Jamestown and Williamsburg

Yesterday the two of us spent the morning at the Jamestown Settlement, an extensive museum and outdoor exhibit depicting the first permanent English settlement in America. Our visit once again began with a film describing the colony's first difficult years. We then roamed through the museum displays, joined by hundreds of children on school field trips. One can only hope they absorbed some of the history to which they were exposed.

The outdoor exhibits include replicas of three period ships, a recreation of the settlement's fort, and a typical Indian village. We boarded the Discovery, the smallest of the three ships, and could not imagine sailing across the Atlantic on so small a vessel. Brave hearts in those days! At the Indian village Diane and I spent some time chatting with a young woman who was making needles from pieces of deer bone. The fort, a reproduction of the sort built by the English colonists, was equally interesting and underscored the challenges faced by those who left their homeland to settle in this rather hostile wilderness. 

Above: Diane aboard Discovery

Above: Powhaten "Indians" 

Leaving Jamestown, we returned to the riverside town of Yorktown to spend a little time in a used bookstore we had noticed on our previous visit. After a mediocre lunch in a local restaurant we drove to Williamsburg and revisited the shops and exhibits. 

In the midst of our ramblings along Duke of Gloucester Street we encountered the traitorous Benedict Arnold, now an officer in the British Army and accompanied by a squad of redcoats. Addressing the people of Williamsburg, he attempted to rationalize his actions with little success. In truth as a British Brigadier General, Arnold actually did carry the war to Virginia and even captured Richmond. He eventually settled in London and died there in 1801 at the age of 60. He was generally disliked by both the Americans and the English.

Above: Arnold the traitor addresses a hostile crowd

Above: Basket makers in Williamsburg

Above: a typical Williamsburg house

Today we head to Northern Virginia to join our friends, the Lees; and tomorrow it's on to Annapolis where Dave and I hope to attend the Navy football game. The weather, however, has turned much colder, especially for those of us who live in Florida.

Yorktown: America's Battle

Yesterday the four of us visited Yorktown to see the battlefield.  With the exception of a few skirmishes, Yorktown was really less of a battle and more of a short-term siege. But its happy result was the beginning of the end for the British in the 13 former colonies. Within two years the Treaty of Paris had been signed, the war was officially over, and Great Britain accepted (more or less) the independence of the United States of America.

Above: Nancy and Diane with George W., who seems to be enjoying it.

At first we visited Virginia's Yorktown Victory Center, a well-designed and well-run museum that addresses the Revolutionary period but focuses largely on the climactic American victory at Yorktowm. The period displays of a Continental Army encampment and of a small eighteenth-century family farm were extremely interesting. We were particularly impressed by the docents who described the period's medical practices as well as the weaponry and tactics of the army during the war -- interesting stuff. Of course, I took pictures.

Above: a colonial turkey

Above: a colonial farmhouse, a one-room fixer-upper

Above: a Continental Army encampment

Above: a musket is fired at the enemy

Above: the medical officer's tent

We then drove a mile to the actual Yorktown Battlefield site run by the National Park Service. We sat through an interesting film and then joined the walking tour conducted by a young park ranger from Kentucky named Jenny. What a joy! Jenny not only knows her subject well, but she also presents it with enthusiasm and humor. Her 45 minutes with us was one of the highlights of our stay here in Virginia. She deserves a raise!

Above: Jenny, our tour guide and National Park Ranger

Above: Redoubt #9 -- Scene on the Yorktown battlefield

As you can see, yesterday was another wonderful day. Sadly our friends had to leave us last evening and return to their home in Northern Virginia. We will follow and join them on Friday. But today, Dear Diane and I visited the Jamestown Settlement and also made a return visit to Colonial Williamsburg, something I'll describe in my next post.

Pray for our country, and that honest, courageous leaders will arise from the people and return us to the principles that guided our founding fathers.

Williamsburg Scenes

Before describing yesterday's visit to the Yorktown Battlefield, I'll post a few more photos of Tuesday's day-long stroll through the streets of Colonial Williamsburg.

