Independence Day in the U.S.

Loving and steadfast God, we praise you because you have put into our hearts the desire for freedom, peace, security, and well-being. Our freedom allows us to bring about the peace of your kingdom where we treat everyone as brother and sister. We thank you for the founders of our nation that risked their lives for our liberty and equality. Help us be grateful for all those in our nation's history who have worked hard according to the principles and spirit of our Constitution.

Govern well our civic leaders that they may take pride in working in a spirit of collaboration domestically and on the international field so that every person and all nations may attain the special dignity you offer them. Watch over our festivities as we celebrate our nation's fragile beginnings. You have blessed us and we are grateful. Help us always understand the major responsibility we have in shaping the world's well-being. May our plans be in line with yours as you build up your kingdom on earth. Amen.

Photo: Ignatius sending Xavier to the Indies

Prayer: Madeleine L'Engle

Evangelism is not what we tell people, unless what we tell is totally consistent with who we are. It is who we are that is going to make the difference... If we do not have love in our hearts, our words of love will have little meaning. If we do not truly enjoy our faith, nobody is going to catch the fire of enjoyment from us. If our lives are not totally centered on Christ, we will not be Christ-bearers for others, no matter how pious our words.

Retreat Homily for the Feast of the Sacred Heart

          It is fortuitous that our retreat begins on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Love is the free and imaginative outpouring of the spirit into our world. Love is the most universal, the most tremendous and the most mysterious of the cosmic forces. It is the heart of Jesus that makes God's love for us personal. While it is true that Eastern Point Retreat House is a beautiful place where many people meet God in creation, it is the actions of the risen Jesus that touch us and bring us to God's embrace. He is the one sent by God into the world to bring us life and freedom. It is his heart that reveals God's intense desires for us.

          The readings reveal God's intense yearning for us. The author of Deuteronomy says that we are peculiarly his own. We do not deserve God's love and we cannot earn it, but God loves us all the same. God chooses us - merely because God creates us - and it is a personal choice. I've been in a situation many times, when I acknowledge that a remote God loves the world and all its people uniformly, but that somehow God is too busy with more important people to really, personally care about me. Somehow I have slipped through the cracks in God's gaze. Yes, cognitively I know God loves me, but not really enough to like me or to choose to spend time with me. I come to believe that my problems are not big enough for God and that I am not important enough. This cannot be further from the truth. God's greatest yearning is that I can allow myself to be held in God' embrace.

          Examine the emotions and desires of Jesus in the Gospel. He begins with gleeful praise that God the Father has revealed himself to us ordinary people. His heart is pouring over with gratitude that he has friends with which to share his life in God. He further beckons people to come to him and lay their woes and concerns at his feet so he can give a nourishing rest. That's all. He only wants our true selves. Christ wants nothing more than to be with us and to enjoy our companionship. This is a God who really, truly loves us - not only that, God likes us, and wants to waste time with us in restful ways. Let go, and take your rest in the Lord. He promises to be gentle with us.

          On Sunday, I visited my niece, Brooke Arianna, on her second day of life. Her mother, Erica, held her in her arms for half an hour and just gazed upon her with a deep bonding. She would have held her longer but I was eager to welcome her into this world. She looked on her daughter with wonder and amazement and had no need of words. She fixed her eyes on upon her even though the baby slept soundly. When my sister did speak, she could only coo, "I love you. I love you. I love you" and I know Brooke's life is sustained by her love.

          I find this image a worthy one to consider on this feast. God is always gazing upon us whether we are infants or in our 80's and I can picture God looking upon us as my sister does with my niece. No words can adequately express the intensity of the desire and delight of God as he looks upon us in amazement and wonder. This is not an abstract love. Just as my sister is beaming with pride at the potential for happiness and a full life for her daughter, God's delight in me (in us) is exponential for our happiness and fullness. As my sister slowly whispers the words, "I love you" that are unintelligible to her child, she is changed by saying them. Is it possible that God's love for us increases when God is able to caress us and say those life-creating words to us? I think so. Let's give God this opportunity.

            What I cry out for, like every being, with my whole life and all my earthly passion, is a God to cherish and adore - a God who is steadfast, caring, and concerned for my well-being. The zest for life, which is the source of all passion and all insight, does not come from ourselves. It is God who gives us the impulse of wanting him. Every encounter that brings me a caress, that spurs me on, that comes as a shock to me, that bruises or breaks me is a contact with the hand of God. God is very active with gentle promptings, nudges, and invitations. God wants to complete the good work in you and bring it to completion.

