For Sunday, November 8, 2009

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Kings 17:10-16
Hebrews 9:24-28
Mark 12:38-44

"The Widow's Mite" James Tissot, 1836-1902. Brooklyn Museum

This weekend’s Gospel, with its story of the widow dropping a few small coins into the Temple treasury, is a touchingly human account of generosity. Jesus is so moved by the tableau that he comments about it to his disciples. The story of the widow’s mite is regularly used by preachers to spur donations and call reluctant givers to reach more deeply into their pockets. While shame can be a strong motivation, I’m not convinced of its lasting effect. It may get someone to give at the moment, but you have to keep shaming them to get them to give again. Good stewardship is not built on shame.

I don’t know what the motivation of the widow in Luke’s Gospel was. I would like to think that she gave her gift because she was aware of her blessings, that even in her widowhood, God’s provident hand was at work in her life, and she knew it. The recognition that one is blessed by God can spur a willingness to share those blessings.

The harvest season may be a particular opportunity to reflect on the abundance of food that is ours (and the needs of so many around the world). Certainly we are blessed. Just walk into any grocery store in the United States and the abundance is clear. Even our food pantries that serve the poor in this nation have a variety that is rarely seen in many parts of the world.

The Food and Agricultural Organization based in Rome estimates that there are about 1 billion hungry and malnourished people in the world. From November 12-18 meetings on different levels will take place at the FAO, concluding with a World Summit on Food Security (http://www.fao.org/wsfs/world-summit/en/?no_cache=1). As FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf said, “The silent hunger crisis - affecting one sixth of all of humanity - poses a serious risk for world peace and security. We urgently need to forge a broad consensus on the total and rapid eradication of hunger in the world.” The private sector meetings in preparation for the summit will involve representatives from some of the largest multi-national food companies, such as Unilever, Pioneer, Nestle, Cargill, and others.

The Vatican has announced that Pope Benedict will visit the FAO on November 15, the opening day of the World Summit on Food Security. The Vatican has long participated in the work of the FAO, and places special emphasis on the ways that food policy affects the impoverished people of the world.

There will continue to be much debate about the best ways to feed the hungry. Last week, the New York Times included a special section on its “Room for Debate” web page entitled, “Can Biotech Food Cure World Hunger?” (http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/can-biotech-food-cure-world-hunger/?scp=6&sq=food%20policy&st=cse). Six commentators offer different assessments, even though all agree on the need to plot a course of action. In an editorial published in the Times last Tuesday, Verlyn Klinkenborg advocated restraint, and “a far more modest idea of food prosperity, more limited and almost certainly less meat-driven than the present American model” (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/opinion/28wed3.html?scp=13&sq=food%20policy&st=cse).

Maybe my local grocery store doesn’t need to be stocked with EVERY good thing. (I noted the other day that just one brand (Kemps) had eight different kinds of vanilla ice cream. It seems that vanilla is no longer “just plain vanilla.”)

I think that if we can be aware of how truly blessed we are, we will, as a country and as individuals, rise to the challenge of sharing those blessings. But the awareness has to come first. We’ve become so used to having an incredible abundance in front of us in the store aisles, that the great beneficence can go unnoticed.

God’s provident hand is at work in our lives. It’s not too hard to imagine Jesus sitting over in the corner watching to see how we will use the provender given to us.

Paul Michaels

Prayer

All-powerful Father,
God of goodness,
you provide for all your creation.
Give us an effective love for our brothers and sisters
who suffer from lack of food.
Help us do all we can to relieve their hunger,
that they may serve you with care free hearts.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.

For Sunday, November 1, 2009

Solemnity of All Saints
Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
1 John 3:1-3
Matthew 5:1-12a

Fra Angelico -- The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs

We honor the saints because they inspire us to holiness. The more famous ones have slipped into popular culture, even if all the facts of their lives aren’t known, or if only a part of their story is remembered. Ask most people about Mary Magdalene, and they’ll recount their understanding of her as a woman of ill repute, something totally inconsistent with the portrayal of her in John’s Gospel. Often forgotten is Mary’s greatest act of witness. She was the first to proclaim the risen Lord, and so bears the title of Apostle to the apostles.

Many religious people think of St. Anthony as the saint to whom you pray to recover something that is lost. Less remembered is the fact of Anthony’s eloquent preaching which captivated and converted his listeners.

Francis of Assisi is popular with everyone. My elderly non-Catholic neighbor has a statue of him in her garden because she likes birds, and as she’ll tell me, “He liked birds, too.” But Francis also gave up everything to be married to Lady Poverty, unconcerned about what to eat or what to wear, because God feeds the birds of the air and clothes the lilies of the field. But the fullness of his story (so often forgotten) includes the stigmata, wearing on his own body the mark of Christ’s crucifixion.

Of poor Joseph, the spouse of Mary, we know almost nothing. There are more apocryphal tales than biblical witness about this man. And now, in the midst of the modern-day housing crisis, he suffers the indignity of having his image buried (sometimes upside down) in hopes of achieving a quick sale of a family home. Maybe being a saint isn’t such a great gig after all!

