Archive for May, 2008

Homily for the Blessed Sacrament

Monday, May 26th, 2008

May 26, 2008

Scripture: Deut. 8: 2-3, 14b – 16a, Ps. 147, 1 Cor. 10: 16 -17, Jn 6: 51 – 58

“In the Eucharist, we do not make God present by human artifact, but we accept and learn (from the Word) about God’s presence, and we become God’s presence in the world.”

Introduction: The Blessed Sacrament reminds us of Holy Thursday, and the gospel passage is one of the hardest teachings of Jesus Christ: “Eat my flesh and bear my life within you, and expect resurrection from me on death”. Obviously, we are meditating once more on the meaning of the Eucharist, source and summit of our Christian life of faith. Yet the Eucharist is not simply the ritual celebration of Mass. It is the life of Christ with us. We can understand that ours is a call to be signs of redeemed/resurrected lives in the world. We shall learn this by looking at the “body” of Christ in the historical life of Jesus of Nazareth, and draw some fruit for ourselves today knowing that “a human person does not live on bread alone, but on God’s Word”.

In the Bull “Transiturus,” Pope Urban IV instituted the feast of the Blessed Sacrament on September 8, 1264. A religious mystic called Juliana participated in the process of this institution in a special way. The Eucharist is the Blessed Sacrament, the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a unique Sacrament because, source of all other sacraments as real presence of the Risen Lord. The Eucharist stands as the Body of Christ with or without anybody subjectively relating to it. Soon as consecration takes place, the elements of bread and wine until consumed become and remain real presence of Christ; unlike baptism, for instance which is a seal in the baptized person, not outside of him or her. In that sense, baptism (with its various understandings) is necessary for our salvation, and the Eucharist is the strength of the baptized, the sustaining food for the road, and the re-affirming presence of the Lord of the Way: Jesus Christ. Therefore, if for some reason the baptized Christian is prevented from having full communion with the Church, they can still rely on the grace of their baptism, the mercy of our loving God. The communion with the body and blood of our Lord is a moral communion in his life: doing what he does by feeling what he feels, since he has already, willingly shared in our human nature through his incarnation. By knowing well the teaching of the Church we can help those who do not have full communion (doctrinally and morally) to rely on the Spirit of God to keep all creatures in life and lead them to their specific perfection. Faith in the Eucharistic presence of the Lord means that we trust in God’s Power to transform our reality into a divine reality — a power we find in the Word, and in the ministry of the Church calling on God’s Creative Spirit to make things new, just as on the first day of creation, when God saw it was all good work he had done. Up to this point we are looking at the sacramental body of Christ, and our ritual (unbloody) celebration of the sacrifice of the cross in the Eucharist. But the body of Christ is also the historical presence of Jesus on earth interrupted at the Cross, and recognized as God’s own presence in the resurrection. Let me now share with you how I relate all events to the body of Christ in real life.

1. The infant Jesus (“out of Egypt I called my son”)

We are both the needy and the needed helper

In all that I care for and care about — In all those I care for and care about — In all those I love and those in whose eyes I contemplate myself; in all beauty and promise of life, in all that is pure, unstained and good, in all duties that call for attention, in my responsibility towards the future and future generations, I see Christ and his work, and I exclaim: How great is the Name of the Lord! In the body of a child, what do I see? This is a very crucial question today, helping us to see the direction our love for the body of Christ will take. Do we feel the call to care that I am talking about? Do I feel a part of the future of children by the way I live today? What value do I have to pass on to children? In the Jewish tradition they used to carry the fundamental Law (the shema Israel) on their forehead, and the Ten Commandments on their ten fingers. If at all a parent would not leave riches and property to their descendents, at least they will pass on the Law of loving God and caring for the needy (no matter what the future generations will do with it, parents must do their duty). Above all, what are the unwritten laws of our hearts that we are passing on to our children. I have seen in many parts of the world, unwritten laws of domination and oppression of others, laws of gender superiority and many kinds of biased access to true information. We all know too well that children pick the unwritten laws of our very hearts. I pray that today, as we celebrate the feast of the Blessed Sacrament, we will write the law of Christ on our hearts: given as bread for the life of the world.