            Perhaps we can clear space in our prayer times today to allow God to speak those words of intimacy, belonging, and affection that we crave to hear. Some of us may be able to say the words, "I love you" to God; for others of us, it will take a longer time before we can do that, but when we are able to do that, be sure to give God a chance to respond to you. If God is slow in answering, go ahead and beg for a response. A lover always responds to the movement of the beloved. Always. Always. Simple words elicit a strong response from one's heart. Simple words - gentle and fraught with vulnerabilities - that change our whole lives.

            My prayer is that each of us can get a glimpse of just how beautiful we are to God. We don't often hear the words, "You are so beautiful," but if we can truly believe it, because it is said it truth and mystery, without a doubt, God's love can reign a little more brightly over our world. Let God behold you today and find much joy in staring deeply into your eyes so much so that they transform us.

            I imagine when my niece is able to speak these sacred words of devotion to her mother, to utter the singing words, "I love you," my sister's whole being will beam. She will embrace her daughter with a huge hug, and she won't let go easily because she will be dancing with joy. Let God sing and dance today as you mutually share the gift of love God has given you.

Prayer: Meister Eckhart

The knower and  the known are one. Simple people imagine that they should see God as if he stood there and they here. This is not so. God and I, we are one in knowlege.

Const.: GC 34, Decree 4: “Our Mission and Culture”, par. 21

There is a fragmentation of Christian faith in God in post-modern culture, in which human spirituality becomes detached from an explicitly religious expression. People’s spiritual lives have not died; they are simply taking place outside the church.

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 3, 2011 Zechariah 9:9-10; Psalm 145; Romans 8:9, 11-13; Matthew 11:25-30

The prophet Zechariah rejoices because an earthly king in the near future will inaugurate a peaceful reign. This king is not to take the shape of a mighty warrior, but as a meek and just savior who is content to ride on a colt. Jesus also introduces an unexpected leader. This leader is one who is filled with wisdom and is not regarded according to the world's standards of accomplishments, conquests, and might. God works in an altogether different manner. God reveals to the one who has an open heart and is not occluded by logic, learned reasoning, and the honors that come with holding credentials.

Jesus appears as a revealer of divine wisdom in line with Jewish Wisdom literature. He can been seen as Wisdom personified with her feminine characteristics of giving rest and comfort and as the one who invites others to her way of life, as in Proverbs 8. Jesus is more than a prophet within the wisdom tradition. He is one who sees himself as a unique revealer of the divine. Jesus sees himself as the Son of the Father, an important development in his self-understanding.

Jesus reveals that he is on intimate terms with his Abba, Father and that God communicates to the simple and the unlearned. God's revelation remains a mystery. Even though study of theology and of metaphysics are important, they in no way assure God's special revelation to learned students. Mysteriously, God chooses to elect some to salvation. All authority for this revelation has been handed over to Jesus who has unique access of knowledge and love of the Father.

As a wisdom teacher, Jesus tells his students that discipleship is a life-long lesson and they are to turn to him in times of crises or moral challenges. He has replaced the Sabbath as a place of rest and the Torah as the interpreter of what is good and holy. What Jesus teaches is easier than the Torah because it is shorter and easier to remember, but it is more difficult because the demands of loving God and one's neighbors are complicated and ever-expanding.

In all the Gospels, Jesus only asks us to learn two unexpected things from him - gentleness and to be humble of heart. Since he asked it of us, we might want to take him seriously. So many aspects of our world are based on might, winning, being number one, or being the champion. The third place ball team never gets any recognition. Our culture tells us to be stronger, better, more youthful than our neighbor. If we can't win, then we are determined to vanquish our opponents. We intend to wipe them out. Our language towards them shows no charity. I dare say this is not the message Jesus wants us to hear.

Force is not the answer. Firmness can be effective if it is balanced by an invitation that permits and encourages freedom. Gentleness always wins out. Elijah learned this lesson in the cave when he went out to meet the storm God, but could only encounters him in the whispering wind. Humility is simply knowing who we are and then acting out of our true selves. We no longer hold onto ourselves as a particular type of god. We no longer have illusions about our identity, but we see ourselves as one who is limited and, at the same time, blessed. We see that we are responsible for our choices that reveal our selves to others. When we have a grasp on our identity, we can accept the words and power of the divine to give us the rest and consolation we need. We can reach a point where we can let Christ take care of us - because he will do a better job than we can. It is at this time that we can accept his invitation to profit from his wisdom.