What seems to be a thread in every holy life is the ability to bring something good out of sinful human nature. It is this cooperation with God’s grace that in some way seems to be the hallmark of every saint. They take to heart the words of the John in his first letter when he writes, “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God” (3:1).

One child of God that continues to provide inspiration even though she is gone is Elena Desserich. At the age of 5 she was diagnosed with pediatric brain cancer. As the cancer spread, first ending her ability to speak, then her eyesight, then her mobility, Elena started hiding notes all over the house, notes that said, “I love you Mom Dad Grace [Elena's younger sister].” Elena’s parents, Brooke and Keith, kept finding the notes after Elena died-a reminder of her presence and the inspiration she gave to the community of Cincinnati as she battled cancer. A five minute video from WCPO Channel 9 in Cincinnati tells the story of Elena’s incredible love (http://www.wcpo.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=25833@wcpo.dayport.com&navCatId=23).

The simple notes of six-year old Elena Desserich, and of her response to the trials of childhood cancer, motivated the creation of the foundation, The Cure Starts Now, which today helps children everywhere in their fight against cancer. The story of her final 135 days is told in the book, Notes Left Behind. This week, a hard-cover edition of the book with reproductions of Elena’s private messages that she secretly hid around her home will be released in bookstores and on Kindle (http://www.notesleftbehind.com/).

The saints inspire us. They give us hope. They remind us of “what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God” even when the trials may be incredibly burdensome. In some ways, the saints themselves are notes left behind to remind us of God’s incredible love, addressed not just to Mom, Dad, Grace, but to us all.

Paul Michaels

Prayer

God of holiness and love,
your goodness is mirrored in the saints
who inspire us by their lives.
Watch over and protect your people
through the intercession of the saints.
May we live according to your will
and come to enjoy the blessed vision of your glory.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.

For Sunday, October 25, 2009

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 31:7-9
Hebrews 5:1-6
Mark 10:46-52

International terrorism has been around for a long time. Unfortunately, one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.

Last week saw the 150th anniversary of the raid on the arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia by John Brown and his band of abolitionists. Condemned as an anarchist, John Brown was hanged just six weeks later, convicted of treason against the state of Virginia and of murder.

This past weekend saw descendants of the raiders gathered at Harpers Ferry to honor those who were judged criminals 150 years ago (See: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113911976). Scholars today assess Brown’s actions (and the reaction to it) as contributing significantly to the beginning of the Civil War.

The last five decades has seen their own cavalcade of terrorist activities: airplanes high-jacked, the kidnappings at the 1972 Munich Olympics, the 1985 seizure of the Achille Lauro, the Tamil Tiger insurgency, suicide bombings in Spain, Britain, Israel, Indonesia, Pakistan, and a dozen other countries, and of course the events of 9/11 in the United States. All of these acts, and many more, were carried out in hopes of being noticed. Unfortunately, they are hopeless acts.

Now comes the news of double suicide bombings at the International Islamic University in Islamabad, Pakistan (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/10/20/world/AP-AS-Pakistan.html?scp=1&sq=pakistan%20university&st=cse). This school, popular with foreigners, has over 18,000 students. It is a seat of Islamic learning, and revered by many. The bombings are considered retaliation for the Pakistani government’s recent moves to end the inroads made by terrorists in the restive tribal regions near Afghanistan.

Incidents like this are sure to make the news. That’s why terrorists carry them out. They want to be heard!

Unfortunately, in today’s world, the terrorists’ bellows drown out wails of another kind: the cries of the poor, the oppressed, and the down-trodden. Like Bartimaeus in this weekend’s Gospel, these people in need also cry out. Jesus was able to hear Bartimaeus over the objections of many in the crowd. And in hearing him, he was able to help.

When we hear the clamorous news of all that is happening in the world, and take note of the hopeless actions of those who would make themselves known with a bomb or a gun, it might be good to open our ears just a little more-to listen attentively to hear the cries of those in need. We won’t be able to cure every blind man, nor will we be able to secure peace in every land. But we can each do a little bit to console, as the vision of Jeremiah in the first reading promises. Whether it is helping the victims of typhoons, supporting education efforts for the poor, or feeding the hungry through a donation to the local food pantry, we can be attentive to the cry of the blind beggar who once cried out, “Son of David, have pity on me,” and who cries out today for us to have pity as well.

Paul Michaels

Prayer

Provident God,
you give us a rich and abundant harvest
and bless us with every good gift.
May we use what you have given us
for our own good,
and for the benefit of others.
Open our ears to hear the cry of the poor,
and open our hearts to share the blessings
you have bestowed on us.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.