Above: a view of the Capitol

Above: In the stocks

Above: the stage rumbles through the city

Above: a shop window

Above: view through the window of a wig shop

Above: enjoying a lovely fall day and a good book

Above: the Colonial Virginia Capitol

Above: the jail (gaol)

Williamsburg: Oxen, Taverns and Shops

Yesterday, in celebration of Veterans Day, Dear Diane and I, along with our friends, Nancy and Dave Lee, spent much of the day at Colonial Williamsburg. It had been several decades since our last visit and the changes were considerable. Of course Williamsburg itself was much the same, with the exception of some new shops along Duke of Gloucester Street, the historic site's main drag; but now there's also a large Colonial Williamsburg Visitors Center designed to introduce visitors to the history of the city and to separate them from their cash in the expansive gift and book shops. We purchased three-day passes and then, shunning the shuttle bus, walked the half-mile into the city.

Our first stop along the way was at Great Hopes Plantation, a re-creation of a period working farm just a few hundred yards along the path from the Visitors Center. The folks who run the farm are dressed in period costumes and play their roles well. I was particularly impressed by the young woman driving a team of oxen that pulled a plow to break up the soil of a large field (see photo below). It's not often one sees a team of yoked oxen these days, and as I watched this slip of a woman lead these two huge beasts, I couldn't help but call to mind the Lord's words: "...for my yoke is easy, my burden is light" [Mt 11:30].

Among the more interesting things we encountered at the plantation was a small barn in which air-cured tobacco leaves hung from the ceiling (see below).

After leaving the farm and entering Colonial Williamsburg, I had a more personal encounter with another ox, a rather pleasant animal named Dan. I noticed him cozying up to a group of tourists and decided to join them. As soon as I approached the fence he walked right up to me and posed for a few photos as I patted his rather massive head. Dan was really very friendly and also took an interest in my camera which I managed to keep safely away from him. Here are a couple of photos of Dan...


As we strolled along Duke of Gloucester Street, Dave and I enjoyed the local sights and sounds as the ladies browsed in the shops. Here's a photo of my three companions, Nancy, Dave and Dear Diane (left to right).

I tried to look the part of a colonial preacher by trying on a period clerical hat, but decided it really didn't fit well with my image as 21st-century deacon...

A highlight of our day was lunch at Shields Tavern, an establishment founded by James Shields in the mid-eighteenth century. Dear Diane is a direct descendent of Mr. Shields, so a visit there was a must. Our lunch was actually quite good and was accompanied by a woman playing an Irish harp. Photos follow...



We stopped by the old cemetery at the Episcopal Church and came across an unusual headstone. Take a moment to read the inscription (photo below). Do you see what troubled me about it? Hint: Do the math. We decided the stone-cutter made an error and put 1845 for the year of Mr. Smith's death instead of 1843. Follow-up on 11/13: I went back today and took a closer look at the headstone. It seems there's a small chip out of the last number on Mr. Smith's date of death. That minor damage makes a "3" look very much like a "5". And so, all is well in the cemetery.

The weather was quite nice, generally sunny with unseasonably warm temperatures pushing seventy degrees by mid-afternoon, although we were subjected to a little rainstorm just as we were leaving the city. All things considered, however, we had a very pleasant day and we're ready for a quiet evening back at our little condo.

I'll add some more photos of our Williamsburg visit in my next post which will also address today's excursion to the site of the crucial Battle of Yorktown.
God's peace...

Colonial Roads Less Traveled

In my most recent post I neglected to mention our minor (very minor) adventure on the James River Ferry. Because I tend to avoid the interstate highways whenever I have the time to do so, we made our way from Smithfield, NC to Williamsburg, VA on "blue highways." In this instance my TomTom GPS included a short ferry trip across the James River. Along with about 30 other vehicles we drove aboard the Pocahontas and crossed the river in style...so much more interesting than a mere bridge crossing. The only inconvenience related to the timing of our arrival at the ferry. We had missed the boat by only two minutes and had to wait a half-hour for its return. But since we were in no hurry, it mattered little and gave me an opportunity to get out of the car, stretch my tired muscles, chat with the fellow lined up behind us, and take a few photos.


