29th Sunday Ordinary B- Balance the 3P's- Pleasure, Possession, Power

There are three P-s a human person needs to be happy: Pleasure, Possession, and Power.  Pleasure makes us relish our present wellbeing.  Possession gives us access to obtain our needs. And power enables us to control the environment including people around us.  The 3 P’s are needed for happiness. BUT an exaggerated focus on them could leave us unhappy- Being obsessed with pleasure leads to its addiction. Being obsessed with possession leads us to greed. Being obsessed with power leads us to corruption. This is our struggle: to balance our need, our craving for pleasure, possession and power.

If we have been following the gospel readings of these three consecutive Sundays, all from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 10, we notice that we have been invited to reflect on these three temptations that we face. 

The gospel passage of the 27^th Sunday (Mk 10:2-16) invited us reflect on marriage and family:  Christian marriage is not to be based on the sole principle of pleasure, but on faithfulness and love. 

The gospel passage of the 28^th Sunday (Mk.10:17-30) was on the inability of the rich man to be a disciple of Jesus because of his possessions.  Christian life is to be based on detachment and simplicity. 

Today, the 29^th Sunday, the gospel reading (Mk.10:35-45) invites us to reflect on power.  As Christians we influence our environment not through power and control, but in humble service and willingness to suffer for another.

A battleship had been at sea on its routine manoeuvres under heavy weathers for days. The captain, who was worried about the deteriorating weather conditions, stayed on the bridge to keep an eye on all activities.

One night, the lookout on the bridge suddenly shouted, “Captain! A light up ahead.” “Is it stationary or moving?” the captain asked.

The lookout replied that it seems to be stationary. This meant the battleship was on a dangerous collision course with this other vessel. The captain immediately ordered his signalman to signal to the ship: “We are on a collision course. I advise you to change course 20 degrees east.”

Back came a response from the other ship: “No, You change course 20 degrees west.”

Agitated by the arrogance of the response, the captain asked his signalman to shoot out another message: “I am a captain of the US Navy, you change course 20 degrees east.”

Back came the second response: “I am a Canadian seaman, you still better change course 20 degrees west.”

The captain was furious this time! He shouted to the signalman to send back a final message: “I am a battleship. You better, change course 20 degrees east right now or I’ll ram you.

Back came the flashing response: “Ok Go ahead, I am a lighthouse.”

The captain duly changed course.

Sometimes we are like that Captain. Obsessed with power, wanting to control everything. This reminds us of what Machiavelli once said: “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Now, the more we recognize there is somebody bigger than us, then the better we could be humble servants like what Jesus would like of us. In the gospel he reminds us: “Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.” (Mk.10:43)

Being a servant means giving up my rights for others. In the 2^nd reading from the Hebrews: “We have a high priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. We have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb.4.15)

Being a servant means becoming less so others can become more.

Isaiah in the first reading: “The righteous One, my servant shall bear their iniquities and in doing so shall make them righteous.” (Is.53:11)

Being a servant means being obedient whatever the cost. “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk.10.45)

There is a story of the three stonecutters: "A man asked three stonecutters them what they were doing. The first replied, “I am cutting stones to earn a living. By doing so I get more money. ” The second said, “I am doing the best job of in the world. Doing this give me the greatest pleasure in my life.”  

The third person whose name was Francis looked up with a visionary gleam in his eye and said, “I am building a cathedral.”  And the man asked:“Why?” And Francis narrates: One day in the church of San Damiano, a chapel right outside of Assisi, I heard the invitation of Jesus: “Francis, go build my Church, which you see is falling into ruins.” And I replied: “Yes Lord! If this is what you want, this is what I want, this is what I long for with all my heart.” 

That man was St Francis of Assisi, a truly humble servant. And because of this our Pope chose that name. Pope Francis, and he tells us: “Let us never forget that authentic power is service.” 

References:

Selvam, S. (2012). Towards Wholeness.

http://www.sahayaselvam.org/2012/10/16/sermon-for-29th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-–-year-b-homily/

Wittman, C. (2007). Sermon Series 2. What does Jesus want from us? Humble Service.

http://www.lifeway.com/Article/sermon-what-jesus-wants-humble-service-philippians-2

Lee, H.T. (2013). Coaching Journey.

http://coaching-journey.com/coaching-story-the-battleship-on-a-collision-course/

George, B. (2013). We are all called to be servant leaders.

http://www.billgeorge.org/page/we-are-all-called-to-be-servant-leaders-address

Prichard, S. (2014). Lead with Humility.

http://www.skipprichard.com/lead-with-humility-12-leadership-lessons-from-pope-francis/

27th Sunday ordinary B- Marriage Matters

Why get married? “The Lord God said: It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” Gen.2

Marriage – is it all about looking for a wife or a husband?

