Homily For 16th Sunday In Ordinary Time 2013

Genesis 18: 1-10a
Colossians1: 24-28
Luke 10: 38-42

"The Lord said to her in reply, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.  There is need of only one thing.  Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.'"  (Luke 10: 41-42)

How many of us who have had family gatherings, or dinner parties, can identify with Martha?  It is an old cliche, but I think is still valid; “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”  We see in today’s Gospel the story of Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus.  They hear that Jesus of Nazareth is coming to visit their village.  Now, we can speculate that Jesus’ reputation as a preacher, a healer, a miracle worker; has preceded him.  And maybe Martha wants the honor, the rise in social standing that would come by having Him as a guest in their house.  In some ways, Martha reminds me of Hyacinth, the main character in the BBC/WGBH show “Keeping Up Appearances;” who is middle class, but wants to appear as upper class.  And she will do anything to maintain that appearance, often with comic results.  So we see Martha rushing about, preparing food, making sure the guest’s glasses are not empty, that their feet have been washed and they are comfortably seated.  And amid all this work, all this running around; there is Mary, just sitting there, listening to Jesus talk.  We can understand how upset Martha must have been.  So she complains to Jesus; and what does He say: “Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her!” That must have taken the wind out of Martha’s sails! 

Now before Vatican II; many monastic communities, and religious orders of hermits, have all used that Gospel passage to prove the superiority of the contemplative lifestyle over the active religious lifestyle.  Since the Second Vatican Council, we now know that there are many ways to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

So what is this “better part,” that Jesus is talking about?  I think we can get a clue from the first reading.  We see Abraham, seeing visitors coming into his camp.  He immediately recognizes that there is something special about these individuals. He senses the presence of the Lord.   He immediately offers them hospitality, washes their feet, prepares food and serves them himself.  He is aware that he is in God’s presence, and he receives a promise from God, that He will begin the fulfillment of His original promise to make of Abraham a great nation.

Both Abraham and Mary, I believe, knew, sensed that they were in the presence of the Lord, because they were open to that encounter.  Martha, however, was not, because she had so many things on her mind.  In some ways, we are more like Martha, rather than Mary.  How open are we to the presence of Christ in our daily lives, or are we too busy; have we giving in to our anxieties, cares and worries. 

But Jesus Christ is with us.  We are all part of His Body.  He is ready to heal us, to strengthen us, to guide us, to inspire us.  We will soon witness the changing of bread and wine into His Body and Blood. And we will receive Him through Holy Communion.  When we leave here, let us not forget that Jesus is still with us.  And as we do our housework, go to market, work at our offices, and play our video games; keep our hearts open and let Christ speak to us.  And if we take the time to listen, we will have chosen the better part and it will not be taken from us.

September Column for Fraternity Newsletter

“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’” (Matt 25: 34-40)

“Secular Franciscans, together with all people of good will, are called to build a more fraternal and evangelical world so that the kingdom of God may be brought about more effectively.” (Art. 14a, Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order)

“Let them individually and collectively be in the forefront in promoting justice by the testimony of their human lives and their courageous initiatives. Especially in the field of public life, they should make definite choices in harmony with their faith.” (Art. 15, Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order)


The above verse from the Gospel of Matthew was part of the Gospel reading proclaimed at the funeral of the late Senator Edward Kennedy. And listening to it caused me to reflect on how times have changed. When I was growing up, it was generally assumed that when it came to feeding the poor, caring for the sick, clothing the naked, etc.; that was the responsibility of the clergy and the religious. Our role was to kick in a few bucks to help support the work. But since the Second Vatican Council, we, the laity, have discovered that the parable Jesus taught about the last judgment, was directed towards all of us. Each one of us has a responsibility to be active in our communities, to see to it that the poor are taken care of, to be a voice for those who have no voice in our society. Wherever and whenever the opportunity may arise, we are to proclaim the compassionate power of the Gospel by our daily lives.

My Thoughts on "Ad Orientem"

“As Jesus was the true worshipper of the Father, so let prayer and contemplation be the soul of all they are and do.

Let them participate in the sacramental life of the Church, above all the Eucharist.” (Art. 8a-b, Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order)

Before the death of Senator Edward Kennedy hit the news wires, I was preparing to comment on a story I read on the National Catholic Reporter website, posted on August 21, 2009. It was from Kristen May of the Religion News Service. She reported that Bishop Edward Slattery of the Diocese of Tulsa, OK, was going to be celebrating the Eucharist “ad orientem.” This means that he will be facing away from the congregation.

There have been many comments on this, many in support, saying that this brings about a more sense of the sacred; that it focuses the attention of the people on God, rather than on the priest. There were comments on maintaining a sacred tradition, the history of that tradition, and so forth.

Well, I am going to add to the debate. As I think I may have mentioned in an earlier posting, one of the great concepts, great teaching, I think, to come out of the Second Vatican Council, was that of the common priesthood of the faithful. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states in paragraph 1141:

“The celebrating assembly is the community of the baptized who ‘by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, are consecrated to be a spiritual house and a holy priesthood, that through all the works of Christian men they may offer spiritual sacrifices.’ This ‘common priesthood’ is that of Christ the sole priest, in which all his members participate:

Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be lead to that full, conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy, and to which the Christian people, ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people’ have a right and an obligation by reason of their Baptism.”