And speaking of blue highways, traveling along them provides opportunities to see and experience that which no interstate can offer. For example, you'll never see this on I-95:

...nor will you ever get "up close and personal" with a cotton ball when barreling along I-40. But while driving on state and county roads all things are possible:

We spent yesterday, Veterans Day, with the other tourists at Colonial Williamsburg. I have no time this morning to share our adventures. Later today...

To Williamsburg...

Another enjoyable day! I really do enjoy traveling, even if it's to less than exotic places. Wherever we go, Dear Diane and I meet the most pleasant and interesting people. The staff at the Holiday Inn Express in Smithfield, NC were helpful, cheerful and seemed to truly enjoy their work. After our excellent complementary breakfast we got back in our Kia and made our way to downtown Smithfield, all of a mile away. We parked the car and strolled along Main Street as we waited for the Ava Gardner Museum to open. Smithfield seems like a pleasant town, one of those nice, comfortable small cities undergoing a bit of a renaissance. We parked near the Greenway that runs alongside the Buffalo Creek and Neuse River and enjoyed the view. I took a short stroll on the riverwalk so I could snap a few photos.

The Ava Gardner Museum is actually quite interesting and well designed. Our visit began with a brief (20-minute) film on her life, after which we viewed the many displays highlighting her early years in Smithfield, her film career, and her later life outside of Hollywood. Diane, a devotee of old movies, took it all in, and the docent on duty, a lovely woman named Sarah, answered every question with a smile. After an hour or so we had probably learned more than enough about Ava Gardner and her three show-biz husbands: Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw, and Frank Sinatra. Here's a photo of Ava and Frank, a romance that ended like the others in divorce.


I bought a coffee mug and Diane a book from the museum's shop.

Leaving Smithfield in mid-morning we made our way north to Virginia along country highways. As we passed through one rural county after another it became obvious that we were in cotton country. Most of the fields had already been harvested, but I was surprised that so many were still filled with unpicked cotton. Actually, a cotton field that's ready to be harvested is a beautiful sight, so I was pleased to see so many and took a bunch of photos.


We stopped for lunch at the Hungry Rooster, a nice little restaurant in the unusually named town of Boykins, Virginia. The food was quite good, the prices reasonable, and our waitress was just about a nice as she could be. 

By mid-afternoon we had arrived here at Williamsburg where we met up with our friends. We moved into our temporary home, a two-bedroom suite at the Holiday Inn Club Resort, caught up on family news over a glass of wine, then went out for a light dinner. On Tuesday we hope to take in the wonders of colonial Williamsburg.

On the Road Again

Once again I find myself wide awake in the day's early hours listening to Dear Diane's soft breathing as she sleeps in our hotel room's remarkably comfortable bed. Diane needs more sleep than I so this is a normal occurrence for us, especially when we're traveling. Yesterday she and I spent the day driving north along America's most-traveled corridor, I-95, and ended up in Smithfield, North Carolina.

By the time we arrived at the Holiday Inn Express the sun had set and so Smithfield remains a bit of a mystery. It's one of those towns we have passed by a hundred times in the past but never stopped to see. From what others tell me, it is a farming community known for its excellent hams. But what has intrigued me most about Smithfield is its claim as the birthplace of the late actress, Ava Gardner. I know this because there's a prominent sign on the interstate encouraging travelers to visit the Ava Gardner Museum. We intend to visit the museum this morning and by doing so take away a bit of the mystery surrounding this community.

Actually, in my younger days I, along with a few million others, had a bit of a crush in Ms. Gardner. She was, after all, a beautiful, woman. I really can't comment on her acting ability since that was never an interest. I suppose I was a bit like Louis B. Mayer, the head of MGM, who after viewing her screentest demanded that the 18-year-old beauty be signed to a contract. In a telegram Mayer wrote, "She can't sing, she can't act, she can't talk, She's terrific!" Yes, there was just something about her...Anyway, after the museum, we might buy a Smithfield ham, a more than fitting souvenir for a town so closely connected to Hollywood.