A man inserted an ‘ad’ in the classifieds: “Wife wanted”. Next day he received a hundred letters. They all said the same thing: “You can have mine.””

As the boys admire the girls and the girls admire the boys they remind us of the words from elsewhere in the book of Genesis, “God saw all that he had made and indeed it was very good.” (Gen 1) When the girls look at the boys and when the boys look at the girls they say everything God has made is very good, and so after some time they get married to enjoy this goodness more fully and to share in each others joy and sorrows.  And continuing on Genesis 2: “the Lord God took one of the man’s ribs and made it into a woman and brought her to the man.”

Matthew Henry wrote: “Be careful if you make a women cry, because God counts her tears. The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.”  Marriage therefore is an equal partnership.

A wedding lasts only one day, but marriage for the rest of life. Thus our reading from Genesis concludes with: “Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.” (Gen 2:24)  Becoming one doesn’t happen overnight. It is something that is learned and that the couple becomes better at as they share their married life together.

Becoming one means loving each other, sharing their lives with each other, and taking each other into consideration always. Becoming one means getting rid of all selfishness because there is no room for selfishness in marriage.

When two people get married they bring with them to their marriage normal human weaknesses and discover weaknesses in the other which previously they did not know. This is an opportunity to love the other, heal the other, and forgive the other. There are times when like at the wedding at Cana it will seem as if the wine really has run out, times when they forgive each other and make a fresh start.

All marriages are happy–it’s the living together afterward that causes all the problems. It doesn’t matter how often a married man changes his job, he still ends up with the same boss.”

Well truthfully in marriage Jesus is the boss. Marriage unites the couple with Jesus, and brings them God’s blessing. It is not just husband and wife united to each other in marriage; it is husband and wife united to each other with Jesus in marriage. All sacraments have lasting value, and the sacrament of marriage has lasting value. The couple’s promise to each other is until death, to be faithful to each other always, and that is why Jesus rules out divorce in today’s Gospel (Mark 10:2-16).

A couple had been married for 45 years and had raised a brood of 11 children and was blessed with 22 grandchildren. When asked the secret for staying together all that time, the wife replies, “Many years ago we made a promise to each other: the first one to pack up and leave has to take all the kids.”

So, “Is there anything more beautiful in life than a boy and a girl clasping clean hands and pure hearts in the path of marriage? Can there be any thing more beautiful than young love?” And the answer is : “Yes there is a more beautiful thing. It is an old man and an old woman finishing their life’s journey together on that path. Their hands are gnarled, but still clasped; their faces are wrinkled but still radiant; their hearts are physically bowed and tired, but still strong with love and devotion for one another. Yes, there is a more beautiful thing than young love. Old love. Enduring love.”

There is a story about President Grant. (He’s the one whose picture is on the US fifty dollar bill.) When Grant was a young man, he was traveling in a carriage accompanied by a young woman named Julia Boggs Dent. They arrived at a flooded creek with a flimsy bridge over it. Grant said, "Don't be frightened, Julia. I'll take care of you."

Looking at the turbulent creek, she said, "I will cling to you whatever happens." When they reached safety on the other side, he said, "Julia, back there, you said you'd cling to me whatever happens. Would you cling to me for the rest of our lives?"

Well, she would. However, Julia's dad opposed the marriage. He did not consider Grant good enough for his daughter. It took Grant some time to convince her father. In spite of her dad's fears, they had one of the happiest marriages of any public figures. Even in their 50's, the couple still held hands and insisted on being seated next to one another on trains and in restaurants.  Ulysses Grant and Julia Boggs Dent had a beautiful, lifelong marriage.

For those who are married, our prayers for you today is that it may indeed last for a lifetime under God’s mantle of love and protection.

References:

Fisher, J. Those Memorable Memoirs. http://stmaryvalleybloom.org/weddinghomily.html

At the end of his life, Grant made a heroic sacrifice. Even though he was greviously ill with throat cancer, out of concern for the material welfare of Julia and children, he wrote the Memoirs - his only literary work.

Henry, M. (2008). Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Hendrickson Publishers.