2. The ministering Jesus (“You are my Son; today I have begotten you”)

We are both the ministers and the ones touched by God’s loving care

What is my job? What is my hobby? What is my area of competence, and did I get there? Those are some of the questions about our ministering to the world, the extended “body” of Christ. Experience has proved that people get their passion and interest in a particular profession from a need they have observed, or a deprivation they have endured. Somebody becomes a peace activist because he saw his friend killed at war. Another experience the danger of bad roads and suggest a safety measure for others…etc. The body of Christ is a mixture of wounded parts and stronger parts. The life of many adults or mature people is ambiguous. Hence discipleship remains a tendency towards the better and the higher. Anyone who cannot live with ambiguity remains a child forever in the sense of dream filled lifestyle. Family is very important in most cultures of the world. It constitutes our extended body. And Jesus, in his ministry declares that those who listen and practice God’s word are his family (Mk. 3: 35).

That teaches us that while we minister to the needy, to the whole body of needy people and the poor, one important aspect of our duty as Christian believers is to attend to the Word of God, to learn through instruction and to instruct others in the things of our the faith. Proper information is also a good action. Else, who will pass on to the next generation who we are, and why we do the things we do, in the way we do them? Doing God’s will is also knowing Christ Jesus, and the arcades of his life as God incarnate, revealer of the Father.

In all works of power that uplift, in all declarations of love that please, in all knowledge that informs and guides, in all the transformation (big or small) that we achieve), we pray today on this feast of the body of Christ our love, that we will do everything from the motivation of love.

3. The suffering and dying Jesus (“today, you will be with me in paradise”)

Christ takes body in our challenges that give life and energize us beyond the cost

What is my current struggle? What is my goal right now? What does it cost me? One most common area is health related issues (like losing weight). It is a costly endeavor; but we believe that this is worth the effort. It goes likewise with learning systems. Jesus carries away people’s diseases, isolation, despair and grief. Many medicals doctors have re-gained strength at the smile of a patient rescued from death. Many teachers have found meaning at the joy of a student successfully helped. Many parents have congratulated themselves in seeing the return of life in a child after telling it, “You are just fine, do it this way, and it’s perfect”. By doing this we have carried away their anguish, pain and confusion. Sometimes this is a load on the caregiver. This is the everlasting value of Jesus suffering and dying. It is hard work to help someone else, and the practical implications of this hard work should not prevent us from being involved in the life of others in support of God’s image – the very reality we all share as we live.

We pray on this feast of the Blessed Sacrament, that we will sanctify the Lord Jesus in the suffering members of our body by seeing beyond the cost of suffering and the cost of alleviating suffering in others.

4. The promising Jesus (“these are the signs that will accompany those who believe…”)

We are the living legacy of Christ who commands that we love one another and assures us of his supporting presence in everything

“Lo, I will be with you until the close of ages.” Mt 28: 20. How best do we remind ourselves of this great promise of the Lord? How best do we abide in that promise? If you find a better way that will have a connected relevance to the universal church, send the ideas to the bishop who will in turn send them to the Pope. The rising from the dead of Jesus is present in the life-giving quality of our Christ-like efforts in helping others, and undergoing the things we did not wish the most in our lives. At several points we see Jesus’ first disciples “rejoice” for deserving the same experience endured by their Lord. Resurrection is that joy overriding suffering and death. We can recall a treasure hunting game or a collective sport’s competition, an exam preparation, or any significant project’s successful completion. Jesus promises us the joy of the Spirit “beyond understanding” as the warm presence hidden to the profane eyes and Jesus fulfills that promise. Christ incarnates in our hopes, and in our success stories. The Holy Spirit if the ultimate promise of Jesus’ presence with us, taking all these various warm or cold “bodies” in our experiences, very intent on making the kingdom of God a reality.

In conclusion, faith in the “Body of Christ” is a light against the darkness of despair (excessive letting go of all, and all values), and greed (excessive grabbing of all, and of others’ lives). As individual persons, capable of experiencing reality, pleasure or pain becomes a voice of the Creator, taking a body in us. So is it with the joys and pains of the world. Everything is from God, and everything should return to God. In that light, our physical bodies and their functions are good and beautiful, just as they are and just as diverse as we are. We are God’s delight; who will convince us of the contrary?

As with other feast days, the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi is celebrated today in commemoration of the mystery of our redemption. What aspect of our redemption are we celebrating? We celebrate our being physical, our embodiment, our being a body and a somebody because we are made into one body of believers in Christ Jesus, and made one with the entire universe. Body of Christ, feast of the good created world, the feast of Community, the feast of the invisible God becoming tangible. Let us rejoice and be glad, for the “Joy of the Lord is our shelter.”

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Pentecost – Mother’s Day 2008

Sunday, May 11th, 2008

May 11, 2008

Story from Ghana, West Africa Once upon a time thee were three women who wanted to have children. They tried everything to get pregnant, but to no success. All three women went to the local medicine man for help. When they arrived at the lodge of the medicine man they explained their situation. He told them that he could help but there was a “Catch 22.” He explained that they could surely have a baby, but when they gave birth they would go mad or go crazy.

