired here is that we must be foreign to our own natures; something again touched on further in the Gospel reading, which we will get to in just a moment.
“Thus says the Lord GOD, <*dramatic pause*> who gathers the outcasts of Israel,…” Yes, outcasts. Sound familiar?
Here we are in a church full of outcasts and disenfranchised, but even then we are not the ones +He+ seeks. We have already found our home and are quite happy being with people who also have a home. Believe it or not, you are no longer one of those. WE are no longer outcasts because we have found people who love us and that we can love. No, what our Lord is referencing is those who have yet to be found or to find their path. THOSE are the ones he will reach out to and bring to peace. There are, as can be expected, rules which must be followed. (Isn’t there always?!?!? Why is it that everything has strings attached?)
Look – it is so easy to follow these rules. Love God, keep the sabbath. That is pretty much it! Later Jesus gives us one more commandment to follow – love our neighbor as ourselves. Yes, in so doing we automatically adhere to the decalogue (the 10 commandments), but keeping the sabbath is the key – it is not just a single day out of the week, it is a mindset. It is something we take deep inside ourselves and reflect back to the world every day until we come back the very next celebration of the Eucharist. Again, however, I digress. Let us get back to the teaching.
Our second reading picks up on the first – do not reject anyone! God did not so you better not! It’s that simple. And then we jump in with both feet to a really long discussion which basically says this: we are biological creatures focusing on the wrong issues. We focus on which hand feeds us rather than on what comes out of our hearts. We focus on rules and regulations rather than the hatred and vile we spew. We claim we are servants yet we go out into the streets yelling and screaming, and challenging people to come get our sorry butts and haul us off to jail because we are too stupid to – – LOVE even those with whom we have difficulties.
Then, suddenly, it seems as if our Gospel goes off track and engages in a bit of contextomy, but it is to purely make a point – we claim faith and following, but rarely do we back it up with action. The woman was so filled with faith that she KNEW with all her heart her daughter would be healed. There was no going one way or the other. There was no hypocrisy in her belief. There in the last half of our Gospel +Jesus brings the Hebrew Scriptures to life – “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But she came and knelt before him…”
It is our not just our faith alone that saves us, although that is enough, yes. We must be reflections of that faith and BE the very thing we claim to be. We must be like the woman knowing in our heart and soul – knowing at the very fabric of our beings, that our Sacred Wandering will bring us to our Lord and we will find comfort in +Him. But +He will know our hearts and minds. +He will know if we practice
what we preach…
God finds me
in the miles of my need
and so I walk out of the desert.
~ k. nelan
Spend, Spend, Spend ~ The Very Rev. Lady Sherwood, OPoc
Isaiah 55:1-5 55:1 Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 55:2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 55:3 Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. 55:4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. 55:5 See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.
I was looking around the town the other day and many sights and thoughts came to my attention. I passed an real estate agent’s office so decided to look at the houses and prices to see what was on offer. There were a wide range of properties with varying sizes, rooms and amenities, but yet the one thing in common between them all were the thousands of pounds (even hundreds of thousands) that we as people spend on these items. Further down the road there was a car showroom with red, blue, yellow, and other various coloured types of shiny new cars for sale, again at very expensive prices which we seem happy to pay to attain them. I passed clothes shops galore with all the very latest fashions of all different shapes, sizes and designs, and saw the prices of what many people see as ‘must haves’.
It was then that John passed by me. John is a well known homeless gentleman with only one set of clothing to his name. The thing I notice often when coming across John, is his happy demeanor. Even in his poor circumstances, he is always smiling and always greets everyone with a happy and polite greeting. John, I know, is a Christian, who despite being poor and homeless gets his true happiness from his love, trust and faith in God. He never asks for anything but always wants others to have a blessed day. He doesn’t feel that he “needs” the things others do.
Houses, cars, holidays, clothes and other earthly materialistic items, and money do not bring true happiness, although to some they may get an extremely temporary period of satisfaction. As the Lord quite clearly tells us, we should not live a life of spending money or buying earthly things as these things are fleeting and will surely pass away. The only way to eternal happiness is from the bread and wine, gifts of the body and blood of true life, and by hearing, understanding and living the word of God! Anything which we truly need, the Lord will provide for us when the Lord sees it is time to do so. Some may be happy to spend, spend, spend on earthly things but as for me, I choose the only true happiness and salvation of our Heavenly Father to fill my life. I choose to use my money to show the Lords love to others who are in need instead of for unrighteous materialistic things that hold no hope of true happiness!!
What about you? On what do you spend your money? Do you really need that new outfit? A bigger house? How many people could be fed by what you spend on that new gadget? So what is your choice? On what, or whom, will you spend, Spend, Spend?