Lane, T. (2013). Marriage is a school of love and forgiveness.

http://www.frtommylane.com/homilies/year_b/27.htm

25th Sunday Ordinary B - Life's endless quarrels

St. James (4:1) asks us today: Why do we quarrel? What causes fights and quarrels among us?

The wife sits down next to the husband as he flips channels.

She asks, "What's on TV?" Husband says, "Dust and dirt?"

And then the fight started...

The wife was hinting about what she wanted for their upcoming anniversary. She says, "I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 180 in about 3 seconds. Husband buys her a bathroom scale. And then the fight started......

The wife was looking at herself in the bedroom mirror. She was not happy with what she saw and says to husband, "I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly. I really need you to pay me a compliment.' Husband replies, "Well, at least your eyesight is near perfect."  And then the fight started...

One Christmas, husband decided to buy the mother-in-law a cemetery plot as a Christmas gift... The following year, husband didn't buy mother-in-law a gift. Mother-in-law asks why, husband replies, "Well, you still haven't used the gift I bought you last year!" And that's how the war started....

Life is a never ending quarrel, they say. Let’s take a look at our readings for today:

• The godless say: Let us test him with insult and torture, so that we may find out how gentle he is, and make trial of his forbearance. (Wisdom 2:20)

• The conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from?Where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will be disorder and wickedness of every kind.  (James 3: 16)

• Jesus asked his disciples: What were you arguing about on the way? But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. (Mk 9.33) 

That is what you call life’s endless quarrels, or eternal quarreling. It’s the classic fight between the good forces on one side and the evil forces on the other. It never ends. And do you know how it all began? It all started when God created Angels… “What are all the angels? They are ministering spirits sent to serve God and those who are going to receive salvation.” (Heb.1:14) But then one of them, Lucifer whose name literally means “one who shall bear the light”, refused and said: “I will not serve.” Instead of bringing the light, he brought the darkness that is pride, the first sin.

“Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” (Rev.12:7-9)

Pride had caused the battle between good and evil in the heavens, and because of Adam and Eve’s pride, the eternal quarrel continued in this world of ours.  Can there be a way out of this life’s unending quarrels?

Yes, it is called humility. Saint Augustine once wrote: “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that will make men/women as angels.”

“Jesus took a little child and put it among them: Whoever welcomes the child, welcomes me. Whoever welcomes humility, welcomes me, who is the wisdom from above. (Mk 9:36) The wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits.  A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.” (James 3:17)

Way back in high school (late 70’s) I read the book of Alex Haley, “Roots,” which also became a TV series. It tells the story of Kunta Kinte, an 18th-century African, captured as an adolescent and sold into slavery in the United States. It is considered one of the most important U.S. works of the twentieth century because it inspired Americans to trace their genealogy. Even at the height of his fame and fortune Alex kept a picture in his office, showing a turtle sitting atop a fence. The picture is there to remind him of a lesson he learned long ago: 'If you see a turtle on a fence post, you know he had some help.'

Humility is when we acknowledge that every good thing, every great thing we did was not done by ourselves alone. We had the help of the Guy above as well as those around us.

Finally we end with a quote from Pope Francis: “When one opts for the path of humiliation, he is necessarily opting for fighting and victory… Humiliating oneself means somehow attracting the devil’s intention, fighting, subjecting oneself to temptation, but in the end, winning.”

We are not called to put an end to life’s endless quarrels. We are here to win those quarrels with humility.

References:

Osborne, P.B. The Handbook of Magazine Article Writing.

https://bible.org/illustration/alex-haley

Bergoglio, JM. (2014). The Way of Humility. San Francisco: Ignatius Pres

24th Sunday Ordinary B - Who am I? The Russian Doll mystery

Jesus asks his disciples: "Who do you say I am?" (Mk.8.29)

When Christian Herter was governor of Massachusetts, he was running hard for a second term in office. One day, after a busy morning chasing votes (and no lunch) he arrived at a church barbecue. It was late afternoon and Herter was famished. As Herter moved down the serving line, he held out his plate to the woman who was serving chicken. She put a piece on his plate and turned to the next person in line.

"Excuse me," Governor Herter said, "do you mind if I have another piece of chicken?  "Sorry," the woman told him. "I'm supposed to give one piece of chicken to each person." "But I am starved," the governor said.  "Sorry," the woman said again. "Only one to a customer."

Governor Herter was a modest and unassuming man, but he decided that this time he would throw a little weight around. "Lady, do you know who I am?" he said. "I am the governor of this state."  "And Mister, do you know who I am?" the woman answered. "I am the lady in-charge of the chicken. So move along, mister."