Themes for this Week’s Masses

First Reading: Jacob dreams of a stairway to heaven where God's angels ascend and descend to the earth. The Lord offers Jacob protection on his journey and Jacob responds by setting up a shrine. During the night, Jacob crossed over the river where he met a man who wrestled with him. As the man could not overcome him, he named his Israel for Jacob wrestled with both divine and humans. The story fast-forwards to Joseph receiving his eleven brothers in Egypt because of a drought. Joseph asks to see his younger brother, but when the brothers reveal their difficulty in separating him from his father, Jacob, Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers. Joseph offered his brothers and father sanctuary in Egypt. As Jacob nears his death, he asks for his bones to be buried with Abraham and Sarah, and Isaac and Rebekah in the fields of Ephron. Joseph likewise asks that his body be buried in the promised land of milk and honey.

Gospel: Jesus brings the official's daughter back to life and he cures a woman who suffered from hemorrhages for twelve years. A fierce demoniac witnesses demons being driven out of him. Jesus went from town to town to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom and he had pity of them because they are like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus calls his Twelve friends together and gives them instructions over unclean spirits and the power of heal. He gives them instructions on how to proceed and tells them to proclaim the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. He warns them of the dangers they will face and he tells them his Spirit will be there teaching them what to say. He encourages them to be courageous because their reward will be greater than any hardship they will face.

Saints of the Week

Monday: Elizabeth of Portugal (1271-1336), was from the kingdom of Aragon before she married Denis, king of Portugal, at age 12. Her son twice rebelled against the king and Elizabeth helped them reconcile. After he husband's death, she gave up her rank and joined the Poor Clares for a life of simplicity.

Tuesday: Anthony Mary Zaccaria, priest (1502-1539) was a medical doctor who founded the Barnabites because of his devotion to Paul and Barnabas and the Angelics of St. Paul, a woman's cloistered order. He encouraged the laity to work alongside the clergy to care for the poor.

Wednesday: Maria Goretti, martyr (1890-1902) was a poor farm worker who was threatened by Alessandro, a 20-year old neighbor. When she rebuffed his further advances, he killed her, but on her deathbed, she forgave him. He later testified on her behalf during her beatification process, which occurred in 1950.

Saturday: Augustine Zhao Rong, priest and companions, Chinese martyrs (1648-1930) were 120 Chinese martyrs that included priests, children, parents, catechists and common laborers. Christians were persecuted throughout Chinese history. Augustine Zhao Rong was a diocesan priest who was brought to the faith after the example of the French missionary bishop Dufresse. Zhao Rong was arrested in 1815 and died in prison.

This Week in Jesuit History

·         Jul 3, 1580. Queen Elizabeth I issued a statute forbidding all Jesuits to enter England.

·         Jul 4, 1648. The martyrdom in Canada of Anthony Daniel who was shot with arrows and thrown into flames by the Iroquois.
·         Jul 5, 1592. The arrest of Fr. Robert Southwell at Uxenden Manor, the house of Mr Bellamy. Tortured and then transferred to the Tower, he remained there for two and a half years.
·         Jul 6, 1758. The election to the papacy of Clement XIII who would defend the Society against the Jansenists and the Bourbon Courts of Europe.
·         Jul 7, 1867. The beatification of the 205 Japanese Martyrs, 33 of them members of the Society of Jesus.
·         Jul 8, 1767. D'Aubeterre wrote to De Choiseul: "It is impossible to obtain the Suppression from the Pope [Clement XIII]; it must be wrested from him by occupying papal territory."
·         Jul 9, 1763. The Society is expelled from New Orleans and Louisiana at the bidding of the French government.

Prayer: Bernardine of Siena

There is a general rule concerning all special graces granted to any human being. Whenever the divine favor chooses someone to receive a special grace, or to accept a lofty vocation, God adorns the person chosen with all the gifts of the Spirit needed to fulfill the task at hand.

Prayer: Thea Bowman

Maybe I'm not making big changes in the world, but if I have somehow helped or encouraged somebody along the journey then I've done what I'm called to do.

Corpus Christi Homily

          I have a keen attraction and a likewise repulsion to this Gospel passage. The attraction is my desire and movement to profoundly be united with Jesus in the most sensible, tangible ways; the repulsion is that I don't want to see the feelings of Jesus get profoundly hurt as many people leave him as they his words distasteful. I fear for his vulnerability as he gives his true self to others. It hurts badly when people turn away from you when they realize you are a disappointment to them. I can sense that his invitation makes them sick to their stomachs. Deep down, they have a "yuck" reaction. I can imagine the hurtful, disappointed look on his face as many walk away and I simply want to ask Jesus to tell me what he feels. I want him to know that he is not alone. Because of their response, I want to tell Jesus that I will stay with him even though what he asks of us is hard to take, and yet I want my response to be a positive one because of what he offers us.

