Homily: Monday 5th Week of Lent

Once again, a recorded video of this homily for Monday, March 30 -- indeed of the entire Mass -- can be found on our parish website.

https://sumtercatholic.org/homilies/

These video recordings will continue as we cope with the requirements mandated by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The text of my homily follows:
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Readings:  Dan 13:41c-62; Ps 23; Jn 8:1-11

Have you ever done something, that looking back on it, you realize was unjust? I think of my own past – and the present too -- lack of charity, selfishness, displaced anger… I wish I had a more selective memory because the sins of the past can overwhelm us if we let them.

On a retreat some years ago I spent time with the retreat master, a Benedictine monk. He knew I had past issues to discuss, so he simply said, “Let’s make this a confession where you just go through your life and air all those ancient things that trouble you.” I suppose we spoke for an hour or more.

After giving me absolution, he said, “All those failings, all those sins are gone. God not only forgives them, He forgets them. 

“He wants you to be God-like and forget them too. They’re gone. Stop dwelling on them. But don’t forget your story, how God has moved you closer to the person He calls you to be.”

As I rose to leave, he added, “You know all those people who’ve hurt you? Many of them experience the same regrets. But even if they don’t, you must forgive them as well.”

Yes, a most liberating experience, one of reconciliation and conversion.

This is nothing new. God has called us to conversion from the start, from Eden to the Incarnation and beyond. In our reading, we see Susanna falsely accused by…well, by two dirty old men. But the prophet Daniel came to her defense, proving the false witness of the accusers. As a result, they suffered the sentence they tried to inflict on the innocent Susanna.

Susanna ands the Two Elders

Of course, as Christians we might object that they, too, should be forgiven. But remember, God was leading His chosen people, step by painful step, from darkness to the fulness of Truth revealed by Jesus Christ. Jesus will fulfill the Law, revealing the depth of divine love that motivates it, and teaching them and us to live it in its fulness; for God desires our conversion, not our punishment. 

How did He express it to Ezekiel? Listen again to the words of our Gospel acclamation.

“I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live…” [Ez 33:11]

God told His chosen ones it was their sins, their stubbornness and disobedience, that would send them into exile. But still He remains with them, and speaking through His prophet Isaiah, led them to what shall be:

“Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new!” [Is 43:18-19]

God wanted them to trust Him, to look forward not backward, to put their sins, their idolatry behind them and to serve the Living God. They remain His Chosen People, for through them He would bring salvation to the world.

St. Paul, too, reminded of his own past sins, calls us to repentance and conversion: 

“One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus. [Phil 3:13-14]

Yes, Paul tried to forget his sins, while remembering all that God had done for him through the gift of faith. For Paul to forget his story would be to forget his God.

The same is true of the woman caught in adultery. For her, for all of us, the danger lay in living in the past, wallowing in our guilt, unsure of forgiveness, unable even to forgive ourselves. But then she encountered Jesus.

“Has no one condemned you?”…Neither do I condemn you.” [Jn 8:10-11]

Her sin was forgiven, and that forgiveness became a part of her life, her story. Like Paul, she would not forget her story, and neither should we. Because her story is your story and my story. Indeed, she’s really all of us, everyone from Adam until judgment day, all of us in need of a Savior, in need of forgiveness.

"Has no one condemned you?"

Hers is the story of salvation, of sin and mercy, of sin committed and sin forgiven. With forgiveness she’s called to begin a new life: “Go and sin no more,” Jesus tells her and us. Know and love the God who refuses to condemn. Learn to accept His forgiveness.

So many don’t, but go through life, wallowing in guilt, afraid of hell, tormented by their pasts, unable to make peace with their brokenness and human frailty.

This isn’t why God became man. This isn’t why He died that horrible death on that dark Friday afternoon.

The current crisis can tempt us to look back to happier, more stable times; but as Christians we are called to confront the present and look to the future.

We see a building with locked doors and can fall prey to the temptations of the evil one: “Where is my Church? Where is my God?”

Brothers and sisters, God’s Church is not a building. It is His community of salvation. It is you and I, joined together with all members of the living Body of Christ. It is the universal Church, intimately united in the Communion of Saints.

God acts in His Church always, even when the doors of the buildings are locked; for God acts in and through His People, wherever they are.

For the true disciple of Jesus Christ, tomorrow is always better than yesterday. Each day is a new creation in the presence of a loving God.

Confront today’s crisis with faith and prudence but look forward to the hope of tomorrow.

Pray, then, for tomorrow’s hope and for those working tirelessly, with God’s help, to bring it about. Pray too for a rebirth of self-giving, a new birth of love.

Only two weeks of Lent remain. As we all hope to rise with Christ, let us repeat the song He sings to us:

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth” [Is 42:19].