We expect to shake the dust of Smithfield from our feet by about noon, and then make our way via the back roads of North Carolina and Virginia to historic Williamsburg. We plan to spend the next four days there with our dear friends, the Lees, and get in touch with a few of our national roots. I'm looking forward to having a meal at Shields Tavern, a Williamsburg establishment dating back to colonial times. Our son, Ethan, who has an interest in the family genealogy, has informed Dear Diane that she is a direct descendant of the Mr. Shields who first opened the tavern. Maybe they'll give us a pint on the house.

It's now time to greet the rising sun and sample the hotel's complimentary breakfast. We have a busy day planned and will need nourishment. More tomorrow.

God's peace...

Greek Orthodox Priest Addresses UN on the Persecution of Christians

In September Father Gabriel Naddaf, a Greek Orthodox priest from Nazareth spoke  to the United Nations Human Rights Council about the persecution of Christians in the Middle east. I've included a video (below) of his comments.

Here is a transcript of Father Naddaf's comments:

Mr. President, I am speaking to you on behalf of UN Watch.

Standing before you is Father Gabriel Naddaf, a Christian citizen from Nazareth, the city in which Christ was raised and where he proselytized.

Dear Sirs, while I stand before you today, the earth of the Middle East is soaked with the blood of Christians being killed daily.

Do you know that at the start of the 20^th century, Christians comprised 20% of the population of the Middle East?

Today they comprise only 4%.

Do you know that over the past years some 100,000 Christians have been killed annually? And why? Not for a crime they’ve committed, but only for believing in Christ.

In Iraq alone, more than 77% of the Christians have fled during the year 2000, in addition to thousands killed and expelled.

Some 2 million Christians lived in Syria, but today, they are less than 250,000.

Christians in these countries are treated as second-class citizens; facing racial, religious, economic and social discrimination.

Why is this happening? Only due to their religion, a religion that advocates love and peace between mankind.

Christians in the Middle East are marginalized; their rights denied, their property stolen, their honor violated, their men killed, and their children displaced.

Where will they go? Who will defend them? And who will guard their property?

If we look at the Middle East, Mr. President, we realize there’s only one safe place where Christians are not persecuted.

One place where they are protected, enjoying freedom of worship and expression, living in peace and not subjected to killing and genocide.

It is Israel, the country I live in. The Jewish state is the only safe place where the Christians of the Holy Land live in safety.

Christians and Jews live in Israel not only because Christ was originally Jewish, born in Jewish Bethlehem, but because they share a common destiny, and a true hope to coexist in peace.

Does the world acknowledge Israel for protecting its Christians? Many in the international community have chosen to criticize Israel.

This, in my mind, is a double crime: because by doing so, the international community helps those striving to annihilate the Jews, the Christians, the Druze and the Yazidis for political ends.

By doing so, the international community unfortunately contributes to exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.

It causes Christians to leave the land of Christ searching for a safe haven across the world.

It is time for the world to awaken and realize the truth of those striving to destroy the Jewish state.

They are hastening the death sentence of Christians in the Middle East and the Holy Land, the land which witnessed the birth and life of our Lord Jesus Christ. If they leave, who will remain in it?

I, Father Gabreal Naddaf of Nazareth, stand before you and plead: O world leaders and supporters of peace, stop those who want to destroy the only free Jewish state in the region.

It is the only refuge welcoming and protecting all of its citizens. It is the only place that does not attempt to push out Christians, forcing them to leave their land in search of security.

I implore you from the bottom of my heart to hear the cry of the Christians of the Middle East before it is too late, and you may read about them only in the history books.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Homily: Wednesday, 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Year A)

Readings: Phil 2:12-18; Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14; Luke 14.25-33
______________________

I love to plan. I especially love planning trips. Indeed, Diane and I are about to leave on a little vacation and I’m in the midst of planning all the details. But I invariably overlook something, usually some little thing that leads to some minor annoyance. But sometimes it’s not so little and leads to all sorts of unexpected problems, turning all my plans to dust.

It’s not unlike the tower builder and the king described by Jesus. When it comes to the things of this world, poor planning leads to problems and embarrassment. But they’re forgotten soon enough. Not so when it comes to our spiritual life.

