Prayer: Thomas More

I will not mistrust God, though I shall feel myself weakening and on the verge of being overcome with fear... I trust he shall place his holy hand on me and in the storm seas hold me up from drowning.

Poem: Hand's Inner Self by Rainer Maria Rilke

Hand's inner self.
Sole, that does its walking
just with feelings. That holds itself face up
and, as in a mirror,
receives from heaven its own meandering pathways.
That has learned to walk on water
when it splashes.
That walks on wells,
transforming every journey.
That finds itself in other hands
and turns them into landscapes,
wanders and arrives in them,
fills them with arrival.

Homily for 33rd Sunday (adapted for retreat)

Retreat Homily for

Thirty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

(adaptation of Sunday's regular homily)

          Jesus prepares his friends for the end times by telling them another parable about one's disposition to enter into the kingdom. Last week, the ten virgins were exhorted to remain vigilant for the bridegroom. This week, we hear a story of a man who is leaving for a journey of unexpected duration. He entrusts his talents to three servants with an undeclared expectation that they will prudently invest these talents for greater profit.

          Without haste, the first two servants trade them in an apparently vibrant economy and is able to earn double their worth. The third servant decides to be very responsible. He hides the single talent entrusted to him and returns it to his master who is angry with his course of action. The master wanted him to invest and use the talent wisely - earning even a small degree of interest. Making use of what was given to him is more important than hoarding it for safe keeping.

          The damaging aspect of the non-risk servant is that he operates out of fear. He sees no excitement in the possibilities of watching the talent's value grow. His fear stunts his freedom. It is likely that he worried day and night about the buried talent. He thinks he does not have to worry about his master's return because he would be able to present the talent intact. He can't lose anything. Think about the gladness of the other two servants who proudly present their good investment to the master. Surely, even if the non-risk servant failed and lost the talent, his master would not have treated him harshly because he took a daring chance. To do nothing means to fall behind.

          Part of our problem is that we have constructed air-tight answers to the reasons we don't allow ourselves to do certain things. We say 'no' to invitations, and that is that. No one is going to change our answers. We are in control and no one is going to derail us. I wonder if the non-risk servant thought like this too. He built so many answers around his fear that he could no longer see that he fundamentally operates out of fear. What a shame. Fear stops us from living fully. Fear stops us from being happy. We tighten up our firm control when we encounter the slightest bit of fear. What will it take to make us vulnerable once again?

          This parable gives me pause when I consider how well I use the talents invested to me by God. Sure, I have used some and I'm grateful for those few that I have been given, but I know I have not invested in them to the degree expected. I often take a safe route and adopt a conservative approach for my own needs. I tend not to speak up for myself in words or through actions. Fear still holds me back because I do not boldly ask for what I want and need. I try to consider what others want first. I may give 10 percent to my talents, and maybe I'm expected to give 60 percent more. Perhaps I was not formed to nurture my talents. I guess I am a lot like the non-risk servant and I can understand his protective measures. For me to break out of my current rationalizations would mean to confront my fears - and this is uncomfortable and I need a nudge.

          The value of friends cannot be underestimated on this journey. The Book of Proverbs tells us this friend or spouse only brings us that which is good. Friends' investments in us will help us live fulfilled lives. Friends believe in us, which encourages us to try with greater confidence. Friends respect our day-dreams and implore us to act upon them because of the magical stuff they see in us. Too often, we say 'no.' We need one another because we are brought out of ourselves by each other.

          Our friendships on earth mirror the friendship we can have with God. When we learn to relate to God as friend, we can note the ways God encourages us to develop parts of ourselves that are still in potency. God will also work with us to transform our wounds into glory. We learn to accept sincere praise from others so we can more fully actualize ourselves. We learn to accept sincere praise from God, who is always laboring for us. God's praise will take away our fears and give us confident, grounded courage. God will bring us from the status of a non-risk servant to one who invests generously to make the best yield for ourselves and for God. God will help us have fun while doing it. We really have nothing to lose.

          Fortunately, the master has not yet returned and it is still my responsibility to double the effect of my talents. I will be called on to give an accounting for my use of the talents plus interest. I wonder where I will stand when I am called into account. I know that I do not have much time left to reform my actions. I have to be open to opportunities and to listen to friends' counsel. I still have to figure out with God which talents are to be explored and which ones to leave behind.