All the faithful are called to actively participate in the Eucharistic liturgy. No longer is the laity to be just passive observers of the liturgy, but are to join with the priest in prayer, through their responses, and through their praising of God in song. And as part of the common priesthood of the baptized, the laity is worthy to witness the divine action, when through the words of consecration, the bread and wine on the altar becomes the Body and Blood of Christ. For me, this is why it is so important for the priest to be facing the congregation. Granted, there have been priests who distract, by their words and movements from the central act taking place, but the solution is not turning back the clock, but better training.

The Eucharistic liturgy is no longer a secret act by the priest, with the laity given the privilege of seeing only the elevated Host and Chalice. No, the Eucharistic liturgy, especially the Consecration, should be witnessed by all the faithful, so that all the faithful can be drawn into this wondrous Mystery.

Image by RNS

My Life with Nuns

The story of the Vatican making a visitation, an investigation, of the state of women religious life has been in the news lately. There have been stories on National Public Radio, and on one of their talk shows. The National Catholic Reporter has been covering this story, and has been publishing stories and essays on their Website.

All this has brought back memories of my life with nuns. It began with elementary school. My parents were determined to have me educated in a Catholic school, so when their first choice was filled, they put me and my brothers and sisters in the only other Catholic school in town. It was run by a congregation of Franciscan Sisters that originated from Poland. To hear my parents talk about it, the sisters had a hard life in the parish, the pastor was a bit of a tightwad, and at times the parents had to get together and bring food for the sisters. My experience with them was mixed. I remember that there were a few sisters who were nice and professional, but there were others who should never had been allowed in a classroom. If there was not physical abuse, there was definitely psychological abuse. After I and one brother graduated from the school, my parents pulled the rest of my siblings out and put them in public schools.

After elementary school, came high school. I entered a high school that was run by the Sisters of Notre Dame da Namur. The Second Vatican Council had ended; the religious orders and congregations were making some changes. The sisters at the high school all had change to “street” clothing, although a few did keep the veil. They all wore their distinctive cross. I enjoyed being taught by them, and they definitely improved my view of religious sisters.

My most intensive contact with nuns came when I entered the formation program for the Franciscan friars. I had contact with the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, who not only taught in the parish school, but were also involved in caring for the poor. There was a Poor Clare monastery, where the nuns wore modified habits, but still deeply involved with the contemplative life. I assisted a priest who celebrated Mass for a community of Missionaries of Charity. Then there were the sisters I met attending a summer school at St. Bonaventure University, joining with them in prayer, in classes, and socializing with them. Since leaving the Franciscan formation program, I have had a sister as a spiritual director.

There has been criticism that too many of the religious sisters are challenging the Church, its policies, its view of women. But if one looks at the history of religious life, one sees that many of the communities’ founders pushed the envelope. St. Clare of Assisi, founder of the Poor Clare nuns, was always challenging the Pope to allow her community to live evangelical poverty. Many congregations founded in this country, met with resistance from local bishops for various reasons, yet they prevailed. They did so because of persistence, respect and love for the Church, and divine grace. Now there are those individual sisters and communities who might push the envelope too far, and in such cases, they must be held accountable, but with charity and compassion.

Vatican II called on religious communities to reexamine their current lives in the light of their founding charism. A community should not be judged on whether they wear habits or not, but whether they are living the Gospel, serving the poor, showing compassion to the outcast, showing the power of God’s love by the example of their lives. We should not try to force religious communities into the same mold, but allow the Holy Spirit to guide them, inspire them, enflame them. And they in turn will inspire us.

Proclaiming Christ by Their Life and Words

“They have been made living members of the Church by being buried and raised with Christ in baptism; they have been united more intimately with the Church by profession. Therefore, they should go forth as witnesses and instruments of her mission among all people, proclaiming Christ by their life and words.” (Art. 6a, Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order)

June 30th is the feast day of Blessed Raymond Lull, a Spaniard who lived from 1235 to 1315. He was at one time a member of the court of the king of Mallorca, but after hearing a sermon, he suddenly desired to convert his life. He became a Secular Franciscan and became a hermit for about nine years. He left his solitude when he was inspired to promote missionary work, by founding a college to train future missionaries in foreign languages and in techniques on how to debate with Muslims over points concerning the faith. He traveled through Europe, trying to convince bishops and the Pope on the importance of setting up such colleges in their dioceses. Although he remained a layman, he himself journeyed to North Africa in 1314 as a missionary. Unfortunately, he was stoned by a mob of angry Arabs; he died from his wounds back in Mallorca.

As mentioned above, Raymond, although heavily involved in missionary work, never felt called to be ordained, and remained a layperson. One of the important things that came out of the Second Vatican Council was the realization that the laity has a role in the mission of Church to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ; that fulfilling that mission is not just restricted to the clergy and religious. Some of us are called to be teachers, catechists, but the majority of us make Jesus known to the world by the way we live His Gospel; by the way we obey His command to love one another.