A few months ago our little  dog and I were waiting for Diane outside the local Publix Supermarket when a young couple approached me and asked if I’d been saved. I simply replied: “I’m working on it. Read Philippians 2:12.”

For that’s where Paul clearly instructs us in today’s reading “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling” [Phil 2:12]. And rightly so, because the stakes couldn't be any higher. Yes, the message today is not to take our salvation for granted. Jesus tells us and His would-be disciples to calculate the cost if we want the promised reward.

And what’s that cost? Oh, just everything we have; for to be one of His disciples, we must be willing to renounce all for Him. And not just possessions; for placing any relationship above God is just another form of idolatry. Do whatever you have to do in order to follow me, He tells us. Discipleship is your highest priority…higher even than your family.

He asks us, too, to carry our own cross, willingly and cheerfully. We all have a cross, some heavier than others; but if we walk with Christ, none is heavier than we can bear.

God’s love compels us to choose without compromise. We either give our lives over to him completely or we keep them for ourselves.

And Paul tells us as well: “...you are not our own. For you have been purchased at a price” [1 Cor 6:19-20].  In other words, we are God’s…and were bought with the price of Jesus’ precious blood…

…blood He shed on the cross to redeem us from slavery to sin…

...blood He shed to free us from death and instead give us life, eternal life.

This is what Jesus offers us: the gift of an abundant life beyond our imagining, an everlasting peace and happiness with God.

The choice is ours. Let the love of Christ compel each one of us to put God first in all we do

And remember, the Lord doesn't leave us alone when we choose to follow Him. He remains with us, every step of the way.

Homily: 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Readings: Ex 22:20-26; Ps 103; 1 Thes 1:5c-10; Mt 22:33-40
_______________________

Remember last Sunday’s Gospel passage? Sure you do. You remember…the Pharisees tried to entrap Jesus by asking if it were right to pay taxes to the Roman emperor. Their scheme, of course, failed because Jesus' only concern was God and God's Kingdom. He turned the tables on His accusers by saying, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

Well, in today's passage the Pharisees once again tried to entrap Jesus. When they asked Him, “Which commandment of the Law is the greatest?” they were far from sincere. Jewish scholars of the Law spent their lives pondering this question, and few agreed. Yes, the Pharisees hoped to demonstrate publicly that this upstart from Galilee was an ignorant country bumpkin. How could He hold His own against these experts in the Law? Jesus’ answer would only demonstrate his ignorance. 

Or so they thought. Once again Jesus surprises them by quoting two passages from Scripture, and in effect tells them that all God’s teachings are based on these two commandments. The first, from Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love your God with your whole heart, your whole mind and your whole soul.”

God wants it all. He wants us to turn every dimension of our lives and our being over to him. He wants our whole minds. He doesn't want us to think about Him only when we need Him and then forget about Him. He doesn't want us to fill our minds with powerful distractions that obscure or erase His presence. He doesn't want us to misuse our minds, filling them with evil thoughts of greed, jealousy, anger or lust.

"Give me your whole minds," Jesus says to us. "Are you distressed? Do you despair? Have your children or your parents hurt you? Remove the hatred from your minds and let my love take over. I’ll transform your thoughts and give you a new understanding. I’ll give you wisdom." 

Jesus also tells us to give God our hearts, our whole hearts. He tells us to love him with every part of ourselves, with every way there is to love. We are called to imitate God, to return the love He gives to us. But God’s love is total love, sacrificial love, the love we see on the Cross. Are we ready to love God sacrificially? Are we willing to give our hearts, our very lives for God, as so many others have?

And Jesus tells us to love God with our whole souls, our immortal souls, that which separates us from other creatures. We have the ability to think and to love. We have the ability to choose, to imagine, and to express ourselves. 

We are unique reflections of God – made in His image and likeness. And what is God’s image? What is His likeness? St. John tells us clearly: “God is love.” Our ability to see meaning in life, to recognize purpose to existence, is directly proportional to our willingness to reflect the presence, the love, of God. We each have a capacity to reflect God’s presence, our own unique way to bring His love into the world.