Come to think of it, as Christians, we are the new thing. Why not spring forth, filled with hope?

Reflection: Morning Prayer, Sunday, April 26, 2015

This past weekend Dear Diane and I joined other deacons and their wives on a couples retreat sponsored by the Office of the Permanent Diaconate of the Diocese of Orlando. It was a wonderful retreat, conducted by Fr. Daniel Renaud, OMI, and held at the San Pedro Center in Winter Park, Florida. The theme of the retreat centered discipleship and was based on the beautiful passage from Luke's Gospel describing the two disciples who are joined by the risen Jesus on their walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus [Lk 24:13-35].

I was honored to be asked to lead Sunday Morning Prayer in the chapel. The reading, which I have included below, is from Acts 10 and consists entirely of the words of St. Peter as he preaches to the Roman Centurion, Cornelius, and his household. After the reading I shared the following brief reflection with my brother deacons and their wives.
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"Yes, this man God raised (on) the third day and granted that he be visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.” – Acts 10:40-43
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What a wonderful passage. These are, of course, St. Peter’s words. In fact, Peter is preaching to the Gentiles for the first time, to the Centurion Cornelius and his household.

Peter at the home of Cornelius the Centurion

Peter begins by summing up the Good News of Jesus Christ, and at the same time lets us know what God desires of each of us.

Jesus, who died on the Cross, has been “raised up on the third day” [Acts 10:40]. He’s alive! He eats and drinks and walks and talks among the faithful, just as He did with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Yes, Jesus lives. He’s no disembodied spirit. Indeed, His glorified body bears the marks of His passion and death. How fitting that these marks remain eternally, a constant reminder of God’s enduring love.

But there’s more Good News. His Resurrection brings the fulfillment of a promise; for we, too, shall rise. The longed-for hope of humanity is finally realized. Death is overcome by eternal life.

Is it any wonder Jesus so often tells the disciples not to fear? Yes, the Good News just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it?

Peter now echoes what the Lord told the disciples along the road to Emmaus: “…beginning with Moses and all the prophets…” [Lk 24:27] Yes, “beginning with Moses,” the law-giver. Peter goes on to tell us that Jesus “is the one appointed by God as judge…” [Acts 10:42] That’s right. Jesus is the judge of the living and the dead – the judge who fulfills the Law and brings it to its perfection.

But perfection means more than justice, certainly more than human justice. For in Jesus we come face to face with divine justice, a justice tempered by mercy. As we stand before Him we see the marks of His passion, the marks of God’s love, the wounds of His mercy…and pouring out of them comes hope and forgiveness.

How did Peter put it? “…everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name” [Acts 10:43]. Yes, through Jesus, and only through Jesus, comes our salvation.

The Road to Emmaus

But Jesus is more than a judge. He fulfills more than the Law. Just as Jesus told the disciples on the way to Emmaus, Peter reminds us…“To Him all the prophets bear witness...” [Acts 10:43] All the prophets point to Jesus: He is the Word of God made flesh and through Him the Word of God revealed is brought to fulfillment. Indeed, as Christians we don’t read the Law and the Prophets, the Old Testament, for its own sake, but always with Christ and through Christ and in Christ. Jesus Christ, the Lord of History, fulfills all.

Then, in the very heart of this passage, Peter reveals exactly what’s expected of the disciple… and, brothers and sisters, that includes us. We are called to “preach to the people and testify” [Acts 10:42] – to bear witness to Jesus Christ. It’s a call back to the basics, to the very core of our faith, to the core of our diaconal ministry.

And, yes, it might be our ministry, but we must never forget it's God's work. As the psalmist prayed, "Non nobis, Domine..." -- "Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory" [Ps 115:1].

It's a ministry that will get no easier, for the world may deny Jesus Christ, but we, His disciples, His servants, cannot.

The world can imprison us, but it can’t imprison the Truth.

It can silence us, but it can’t silence the Word of God.

It can even execute us, but it can never kill God’s enduring love.

The Word of God will always sound through the lives of God’s faithful ones.

Even our own sinfulness can’t silence it, because Jesus Christ heals all who come to him. The personal tragedies of our lives can’t silence it. We might be tested, but if the Word of God is deeply rooted in our hearts, we’ll survive the test. Even when we’re unfaithful, Christ remains faithful to us.

We’ve been given a mission, brothers and sisters, one that Pope Francis, Peter’s successor, reminds us of today. We are called to bear witness to Christ crucified and risen from the dead, to testify, through our lives, to the Good News of God's mercy and forgiveness, to remind the world that God is love.

And we’re called to return that love to Jesus; for Jesus is the poor, He is the homeless, the hungry, the dispossessed, the rejected; Jesus is the ill and the dying. Yes, we are called to remind the world of God’s love and to do so without fear.