The women needed to think carefully about this. The three women went back to their homes, thinking about the consequence of having a baby. Two of the women decided that “yes” they wanted the medicine, even if it made them crazy. The third woman decided that “no” she did not want a baby if it made her mad. So the medicine man gave the two women his medicine and all three women went back to their homes. Sure enough, in due time the two women gave birth to beautiful babies. The mothers waited several month, expecting to become crazy but nothing happened. So they went back to the medicine man and asked: “When are we going to go crazy?” The medicine asked them if they were not already crazy and the women said “no.” Then as they talked their babies began to fuss. So both women began to sway and bounce to calm their babies. They began to coo and make funny noises for their babies. The medicine man began to laugh. “Look at you,” he said to the women. “Who is making the music that you are dancing to and what are the strange cooings you make, the faces you distort and your smiles without reason. Is this not craziness???? And I tell you that with children they will make you even more crazy with each passing year. You will make fools of yourselves in public and in private.”

When the third woman heard this story she went back to the medicine man and said that she too wanted to have a baby, but he told her that it was too late. Her fear of what others might say about her and her unwillingness to risk the unexpected had prevented her from her deepest desire.

I laughed when I read this story. A small baby can turn the most dignified adult into what seems like a crazy person, saying such things as “kitchey, kitchey koo” and making funny faces.

Here is the connection with Pentecost and Mother’s Day. A crazy thing happened on that first Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit came down on the disciples they started to act strange. People said that they must be drunk. In the same way that parents of a baby might be accused of being crazy because they make baby sounds and have exaggerated expressions on their faces. At that first Pentecost the disciples began to speak in different languages. The interesting thing is that these uneducated Galileans were not making crazy babbling sounds. Rather they wee speaking in recognizable languages, not their native Aramaic, but in languages from all over the world. Strangers visiting Jerusalem from far off, heard the disciples of Jesus speaking in their own dialects and their diverse languages. It was a crazy event. No wonder the disciples attracted so much attention and won so many converts. There is no earthly explanation for this remarkable event. Only God could touch people in such a way that they could communicate with strangers from other lands in such a profound way.

Pentecost say to us that the Gospel is for all people. The disciples spoke in foreign languages because the Gospel isn’t just for people who speak Hebrew or Aramaic or Greek or Latin. It isn’t just for people who speak English or Spanish. It is for people everywhere: rich people and poor people, people of every color and nationality. People who are saints and people who are sinners. The Gospel is for everyone. No exceptions – no ifs, ands and buts. Everybody.

Story: Thee was a man who was famous for dedicating his entire life to outcasts, the homeless, people in prison, those with AIDS. He was interested in just about all poor people. When he was asked what he did these works of compassion, he said: “The reason I do what I do is because of the body language of Jesus.” He was asked to explain what Jesus’ body language had to do with anything. The man said: “Yes, Jesus’ body language. Think about Jesus hanging on the cross. His arms wee stretched to their fullest extent. Now I realize that his are stretched because his hands are nailed to the wood of the cross. However, I believe that the arms of Jesus are stretched out to the fullest because that was the only way he could welcome everyone into the full embrace of God’s family. And that needs to be our body language also. That is why the image of the cross is so vital and important to us as Catholic Christians. We need the loving embrace of the outstretched arms of Jesus.” That is the story of Pentecost and miracle of motherhood.

Last point: Nobody can see or understand God. God is far beyond anything we can imagine. No one has ever seen God. However, the New Testament gives us a hint about the Holy Spirit. Thee are three symbols of the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures. One symbol is that of a dove. It come from a story about the baptism of Jesus when the Holy Spirit came down upon Jesus in the Jordan River in the form of a dove. So the dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Now I want you to see the other two symbols at once. I am going to light this match. The flame is another symbol of the Holy Spirit. In the first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles we read that “tongues of fire which parted and came to rest upon each of one of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” The flame is another symbol. Now watch as I blow out the flame. That is the third symbol of the Holy Spirit: the wind. You cannot see the wind and you cannot control the wind, but a mighty wind like a tornado and pick up a house and move it. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit is like that. You cannot see it, but when the Spirit moves, people’s lives are changed. That connects with the image of Jesus’ body language with his arms stretched out to embrace and accept us. It all fits together a dove, a flame and the wind.

Happy Pentecost and Happy Mother’s Day.

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