The other passage Jesus chose was from Leviticus: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  This is the second great commandment, Jesus tells us. 

If we love God as He calls us to love Him, we then must love ourselves; for we were created out of His love. If God loves each of us so much, then, of course, we should love ourselves.

I remember a story about a young mother who was trying to help her little boy understand this commandment. “God put us here to help others,” she told him. He thought for a moment and then asked, “What are the others here for?” The little lad would have made a good Pharisee.

God wants us to love Him by loving each other; and to love each other completely not just now and then.

He tells husbands to love Him by loving their wives, and wives to love Him by loving their husbands. Love, true love, is God's presence. The sacrament of marriage is the union of God's love to the love of husband and wife for each other. 

We cannot love God if we love only with a selfish love, a what’s-in-it-for-me love. We cannot claim that something is love, when we are in fact just using another person. We cannot love God if we nurture a hatred for another in our hearts. 

 “Love me,” the Lord says, “by loving your neighbors, your spouse, your children, your parents, your relatives, your colleagues at work, the kid who mows your lawn …everyone.” 

You see, Jesus’ definition of neighbor differs from that of the Pharisees, who applied this commandment only to other Jews. Jesus changes this. Recall the parable of the Good Samaritan, in which He expands neighbor to include strangers, even our enemies. And this, brothers and sisters, ain’t easy. 

But even more shocking to those who resisted His teaching, Jesus goes on to include sinners and all kinds of other folks. He includes the prisoner, the criminal, the drug addict, the prostitute. He includes the homeless, the panhandlers. He includes the dying, the disabled, the mentally ill. He includes those we haven’t met and those we don’t know. He includes people from the farthest corners of the globe, people from our inner cities, people whose cultures and ways of life are alien to us. 

Among our neighbors are the unborn infant, the lonely and forgotten one in the nursing home, the convict on death row, the terrorist. He includes not only those who are hard to love but those it’s easy to ignore or forget.

Do you remember a dozen years ago when the Washington DC area was plagued by the pair of snipers who were shooting people indiscriminately? Well, one of the later victims was seriously wounded as he and his wife left a Virginia restaurant. His wife refused to be interviewed by the media, and instead asked a hospital representative to read a statement. In it, she thanked those who were praying for her husband, and asked for their continued prayers not only for him but for the person who shot him. She didn’t scream for vengeance…she didn’t cry out for revenge…she didn’t plead for closure. No, she asked only for prayers.

Our Christianity obliges us to reach out to others, to the poor, the sick, the defenseless…and even those the world expects and encourages us to hate. But Christian charity isn’t motivated by humanitarianism. It’s motivated by love, by a desire to do God’s will, a desire to be Christ-like.

Quite simply it’s the work of evangelization. People who are starving first need food before they can hear God’s Word or praise His Name. Those who are ill need to experience God's mercy and compassion in others if they are to make sense of their sickness. Those locked in a prison cell, who’ve never known love, never heard a kind word, need to experience another’s love for them before they can accept the perfect love of God.

And let’s not forget, as we approach Election Day, that we can give to Caesar only what is his. And one thing that is not his is God’s gift of life. Life, brothers and sisters, belongs to God, and to God alone. No government has the right to take innocent life, to support such inherently evil acts as abortion, infanticide, and assisted suicide. As true disciples we must resist these evils…just as we should resist capital punishment which so often hinders a person’s redemption.

Every good law, every law that makes any sense, is implied in the Lord's simple answer to the Pharisees: “Love God with your whole mind, your whole heart and your whole soul; and love your neighbor as yourself.”

As we celebrate the sacrifice of Jesus, as Jesus re-presents on this altar His eternal act of love for us on the cross, let’s each take a moment to ask God for the courage to be the people he has called us to be, people who return all they have and are to God – people of his Kingdom. 

Jesus wants you, all of you! He wants it all!

Sign of the Times

Earlier this morning I came across an article that should cause all Americans to shudder. The likelihood that it will have little effect on most people is perhaps even more disturbing.