Blogging Again

It's been almost two weeks since my last post and I've received more than a few emails from friends (and others) asking whether I've given up this little hobby of mine. I suspect some were hoping for a "yes" answer, but unhappily for them I can say definitively that Being Is Good will continue to appear, although  not perhaps so regularly as before.

I've just been busy, and despite my best intentions am not always able or willing to spend time sharing these unworthy thoughts of mine. I had naively believed that retirement, even retirement as a still ministering deacon, would mean more free time to do that which I enjoy. Silly boy! I'm afraid a form of Parkinson's Law begins to govern the lives of permanent deacons as soon as they retire from their civilian occupations. It's probably best stated as: Ministries multiply to the point where they fill all the available waking hours of the deacon and his wife.

Now, I'm not complaining...really I'm not. I truly enjoy every ministry in which I am involved. That, in itself, is an undeserved blessing for which I am exceedingly grateful to God. My teaching and preaching ministries are a joy, and I can't imagine not being able to facilitate, or at least be an active part of, the parish's two weekly Scripture Study sessions. And for nine years now the Wildwood Soup Kitchen, our fellow volunteers, and the wonderful people of God we serve have been a major part of our lives. No doubt there will come a time when Dear Diane and I can no longer do the work, but I prefer not to think about that possibility.

There are more, and among them is a new ministry -- new at least to us -- and one that we have come to enjoy immensely. Since the beginning of the year Dear Diane and I have been working several days each month as volunteer on-call chaplains at our local hospital. It's really not all that demanding. On our assigned days we're on call for a 24-hour period and also spend perhaps four hours or so at the hospital visiting new arrivals and others who need to be reminded of God's presence and love in their lives. It's a very ecumenical ministry. We visit everyone who doesn't specifically state they want to see no chaplain: Catholics, Protestants of every denomination, Jews, unbelievers....everyone. So far, I'm convinced we have received far more from the patients we visit (and their families) than they could possibly have received from us. What a wonderfully rewarding ministry. It's never the same, never routine, always a blessing...and the hospital gives us a free lunch! As Mr. Levi, one of our favorite soup kitchen patrons, would put it, "God is good, Mr. Dana. God is truly good." Amen!

Dear Diane and I returned just a few hours ago from our annual deacon couples retreat. About 50 couples attended. It was one of those Friday evening through Sunday noon weekend retreats at which the retreat master tried to accomplish far too much. At least that's the way it seemed to me. I believe a two-day retreat should focus only on one aspect of our spiritual and ministerial lives and delve into that aspect at some depth. Doing so offers the possibility of real change and spiritual advancement, as opposed to a wide-ranging approach that skims the surface of many different aspects of our spiritual lives. In the latter instance one comes away thinking, "Wow, that's a lot to absorb into my life, a lot of changes to make, but I really have no idea where or how to start." I would rather, for example, spend a weekend on a retreat that focused on the shared prayer life of a deacon and his wife, and enter into that one subject at far greater depth. But this is a topic for another post, after I've had more time to absorb all that I experienced this weekend.

Five deacons' wives (Diane center)

During the retreat Dear Diane and four other deacons' wives (see the photo above) were asked to give reflections on various aspects of Mary's life as described in the Gospels of Luke, Matthew and John. Each of these five women did a marvelous job.

Our Bishop Emeritus here in Orlando, Bishop Norbert Dorsey, C. P., died Thursday evening at the age of 83. His passing added a note of sorrow to our retreat. A Passionist priest, Bishop Dorsey was the Bishop of Orlando when I arrived here from Massachusetts in early 2004. Shortly thereafter he retired to be succeeded by Bishop Thomas Wenski, now Archbishop of Miami, who was replaced in turn by our current Bishop John Noonan. I met Bishop Dorsey only a few times but was impressed by his gentle and kind nature and his infectious smile. I will join several of our parish's deacons as we attend his funeral in Orlando this coming Thursday.

Finally, I haven't had time to sort out all my thoughts on Pope Benedict's resignation and impending departure from the Papacy. I love the man dearly and certainly understand his reasons. Humility has always been his most evident virtue and his decision highlights this fact. But I will miss him terribly and am convinced that much of what he has done as Pope will only bear fruit long after he has gone. Pray for him.

Deacons' Retreat Weekend

Diane and I leave later today for our annual diaconal retreat to join the other deacons and their wives of the Diocese of Orlando for a weekend of prayer and reflection. This is probably my favorite weekend of the year, a time to step away from all the busyness of daily life and ministry and regroup spiritually.

We also look forward to spending some time with our new bishop, John Noonan, who will join us Sunday morning to celebrate Mass and to install several men as acolyltes. They are currently in the diocese's diaconate formation program.

In any event, I won't be posting anything until Sunday evening at the very earliest.