          I know that when I am on retreat, it is my most provocative time for day-dreaming. I consider all the things in life that I would still like to do - all those things that will bring me personal happiness and a tremendous sense of freedom. It never feels self-centered or selfish. It always feels like a fulfillment of my childhood dreams. Day-dreaming can be wild and fantastic, but it is never a place where I encounter fear - only desire.

          Ignatius of Loyola came to know this. His greatest illumination from God came not from prayer, but from the down-time when he was just day-dreaming as he sat on the banks of the Cardoner River near Manresa, Spain. He did not do anything, but let his mind wander to where his desires led him. They led him back to the one who fulfills all desires. Ignatius recounts that day of dreaming as his most instructive and fulfilling.  We have to give our dreams and aspirations more courage and energy.

          Soon we will be standing before God at the end of our lives. We have to give an accounting. I hope that I stand before God empty-handed - with not a single bit of talent left - so I can say to God, "I used everything you gave me."

Prayer: Freedom is not license

"Christ's call on our lives is a call to liberty. Freedom is the cornerstone of Christianity."

We have repeatedly been told what freedom isn't. We know it is not license, but freedom has been defined in a negative sense - as if it is a form of social control.

"Such an approach, whatever its limited truth, is defensive and afraid. Those using it wish above all to warn us of the dangers of thinking about freedom, of yearning for freedom. Such an approach generally ends up by showing us, or at least attempting to show us, that freedom actually consists in following the law or in submitting to authority or in walking a well-trod path. Again, there may be some truth in these conclusions, but there is lacking a sense of the dark side of the law, and of authority, and of the well-trod path. Each may be and has been turned into an instrument of tyranny and human suffering."

From "The Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning

Prayer: Rose Philippine Duchesne

We may not understand God's will for us in time, but in eternity the veil will be drawn and we shall see that God acted only for our happiness.

Prayer: Augustine of Hippo

God is an infinite circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.

Prayer: I am

I was regretting the past and fearing the future and suddenly my Lord said:

"My name is I am." He paused. I waited.

He continued: "When you live in the past with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard to find me for I am not there.

My name is not "I was."

When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard to find me for I am not there.

My name is not "I will be."

When you live in this moment, it is not hard. I am here.

My name is "I am."

Veterans Day Prayer

Prayer: For Veterans of Foreign Wars

Here is a prayer I composed to remember the veterans of our foreign wars on November 11th.

Loving God,
we remember those who have served our nation
and died to protect
and defend our freedom.
Help us never to forget them
and their efforts to keep us safe.

We honor those who were in combat,
and returned home safely.
May they know our thankfulness.

We honor those in the service who supported
our military behind the front lines.
May they know our gratitude.

We pray for those whose bodies and spirits
are ravaged by war,
whose memories cannot forget the
brutality war inflicts upon others,
whose pain is too deep for others to touch.

Help us find ways to reach out
to our brothers and sisters who have returned from war
and are in psychic pain
so they may know they are important to us.
May we come to know their pain
and be in solidarity with them so
they will not take their own lives.

We pray for those who are in combat today.
Shield them from danger
and bring them home safely and soon.

May we all work to end all wars
and establish a lasting peace
that is built on justice, charity, and mutual understanding.
Help us to live in hope
that your kingdom of heaven
can reign here on earth.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Litany of Remembrance

O Lord of life, bless the memories we cherish. This day affords us a glimpse of eternity. May the sorrow we have known be softened by our sense of your infinite wisdom, your abiding love, and your eternal promise

In the rising of the sun to its setting, we remember them.

In the blowing of the wind and the chill of winter, we remember them.

In the opening of the buds in the rebirth of spring, we remember them.

In the blueness of the sky and the warmth of summer, we remember them.

In the rustling of the leaves and the beauty of autumn, we remember them.

In the beginning of the year and at its close, we remember them.

When we are weary and in need of strength, we remember them.

When we are lost and sick of heart, we remember them.

When we have joys we yearn to share, we remember them.

So long as we live, they too shall live, for they are now a part of us and we remember them.

Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 13, 2011

Wisdom 6:12-16; Psalm 63; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13

          Jesus prepares his friends for the end times by telling them another parable about one's disposition to enter into the kingdom. Last week, the ten virgins were exhorted to remain vigilant for the bridegroom. This week, we hear a story of a man who is about to leave for a journey of unexpected duration. Before he leaves, he entrusts his talents to three servants with an expectation that they will prudently invest these talents for greater profit.

          The most responsible servant is given five talents. Without haste, he trades them and is able to earn another five talents. The second does likewise with the two talents, but the third servant decides to be very responsible. He hides the single talent entrusted to him and returns it to his master who is angry with his course of action. The master wanted him to invest and use the talent wisely - earning even a small degree of interest. Making use of what was given to him is more important than hoarding it for safe keeping.

          The damaging aspect of the non-risk servant is that he operated out of fear. He did not see the excitement in the possibilities of seeing the talent's value grow. His fear stunted his freedom. It is likely that he worried day and night about the buried talent. He thought he would not have to worry about his master's return because he would have been able to present the talent intact. Think about the gladness of the other two servants who proudly presented their good investment to the master. Surely, even in the non-risk servant failed and lost the talent, his master would not have treated him harshly because he took a chance. To do nothing means to fall behind.

          It gives me pause when I consider how well I have used the talents invested to me by God. Sure, I have used some and I'm grateful for those that I have been given, but have I invested in them to the degree expected? I often take the safe route and have a conservative approach to matters concerning myself. I tend not to speak up for myself in words or actions. I may give 10 percent to my talents, and maybe I'm expected to give 60 percent more. Perhaps I was not formed to nurture my talents. I guess I am a lot like the non-risk servant.

          However, the master has not yet returned and it is still my responsibility to double the effect of my talents. Fear may still hold me back because I do not boldly ask for what I want and need. I try to consider what others want first. I will be called on to give an accounting for my use of the talents plus interest. I wonder where I will stand when I am called into account. I know that I do not have much time left to reform my actions. I know that I have to be open to opportunities and to listen to friends' counsel. I still have to figure out with God which talents are to be explored and which ones to leave behind.

          The value of friends cannot be underestimated on this journey. The Book of Proverbs tells us this friend or spouse only brings us that which is good. Friends' investments in us will help us live fulfilled lives. Friends believe in us, which encourages us to try with greater confidence. We need one another.

          Our friendships on earth mirror the friendship we can have with God. When we learn to relate to God as friend, he can note the ways God encourages us to develop parts of ourselves that are still in potency. God will also work with us to transform our wounds into glory. We have to learn to accept the sincere praise from others so we can more fully actualize ourselves. We have to learn to accept sincere praise from God, who is always laboring for us. God's praise will take away our fears and give us confident, grounded courage. God will bring us from a non-risk servant to one who invests generously to make the best yield for ourselves and for God. God will help us have fun while doing it. There's really nothing to lose.

Themes for this Week’s Masses

First Reading: A dispute between the progressive Jews and the hard-line, conservative Maccabeans broke out during the brutal occupation of Antiochus Epiphanes. Some Jews tried to make peace with their Gentile occupiers to make life easier for the people; while others held fast to their religious convictions - an event that ushered in harsh persecution. Eleazar, a leading scribe, was ridiculed and force to eat pork, but he chose a glorious death to a life of defilement. His friends tried to reason with him to spare his life; he was promised a life of kind treatment if he would just eat the pork. Eleazar refused and was summarily executed.

At the same time, seven brothers and their mother were arrested and tortured with whips for the same reason, but they refused to eat pork in violation of God's laws. The mother watched her seven sons perish in a single day. She could have stopped the murder of each of her sons, but would not give in. Mattathias, a leading, honorable, wealthy man with a large family, also chose to keep the covenant of their fathers; another Jew came forward to offer a sacrifice on the altar of Modein in accord with the King's wishes. Matthathias became enraged and killed the man. He and his sons left everything behind and fled to the mountainside and desert in isolation.

An army of Alexander, son of Philip of Macedonia, developed a fierce, formidable army that was victorious against many nations. King Antiochus knew he could not win against Alexander. On his deathbed, he became remorseful for all the evil he wrought against Jerusalem and its people.