In the above story, the governor and the lady in-charge of the chicken, both try to exert their authority upon the other by revealing their identity of who they are by letting emphatically the question - "Do you know who I am?" In the Gospel Reading of today from St. Mark, Jesus asks his disciples the same very question as regards his identity: "Who do you say that I am?" But here, he does not exert his authority upon them, but asks a simple and straightforward question trying to sincerely seek their opinion and to inquire what the disciples have discovered so far as to 'who Jesus is' for them. Of course it is a personal question and so it demands a personal answer too.

When we read the four Gospels, each Evangelist through his writing tells its readers 'who Jesus is' as he has experienced and discovered. Each of the four Gospels has therefore its own characteristic, its own way of presenting the message of Christ.

Matthew emphasizes Jesus as 'the Wise One, the teacher, the Rabbi.' He preaches in the synagogues, shows wisdom through healing, explains in parables.  Mark highlights Jesus as 'the Suffering One.'   “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering and be rejected, and be killed. Then after three days he will rise again in glory.” (Mk.8)  

Luke sees Jesus as 'the Annointed One” – the one who brings together Gentiles as well as Jews. In Luke Jesus is especially a friend of the poor, the handicapped, those relegated to the fringes of society.

John stresses Jesus as ‘the Divine One'.  The Word made flesh… the one sent by the Father. Different facets of Jesus, but who is he really?

Today Jesus asks - "Who am I?" Peter, speaking in the name of all, says: "You are the Christ. The Savior. The Messiah. "That is who Jesus is, that is his core, his center, his purpose, his identity.

But then, Jesus is not the Messiah they expected. Peter found it hard to accept. For him the Messiah would not, could not suffer. And yet Jesus tells all his disciples that they too must suffer and that they should deny themselves, take up their cross and follow him.

The First Reading, chosen to compliment the Gospel Reading of today is part of the "Suffering Servant" songs that Prophet Isaiah composed about the one who was to come. In this reading, the prophet describes the servant of God who will lead Israel back to God. The servant will suffer, but God will uphold him and will take care of him.

In the New Testament, these words take on a new meaning for us. The prophesy of Isaiah is fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus is the suffering servant in Isaiah, the Messiah who was destined to suffer and so, enter into his glory and in doing so save the world.

Now that you know who Jesus is, he now asks you: “Who are you?”

In the film: "Rise of the Guardians"- where we find Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Sandman, and their newbie Jack Frost:

Santa asks: “Who are you, Jack Frost, and what is your center? If the Man up there chose you to be a guardian, you must have something very special inside.”

Santa goes and picks up a Russian doll (babushka/matryoshka doll) and shows it to Jack Frost. “Here this is how you see me right? Very big and intimidating.  But if you get to know me a little..”

And he makes Jack take off one layer. “You are jolly?” “But not just jolly…” And Santa takes off another layer… “I am also mysterious.”  And he removes another layer of the doll: “I am also caring.”

Finally only one small doll is left. And Jack says: “You are a tiny wooden little baby with very big eyes?”  And Santa says: "Yes, very big eyes, because they are full of wonder. That is my center. Eyes that see with wonder in everything.  Eyes that see lights in trees, and magic in the air.  Wonder is what I put into the world to protect  in the children. It is what makes me a guardian.  And what is yours?"

The gospels are like the Babushka doll. In Matthew we see Jesus as the Wise One. We peel another layer, and we see him in Mark as the Suffering One. Take another and we see him in Luke as the Annointed One. Then another, we discover him in John as the Divine One. And finally we see his core and center as the Christ. Savior. Messiah.

But what about you? Who are you, and what is your core… your center. Only you can answer this. This is your assignment in life.

References:

Lakra, A. (2012). Fr Albert Lakra’s Blog.

http://albee2012.blogspot.ca/2012/09/homily-24th-ordinary-sunday-year-b.html

Eastlock, K. (2003).  “A Place to Stand.”

http://www.angelfire.com/mi2/robhenderson/062903.html

Holmes, C. “Chapter 3.”

https://www.wattpad.com/11398164-once-upon-a-golden-age-rise-of-the-guardians

Hsiao, C. (2012). “Christian Spotlight: Rise of the guardians.”

http://www.christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2012/riseoftheguardians2012.html

23rd Sunday Ordinary B – Ephphata and the 3 Monkeys

Once there was this catechist who was teaching a group of young children on the importance of keeping quiet at Sunday Mass. The next day, the archbishop made a surprise visit and sat at the end of her class.  The catechist wanted to make an impression and show off what the children have learned.  So she asks the smartest kid in class: Why is it important to keep quiet when the archbishop is celebrating Holy Mass?” The student replies: “Duh… because people are sleeping, so we don’t wake them up?”