Please keep us all in your prayers.

Thanks and blessings...

Yesterday & Tomorrow

Our annual diaconal retreat was wonderful! Deacon Bill Ditewig, an old friend and a wonderful teacher, conducted the retreat. Deacon Bill teaches and directs the theology graduate program at St. Leo University here in Florida. His talks during our weekend retreat focused on the deacon and the Mass, and placed particular emphasis on the spirituality of the deacon's vocation of worship. Although I suppose I already knew most of the basic information Bill provided, his insights and ability to integrate that information with other elements of the deacon's ministry gave me a renewed appreciation of the deacon's role in the liturgy. I only wish we had been able to spend more time with him.

Tomorrow Diane and I head north to visit our children and grandchildren in Massachusetts. We have a new grandchild arriving any day now, a beautiful reason to celebrate. We are also going to participate in the funeral Mass for my brother, Jeff, and then inter him with our parents in Chatham, Mass. And so the joy of the trip will be mixed with sadness. But I am thrilled that Jeff's elder son, Marshall, will be attending the funeral. Marshall will fly up from his home in a very remote section of Costa Rica. My grown children are excited about once again spending some time with their cousin whom they haven't seen in many years.

Of course, my biggest concern regarding this trip relates to the weather. Leaving Florida for the frigid north, especially when another blizzard-like storm is predicted to hit over the next few days, is not something I would normally do. Only a new baby and a funeral could motivate me to make such a trip. Just my luck, Massachusetts will probably get hit with another two-feet of snow just as we arrive. Ah, well, I lived with snow and cold for most of my life. I suppose I can handle another few weeks of it.

Two feet of snow

Some recent polling statistics on Catholics. Here's some data that might depress you a bit, so if you'd like to remain bright and cheery, I suggest you read no further.

The Knights of Columbus and Marist College just released the results of a survey that focused on the age-group called American Millennials; i.e., young adults aged 18 to 29. According to the results of their extensive survey...

• 85% of Catholic Millennials (those 18-29) believe in God.
• 66% of Catholic Millennials say abortion is morally wrong, while 63% say the same of euthanasia.
• 82% of Catholic Millennials see morals as “relative.” The majority of practicing Catholics (54%) disagree.

If you want to read more, detailed results are available in a PDF PowerPoint file here: American Millennials. And if you don't want to read more, I don't blame you.

Blessings...

Before a Retreat

Yesterday I made reservations for Diane and me to attend our annual diocesan deacons' retreat scheduled for next month. I truly appreciate that our diocese here in Florida (the Diocese of Orlando) includes deacons' wives in all our retreats and continuing education weekends. That certainly wasn't the case in my previous diocese where I rarely felt the wives of deacons were fully appreciated. And I am confident the vast majority of married permanent deacons would agree that their wives have had a positive impact on their ministry, and that without their wives' love and support, that ministry would suffer greatly.

As I prayed my Morning Prayer this morning and added an intention for the success of next month's retreat, I couldn't help but recall past retreats. (My mind often wanders during prayer. In this instance Morning Prayer took and extra 15 minutes due to my mental digressions.) Anyway, most of the retreats in which I have taken part over the years have been wonderful experiences, times of valuable reflection and spiritual rejuvenation. But some few have left me spiritually cold and made me question the value of the time spent. Looking back on them now, I suspect that the perceived value of the retreat had less to do with the retreat master and more to with my attitude before, during and after.

This early morning realization led me to recall a poem I first read 10 or 15 years ago -- a poem I recommend everyone read before making a retreat. It was written by Msgr. Robert Hugh Benson (1871-1914), the English priest who was theologian, poet and novelist. Msgr. Benson is probably most famous for Lord of the World, an apocalyptic novel about the Antichrist and the last days. Benson, a convert to Catholicism, came from a rather distinguished Anglican family. His father was E. W. Benson, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and his two brothers, A. C. Benson and E. F. Benson, were also famous literary types.

The poem is entitled , "After a Retreat."
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           After A Retreat

What hast thou learnt today?
Hast thou sounded awful myteries,
Hast pierced the veiled skies,
Climbed to the feet of God,
Trodden where saints have trod,
Fathomed the heights above?
     Nay,
This only have I learnt, that God is love.

What hast thou heard today?
Hast heard the Angel-trumpets cry,
And rippling harps reply;
    Heard from the Throne of flame
Whence God incarnate came
Some thund'rous message roll?
     Nay, 
This have I heard, His voice within my soul.

What hast thou felt today?
The pinions of the Angel-guide
That standeth at they side
In rapturous ardours beat,
Glowing, from head to feet,
In ecstasy divine?
     Nay,
This only have I felt, Christ's hand in mine.
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Here's a wonderful website with links to Msgr. Benson's works: Benson Unabridged

God's peace...