          We meet Jesus after he tells the crowds who witnessed his miraculous feeding of the 5,000 that if they are to be his believers, they are to eat his fleshy body and drink his coursing blood. He tells them they must be like cannibals who are to chew on the meat that makes up his body. This eating is real 'crunch and munch' grinding and chomping of flesh and blood. Understandably, this idea was revolting to many partial followers that turned away from Jesus.

          Every friendship has a critical moment when we choose to remain friends or to end what we thought was going to be a satisfying relationship. After periods of intrigue and curiosity, infatuation and testing, and a safe, but mostly superficial revealing of our outer selves to the other, a relationship moves to a decisive vulnerable point when we reveal something about ourselves that we fear the other might not like to know. If we are going to be real friends, we cannot avoid this juncture. We are to choose from our gut. Will we accept this man, Jesus, as a personal companion even though we know the stakes for friendship will take more out of us than we think we can give. It is going to cost us and we will likewise feel vulnerable and get hurt.

          Jesus gives us a good model of ministry - perhaps a different model than we expected when we first signed on. If we are to minister in today's church, we are to do so from a position of vulnerability - from a position where we acknowledge our fears, our hesitations, our weaknesses, and our hurt feelings. We minister by giving our true selves away just as Jesus did. We are to reveal who we truly are to others who are in search of Christ. It does no good to hide it because people who are seeking the truth can see right through it, and the truth is, what we keep hidden is going to come out sideways with unintended consequences.

         Ministering from our vulnerabilities gives us credibility that makes us sensitive to the yearnings and desires of others. It means not that we are capable of doing or saying the right things, but that we can express compassion and care to those who are in fear or are suffering. It means our heart breaks at their broken hearts and that we rejoice when they come to a new level of freedom. The people of God aren't seeking credentials and accomplishments, but rather a heart that chooses to walk with theirs on a journey of uncertainty. They seek a companion of Jesus who is ready to share their true selves in freedom.

          I saw this type of moment earlier this morning from 2-4 a.m. as I couldn't fall asleep. Ironically, it came in a scene from the remake of the Karate Kid when the trainer, Mr. Miagi, was angrily grieving the loss of his son and wife from a car accident he inadvertently caused. As he slumped in his car as a broken down man, his twelve year old student had enough compassion to reach out to him and be with him in his grief. His training gave him a technique to be still enough to reach inside another person and mirror their feelings without moving them to another place. The student honors and respects his teacher's suffering and showed him that he could hold his pain for him. When Mr. Miagi knows he is not alone in his suffering, his recovery begins. He is teased to move away from his self-directed anger and pity to be led to the person who he truly is becoming. The inside stuff has to emerge until it finds solidarity with the other self. By radically being "with" someone, we become "for" that person. This is precisely what Jesus does for us.

          Jesus gives us himself in body and blood so he can nourish us onwards and upwards in a world that is both redeemed and fragile, but we are not to keep what he has given us to ourselves. The Eucharistic chewing and ingesting is fundamentally an action done for us so we can give our fragile selves away. While our Eucharistic liturgies are a place for us to be nourished by gathering and worshiping, we are sent on mission to the world to enact the Mass for others. Mass unfolds when we leave the chapel or church. We become who we eat. Day after day, year after year, as we consume the flesh and blood of Christ, we can't help but become like him. It is not something we can effect, but we learn the contours of his heart and we feel the depth of emotions he experiences. We see through his eyes, create with his hands, and hold the pain of others as gentle companions with a radical solidarity. By doing so, we become contemplatives in action and friends of Jesus.

          What does it mean to be a companion of Jesus today? We simply want to be friends of Jesus who, through his grace, become our true selves,revealed through our desires and emotions, the positive and negatives ones, to others so they may come to know the liberating freedom of Christ in their tiny corner of the world. We give to others (because we first give to Christ) all our liberty, memory, understanding and our entire will. We become this always-giving person by sharing all that we have and possess knowing that we are gifts given to ourselves by God for our enjoyment and happiness. No one has ever become poor by giving to the needy. The grace of Christ, that he freely offers to us in his body and blood, becomes all that we need for every movement in our lives.

          Be weak enough and vulnerable enough to give away those parts of yourself that you hold onto most strongly. Begin my bringing those areas to the Lord's table today as he gives his very body and blood to you. He will transform all you give him so he can be more present to you and our fragile world. Come. Let us feast on his invitation to friendship.