Mayor Parker

Annise Parker, the openly lesbian major of the city of Houston, Texas, has had the city issue subpoenas demanding that several of the city's pastors turn over any of their sermons addressing homosexuality. The issuance of these subpoenas is, of course, completely unconstitutional since it violates the pastors' clear First Amendment rights, both to freedom of religion and speech. As you might expect, the mayor will not state why she wants the sermons, but one can only believe that she hopes to be able to prosecute one or more of the pastors because of "discriminatory" statements they may have made. You can read more about this in an opinion piece here and in a local news story here.

For several years now I have joined many others in predicting increased pressure on the Church to be silent in the face of political correctness imposed by various levels of government. We have already seen this in a number of states where the Catholic Church has been prohibited from facilitating adoptions because it will not permit homosexual individuals or couples to adopt children. We've also seen it in Obamacare as it relates to the provision of "health" services involving both contraception and abortion. 

Among those on the political left there seem to be two issues that trump everything else: homosexual "rights" and abortion. One is no less than a direct attack on the sacrament of marriage with the goal of destroying the traditional family, and the other is an attack on the sanctity of life. Both, of course, are at the same time direct attacks on the Church, and in particular, the Catholic Church. Once the Church and its moral objections are removed, the state can claim its complete authority over virtually all aspects of private life, even life itself.

Cardinal Francis George

In a post written a few weeks ago I quoted Cardinal George, the now retired Archbishop of Chicago, who once stated: "I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison, and his successor will die in the public square.” Many who heard the Cardinal say this probably dismissed it as a gross exaggeration, as an example of episcopal hyperbole; but given what is now taking place in our nation and elsewhere in the world, I suspect they may be reconsidering their doubts.

As for myself, I can't recall ever preaching against homosexuality per se, since the Church does not teach that a person's sexuality is, in itself, sinful. The Church, however, does teach that living a homosexual lifestyle and all that it entails is indeed sinful. Homosexual activity is sinful just as heterosexual activity outside of marriage is sinful. And since the Church clearly defines marriage as a sacrament that can be received only by a man and a woman, any homosexual activity must take place outside of marriage. On several occasions, therefore, I have preached against the homosexual lifestyle. To date, however, no politician -- mayor, governor, president, or dogcatcher -- has demanded copies of my homilies. But since I post most of them on this very blog, they really won't have any trouble finding them.

Homily: 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

Readings: Is 5:1-7; Ps 80; Phil 4:6-9; Mt 21: 33-43

-----------------
About 30 years ago, after the United States Navy once again transferred me from one coast to the other, Diane and I bought a home in a quiet neighborhood of a then-rural suburb of San Diego. It was the perfect home for our growing family, and beyond the back fence we were blessed with nothing but empty hills. Among its selling points were several mature navel orange trees. It also offered a small corral in the event one wished to own a horse. Why anyone would want to do such a thing has always escaped me.

Anyway, on the fence that circled the corral grew a grapevine. Now this vine intrigued me because it actually had a few bunches of grapes hanging from it. As I examined it on that first day I heard the voice of my neighbor who was peering over the fence.

“Don’t bother,” he said. “Grape vines demand too much attention, lots of pruning and care. And those grapes aren’t very good anyway. But your orange trees are healthy. Just make sure you water them.”

As it turned out, these few words from my nosy neighbor formed the foundation of my future agricultural efforts. Afterwards I often looked at that vine, but since I didn’t prune or water it, or really do anything for it, it produced little, just a few sour grapes. But its mere presence sometimes got me thinking about what Scripture had to say about vines.

Indeed, today we heard a lot of words about vines and vineyards, about good grapes and bad, and about violence and responsibility and love. It all began with the words of our psalm in which we see how God’s chosen ones had long seen themselves as a cherished vine planted by God:

“A vine from Egypt you transplanted; you drove away the nations and planted it” [Ps 80:9].

Yes, I will make it a ruin: it shall not be pruned or hoed - Is 5:6

Then in our 1st reading, as Isaiah begins his prophetic ministry, he speaks poetically to God’s People. We heard an inspired Isaiah agreeing with the psalmist, telling the people they are the vine in God’s vineyard, a vineyard he nurtured with care. But Isaiah’s poem is wrapped in a warning because the people had rejected God’s loving care for them. They were unjust and lawless, and so Isaiah prophesies the destruction of the vineyard. Israel will be no more; its people sent into exile.