You know what he might be right.  When one is asleep, one does not see, one does not hear, and one does not speak.  In other words - see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Like the three monkeys- one covering its eyes, the other covering its ears, and the other covering its mouth.

So is it really better that one cannot see, cannot hear and cannot speak? Today we hear a prophecy from Isaiah: “Be strong. Do not fear. Here is your God.  He will come and save you… the eyes of the blind shall be opened; the ears of the deaf unstopped; and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” (Is. 35:6)

Today in the gospel we hear of the fulfilment of that prophecy. We read of the story of the deafmute who was brought to Jesus. And he begged Jesus to lay his hand on him. Jesus takes him aside in private, away from the crowd. Jesus then speaks to him: “Ephphatha: Be opened.” And the man was healed. And the crowd was astounded beyond measure and began to proclaim the news to others. (Mk.7:31-31)

The people of Decapolis saw this poor deafmute, they heard of Jesus and brought the man to him, and later they spoke of the goodness of Jesus. They took heed of James warning from the second reading: “For if a rich man in fine clothes comes into your assembly and if a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in, whom should you notice?” (James 2:2) The people of Decapolis saw rightly the poor, they heard rightly Jesus, they spoke rightly of his goodness.

And as for us, many times we tend to look the other way when we see faults or injustice, or those being abused or suffering in life. We do not want to hear about them. And many times we maintain a code of silence amidst evil.

We seem to be like those three monkeys- not wishing to see, not liking to hear, not wanting to speak. "See no evil, literally in Japanese: Mizaru." "Hear no evil, Kikazaru." "Speak no evil, Iwazaru." Concidentally, the Japanese word for monkey is saru. So the literal translation became the names of the monkeys – Mizaru, Kikazaru, Ikawazaru. In these present times, this ancient Japanese saying is applied:  to those who wilfully ignore an unwelcome truth; to those who look the other way when they encounter evil in society; to those who refuse to listen to the plight of the unfortunate like the refugees, to those who will not speak on their behalf.

But did you know that the three wise monkeys originally did not represent indifference. Instead they represented virtue. One will find the carving of these three wise monkeys in Japan in a 17^th century temple – the Nikko Toshogu. Many anthropologists and scholars believe the monkeys were carved as a visual representation of the religious principle, “If we do not see (e.g. porn), hear (e.g. gossip), or speak (e.g. curses, F and S words) evil, we ourselves shall be spared of all evil." Beautiful isn’t it! In fact, Mahatma Gandhi, who was noted for his non-possession made one notable exception to his lifestyle. He kept a small statue of the three wise monkeys. See no evil, see only the good, hear no evil, hear only what is good, speak no evil, speak only of goodness.

This deafmute of today was perhaps picked upon by many of those around him. Teased and bullied, made fun of. And all he could see, was evil. Perhaps he was already in a happier place since he could not hear evil, nor speak of it. But then he was taken aside by Jesus, and he came face to face with Goodness himself seeing its reality. Then Jesus healed him. He was able to hear Goodness… those kind words Ephphata: Be opened. And later after this episode, he could not contain himself and sought only to speak of the goodness that has been done to him.

See goodness, hear goodness, speak only goodness. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

"O’er the door of the sacred Temple

They sit in their wisdom the three

The little deaf Monkey,

The little dumb Monkey,

The Monkey who will not see;

With their eyes shut to evil,

Ears that hear only the right,

Lips that are dumb to scandal

They sit in their silent might."

References:

Cassaro, R. (2012). The Secret Occult Meaning of the “Three Wise Monkeys.” Richard Cassaro.com. http://www.richardcassaro.com/the-secret-occult-meaning-of-the-three-wise-monkeys-hidden-by-the-elite-2

Leach, B. (2012). “The leaflet – judge for yourself.”  The Telegraph.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/9120915/Trade-unionists-win-racist-monkey-cartoon-case.html

Meril, C. (2011).” The Speak No Evil, See No Evil, Hear No Evil”

http://cherylkicksass.blogspot.ca/2011/03/speak-no-evil-see-no-evil-hear-no-evil.html