That’s Some Expensive Dirt Ya Got Mustard On! ~ Fr. Ken Nelan
1st Reading – 1 Kings 3:5-12
Responsorial – Psalm 119: 57, 72, 76-77, 127-130
2nd Reading – Romans 8: 26-39
Gospel – Matthew 13: 31-333, 44-52
13:31-32 … “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Here we go again – all these parables all at once telling me what, to go out and plant a bush in really expensive land? Well, if you really must ask then sure, let’s go with that for a second. What today’s gospel is saying is that we should take something infinitely small and cherish it so much that it becomes the sole focus of our lives. Be thankful for what you’ve got. and when you find something worthwhile, be sure to invest all you are into what you’re doing. Yes, that is the one of the many lessons embedded within the Pearl of Great Price, but there is another focus or tangent I’d like to follow – would you ever recognize the treasure or seed if you saw it? How do you know you’ve invested all you are into what you believe to be valuable? Or – are you like the one who finds treasure in someone else’ field? Do you hide the treasure so that you alone can reap its rewards? See – today’s Gospel isn’t so cut and dry. It may or may not be about the value we find. It could be about the evil we do when we hide something that rightfully belongs to someone else only to claim it for ourselves.
Rather than create a shadow over a great parable, let’s look at this in terms of the treasures already in our lives. I’d like to borrow from a great friend who mentioned the great works coming out of special people in his life. How do we treat those treasures in our life; the ones we are surrounded by day in and day out, those we might take for granted or rely on daily, and those who give of themselves so freely that we assume they will be there at every moment of our own needs – how well do we take care of our treasures? Do we even see them as we move through our busy lives?
Things we see as being small and insignificant sometimes contain within them enough energy and power that they could alter the very fabric of our realities, yet we pass them by leaving them hidden in the soil until we see them too late in our lives to do anything about them. Fear grips us and prevents us from moving forward and grabbing the pearl in a moment’s notice. We forget how to fish or make loaves of bread. We even forget how to plant a seed so that later we can cherish the resulting fruit or flowers.
Living today’s Gospel isn’t as easy as planting a seed, baking bread, or fishing an ocean with nets. Our complacency has kept us from recognizing the good things in our lives so we instead focus on the weeds, the stale bread, and the rotting fish on the shores. BUT — Our Gospel today teaches us to be thankful for the good things we’ve got and to move in the Lord when we recognize +His presence in our lives. It also means helping and empowering those around us to do the same.
We have a chance to be like the one who finds, after years of what seems like endless searching, a great pearl – THE BEST PEARL – who then goes to do all he can so that he can own it. He sells off some of his possessions, possibly even gets a second job for a while hoping no one else will buy that great pearl. His hard work and dedication is rewarded when he is able to own that one great pearl.
The pearls are all around us. They help us move through our lives and give us comfort in times of need. They are often invisible until we need them, but they are there.
Be thankful for what you have and then be a pearl for someone else. Be great and thankful. Yes, I think those two words are the greatest of lessons within our Gospel today – be thankful and then be all you can be for someone else.
How is your Soil? ~ by Fr. Bryan Wolf
” A farmer went out to sow seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path and the birds came by and ate it up. Some fell on the rocky places, where there was little soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow, and when the sun came up, the plants scorched and withered because they had no root. Other seeds fell among the thorns, which grew but were choked by the other plants. But some seed on good soil, and produced fruit- a hundred, sixty or thirty fold what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear. ” Matthew 13:3-9
Christ many times speaks to us in parables. Short simple illustrative stories, so that we might remember an important lesson. Like His story for us today. Which, if we were farmers, is a valuable lesson on how to properly plant seed. Be deliberate and look for good soil. Growing up as a child, I planted many a garden in my backyard and many a time watched in disappointment as my flowers failed. Do not get me wrong, sometimes they did bloom spectacularly but such required tending and a lot of work. If we look deeper into Jesus’ words, we find His true lesson.
Christ is sowing his seed is his message of hope, love and eternal life, within us. It is our hearts, mind and souls which are the soil of which He speaks. How is our soil? Is it good soil?
Are you open and receptive to God and the message of Jesus Christ? Or do you just “go through the motions” of being a Christian, like the seeds falling along the path? Hearing God’s message, but just letting it blow away from you in the wind or leaving it behind to be eaten by birds? Not being bothered by serious spiritual things, for there are more important things to do today.
Are you like rocky hard soil? The world has become a violent place. Our lives caught up in the bombardment of media, tragic news and desperate situations abound. Where is the mercy and justice of God? Have you become cynical and skeptical? Has your heart turned into a thorny field, where you doubts and uncertainties choke out the passionate prayer of Christ’s message?
God is an excellent farmer. God has created all the world in its beauty and majesty. Without doubt His seed- His message, His word… is good. Every seed has potential. Every person can grow into a marvelous and wonderful creation of God- loving, caring and merciful.
But we must always be attentive to the seed God has planted. Every garden needs to be nourished, watered, weeded and watched. The seed must be allowed to take root, so God’s word can grow and prosper. Then like the wildflowers sown in a summer field, God’s love, majesty and mercy will spread.
Tend to the seed which Christ has planted. Let it take root within you. Nourish it. Encourage it. Feel it. Love it. So that you- and indeed the fruit of God himself, can grow and prosper within the world. Check your soil. Tend to the seed. And has Christ has told us, ” Whoever has ears, let them hear. ” Amen.
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