If only they had been more attentive to God’s will for them…

If only they had been just…

Yes, if only…they would then have been fruitful.

As St. Paul instructed the people of Philippi in our 2nd reading: “…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious… think about these things” [Phil 4:8].

This, friends, is how we are called to live. Not as the Israelites did. Not in fear and anxiety. Not in violence and hatred. Not in anger and revenge. Such things should have no place in our hearts. And once we allow God to prune us, once we allow Him to remove those unproductive branches, then, as Paul reminds us, “…the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” [Phil 4:7].

And then, in our Gospel passage from Matthew, Jesus takes Isaiah’s image of the vineyard and vine, and applies it to the chief priests and those who exercise their authority over the people.

In His parable, Jesus describes a vineyard owner whose servants are sent in advance to remind the tenants of all they owe the owner. But the servants are beaten and killed. And believe me; those listening to Jesus knew what He was saying, for that’s exactly what happened to the prophets.

Jesus goes on to predict His own death; for in their willfulness, their lust for power, the tenants commit the horrendous act of killing the owner’s son. Our Lord then asks His audience of chief priests and elders, “What will the owner do to those tenants…?” [Mt 21:40] Prophetically they reply that the owner will punish them and bring in new tenants to replace those motivated by violence and greed. And with that, Jesus turns their own words, their own prophecy, against them: “…the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit” [Mt 21:43].

And so, it’s through the sacrifice of the Son that the Father makes a relationship with new tenants. He does so by establishing a New Covenant. The Father, you see, doesn’t give up on the vineyard into which he had invested so much. No, the vineyard will endure, but it will be tended by others, tended by a Church that will appreciate all that the Father has done for His people.

Incidentally, I've actually heard Christians use this parable as justification for condemning the Jews. Such thinking goes against all that the Church teaches. As Pope Benedict told a delegation of Jews, the Catholic Church is “called to respect the Covenant established by God with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. She also places herself… in the eternal Covenant of the Almighty, who does not repent of his plan and respects the children of the Promise, children of the Covenant, as her beloved brothers in the faith.” In the words of Pope Pius XII, “To be anti-Semitic is to be anti-Christian.”

The kingdom of God will be given to a people that will produce its fruit - Mt 21:43

This parable, then, isn’t a story about winning or losing. To think so is to misunderstand it. No, it’s about how we must tend the vineyard God has given us. For as the vineyard’s new tenants, we are called to care for it as we wait for the harvest. Unlike me, who did nothing to tend my California grapevine, we are called to be waterers and weeders, pruners and feeders.

Interestingly, brothers and sisters, when we tend the vine and make it fruitful, we do the same to ourselves. You see, my neighbor’s words about my unproductive backyard vine brought to mind the words Jesus spoke to the apostles the night before He died. Remember those words?

“I am the vine, you are the branches” [Jn 15:5].

Well, looking at that backyard grapevine of mine, one thing was obvious. The vine wasn’t at all like one of my orange trees with its trunk and the branches growing from it. No, as I looked at the grapevine I could see that the branches and the vine were one. Indeed, the branches are the vine! You can’t separate them.

Just consider what this means. Through the Incarnation, Jesus became more than just one of us. He became us! That’s right He became you and He became me! This is how He can say so emphatically: “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” [Mt 25:40].

Just think of that! You and I and Jesus are one. And so to exclude another from your life is to exclude Jesus. To exclude another, to exclude Jesus, is to exclude yourself.

The good news? Jesus works right alongside us as we labor in the Father’s vineyard to usher in the Kingdom. Yes, in doing the work of the Father, Jesus does all the heavy lifting. We need only do as He asks.

And, brothers and sisters, the Kingdom bears fruit because the Church – and that’s you and I – is called to be merciful and just, as the Father is merciful and just. The Kingdom bears fruit because, as Jesus promised us, “I am with you always until the end of the age” [Mt 28:20]

And that day is still to come.