For Sunday, October 18, 2009

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isaiah 53:10-11
Hebrews 4:14-16
Mark 10:35-45

Earlier this week, when Pope Benedict declared five new saints of the Church, he praised their “luminous example” and said they were people who “did not put themselves at the center, but chose to go against the current and live according to the Gospel.” (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/world/europe/12pope.html?_r=1) We can certainly appreciate that in the life of arguably the most famous of these new saints, Fr. Damien of Molokai, who elected to live among the lepers of Hawaii, before contracting leprosy himself, and ultimately dying from it. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_Damien). There was a profound kind of martyrdom in the selfless way he sacrificed himself for the outcasts of Molokai.

But less familiar is the story of another new saint, Jeanne Jugan, the foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor. The order’s website has an extensive biography of her and the order (http://www.littlesistersofthepoor.org/about_jeanne_jugan.html) that makes for compelling reading. One of the most surprising details of her life, though, is that so much of it was spent in utter obscurity.

Shortly after Jeanne Jugan started the order, a young priest named Fr. Le Pailleur became involved with the sisters, and arranged to have Jeanne Jugan transferred to another convent. As one biographer noted: “She was to devote herself entirely to prayer and overseeing the manual work of the postulants.” By the time of her death, even the young novices who lived and worked with her had no idea that this aging nun was, in fact, the woman who had founded their growing order. It wasn’t until an inquiry 11 years after her death that the truth came out. (http://www.catholicfounders.org/jeanne.htm).

Incredibly, during that entire time, Jeanne Jugan submitted to every order from Fr. Le Pailleur with obedience, humility, charity and love. She never sought to set the record straight, never demanded credit. She considered it God’s will.

Who among us could be that humble?

Yet, in this Sunday’s scripture, that is precisely Christ’s call to all those who seek to follow him.

As he explains in Mark’s Gospel: “Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

In their selfless service, Jeanne Jugan and Fr. Damien did not seek greatness - but they achieved it, anyway, through a tireless commitment to the needs of others. They sacrificed everything for those who had nothing.

Their lives serve as a beautiful testament - “luminous examples,” indeed, of what it truly means to give one’s life “as a ransom for many.”

Deacon Greg Kandra

Prayer

Heavenly Father,
we ask you to give us the heart of a servant,
serving others as we serve you.
Help us to offer our talents and our lives
in service of your Word.
May we always see in daily life an opportunity to give
rather than to receive,
and to continually manifest in our service to others
your will and your love.
We ask this through the servant of all, Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Wisdom 7:7-11
Hebrews 4:12-13
Mark 10:17-30

A friend at work today was talking about his older brother who retired a few years ago after working for county government for many years. My friend was reflecting on how his brother was now set in his retirement with a generous pension that allowed him and his wife to travel and live comfortably. In the meantime, my friend, who is concerned about his own position, said, “What am I left with? a 401(k).”

In these uncertain economic times, we’d all like to have a little security, whether it comes from a paycheck or a pension. We’d like to know that everything hasn’t fallen apart, and that we can continue on.

In some ways, the man in the gospel is like that. He’s looking for the assurance that everything will turn out all right. In response, Jesus lays out the law, something the man insists he has been fulfilling all his life. There it is, the parameters in which to live that will lead to salvation. But Jesus doesn’t stop there. There is still more beyond the fulfillment of the law, that is, the insecurity of abandoning all that one has to follow Jesus. The implication is that when one leaves behind all that one has, there is nothing left but to rely on God alone. Following Jesus means leaving behind everything else. The calculation is that nothing will be greater than something, and that possessing nothing will, in the end, assure everything.

This Sunday, Pope Benedict will canonize one of those who gave up everything. At the age of 19, Jozef Damiaan de Veuster, more commonly known today as Fr. Damien of Moloka’i, left the family business in Belgium and entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. After he arrived in Hawaii in 1864 he was ordained and served as a “country” priest. In 1873 he answered the call to labor among the lepers of Moloka’i whom he served for sixteen years, dying among them just 120 years ago, in 1889. The official program for canonization describes Damien as a herald of hope-someone who wanted more not for himself, but for others.

The program states:

“The world knows rejected persons of all kinds: the incurably ill (victims of AIDS or other diseases), abandoned children, disoriented youths, exploited women, neglected elderly people, and oppressed minorities. For all who suffer, Damien remains the voice reminding us that the infinite love of God is full of compassion and consolation, confidence and hope, his a voice that denounces injustice. In Damien we can all recognize the herald of the Good News. Like the Good Samaritan, he went to the aid of those whom sickness had cast aside along the road. This is what makes Damien an example for all men and women who wish to be involved in the struggle for a more just, more humane world, a society more conformed to the heart of God.

“Servant of God, Damien is and remains for all the servant of the human person, the servant of a humanity that needs to live, but even more needs reasons for living.” (See: http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/libretti/2009/20091011.pdf)

In the gospel, Jesus invites the man who has followed the law all his life to leave behind what he would like to have. What Jesus offers is not things to live for, but rather, reasons to live.

Paul Michaels

Prayer

Father of mercy,
in Blessed Damien
you have given a shining witness of love
for the poorest and most abandoned.
Grant that, by his intercession,
as faithful witness of the heart of your Son Jesus,
we too may be servants of the most needy and rejected.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.