Eventually, the enemies of the Jews were crushed and Judas Maccabee and his brothers went to the sanctuary to purify and rededicate it. It was the anniversary of the day the Gentiles defiled it. For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar with sacrifices of praise and deliverance.

Gospel: As Jesus approaches Jericho on his way to Jerusalem, he encounters a blind man sitting by the road. He was waiting for Jesus to pass by. Jesus asks, "What do you want me to do for you?" The man asks for sight and is given both vision and faith. On his way, Jesus met Zacchaeus, a short tax collector who climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus. Jesus announces that salvation has come to his house today; Zacchaeus repays all he has defrauded his neighbors. Jesus then tells a parable about a nobleman who entrusts his servants with ten gold coins. Some traded and invested wisely; others with moderate success; and one was too timid to do anything so he wrapped them in a handkerchief and stored them away. The nobleman was furious with his poor choices. Upon entering Jerusalem, Jesus makes straight away for the Temple where he drives out vendors for defiling the house of prayer. The chief priests, scribes, and leaders decide to put him to death. Sadducees, who deny the resurrection, ask Jesus about successive marriage of seven brothers to the same wife at the end of the age. Jesus concludes by telling them that God is the god of the living, not the dead.  

Saints of the Week

Tuesday: Albert the Great, bishop and doctor (1200-1280), joined the Dominicans to teach theology in Germany and Paris. Thomas Aquinas was his student. With his reluctance, he was made bishop of Ratisbon. He resigned after four years so he could teach again. His intellectual pursuits included philosophy, natural science, theology, and Arabic language and culture. He applied Aristotle's philosophy to theology.

Wednesday: Margaret of Scotland (1046-1093) was raised in Hungary because the Danes invaded England. She returned after the Norman Conquest in 1066 and sought refuge in Scotland. She married the king and bore him eight children. She corrected many wayward abuses within the church and clarified church practices.  

Gertrude the Great (1256-1302) was placed for childrearing into a Benedictine monastery at age 5 in Saxony. She lived with two mystics named Mechthild and as she developed her intellectual and spiritual gifts, she too became a mystic. Her spiritual instructions are collected into five volumes. She wrote prayers as a first advocate of the Sacred Heart.

Thursday: Elizabeth of Hungary, (1207-1231) was the daughter of Andrew II, king of Hungary. She married Ludwig IV of Thuringia and as queen supported many charities. When her husband died in a crusade in 1227, she entered the Third Order of Franciscans.  

Friday: The Dedication of the Basilicas of Peter and Paul celebrates churches in honor of the two great church founders. St. Peter's basilica was begun in 323 by Emperor Constantine - directly over Peter's tomb. A new basilica was begun in 1506 and it was completed in 1626. Many great artists and architects had a hand in building it. St. Paul Outside the Walls was built in the 4th century over Paul's tomb. It was destroyed by fire in 1823 and subsequently rebuilt.

Rose Philippine Duchesne (1769-1852) joined the Sisters of the Sacred Heart and at age 49, traveled to Missouri to set up a missionary center and the first free school west of the Mississippi. She then founded six more missions. She worked to better the lives of the Native Americans.

This Week in Jesuit History

·         Nov 13, 1865. The death of James Oliver Van de Velde, second bishop of the city of Chicago from 1848 to 1853.

·         Nov 14, 1854. In Spain, the community left Loyola for the Balearic Isles, in conformity with a government order.

·         Nov 15, 1628. The deaths of St Roch Gonzalez and Fr. Alphonsus Rodriguez. They were some of the architects of the Jesuit missions in Uruguay and Paraguay.

·         Nov 16, 1989. In El Salvador, the murder of six Jesuits connected with the University of Central America together with two of their lay colleagues.

·         Nov 17, 1579. Rudolph Acquaviva and two other Jesuits set out from Goa for Surat and Fattiphur, the Court of Akbar, the Great Mogul.

·         Nov 18, 1538. Pope Paul III caused the governor of Rome to publish the verdict proclaiming the complete innocence of Ignatius and his companions of all heresy.

·         Nov 19, 1526. Ignatius was examined by the Inquisition in Alcala, Spain. They were concerned with the novelty of his way of life and his teaching.