"Stop worrying about tomorrow!"

“Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap.” (Lk 6:26)

“Stop worrying about tomorrow!”
February 27, 2011, 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isaiah 49:14-16 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Matthew 6:25-34

First reading from Isaiah

But the people of Jerusalem said, “The Lord has abandoned us! He has forgotten us.” So the Lord answers, “Can a mother forget her baby and not love the child she bore? Even if a mother should forget her child, I will never forget you. Jerusalem, I can never forget you! I have written your name on the palms of hands.”

The Word of God
Thanks be to God

Alleluia, alleluia.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Glory to you, Lord

Jesus said to his disciples: “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other.You cannot serve God and mammon. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin, yet, I tell you, that not even King Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?

So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. So stop worrying about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Live one day at a time.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

----------------
Introduction
Reverend reserve

The Sermon on the Mount continues in today’s gospel. In these days of economic hardship, when people are worrying about food, fuel, rent, doctor-bills, medications, car-payments, etc. Jesus’ injunction to stop worrying is greeted with a bit of reverent reserve.

Rich fool

In Luke this passage about the birds in the sky and the lilies of the field is preceded by Jesus’ Parable of the Rich Fool who had a bountiful harvest and didn’t know where to store it all. He decided to build bigger barns and bins to store his stuff. Then he planned to settle down to an old age filled with abundance. But God said to him, “You fool, this very night you will have to give up your life; then to whom will all your piled-up wealth go?” This is what happens, Jesus says, to a so-called `rational’ creature who hoards things for himself and is not rich in the eyes of God.” (Lk 12: 13-21)

Then Jesus moves on to other side of the spectrum—to God’s `irrational’ creatures who do not bank on bountiful bins but on the Father in heaven. He points to the birds of the air who do not sow, reap and gather into barns, but are fed by the heavenly Father. He points to the lilies of the field who neither toil nor spin, but are more splendidly robed than King Solomon himself. Then Jesus comes to His bottom line: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. So stop worrying about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Live one day at a time.”

Feeling like a fool

“Nice gospel,” said one preacher, “but I don’t like it! It’s embarrassing. In this capitalistic society of ours I feel like a fool telling some father in the congregation to stop worrying about food, fuel, rent, doctor-bills, medications, car-payments, etc.” In the present state of the economy where unemployment hovers close to 10% (and we or someone we know are part of that statistic) we, too, feel foolish telling people to “Stop worrying! Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be given you besides.”

A friend, who feels a bit guilty about lack of trust in the heavenly Father, writes,

It seems there have always been a few people who don’t mind feeling like a fool. There have always been a few people, some of them canonized and some not, who have taken the Lord’s words literally, at their undiluted face value. St. Francis of Assisi was one of them. To these few fools is contrasted the `rational’ majority: that's you and me (our name is legion). We go about interpreting the Sermon on the Mount about birds of the sky and the lilies of the field in such a way that there is not much to get excited about!

`Rational’ Anna

Anna was part of that `rational’ majority who worry about tomorrow. She was a spinster, and hairdresser by trade. She was also German by nationality, and that tells us something about her temperament. She put her nose to the grind, worked hard and was very thrifty. She didn't grossly deprive herself but neither did she live it up. With religious regularity she deposited all her bucks in bins called banks. I never saw her bankbook, but I suspect she had amassed a good 100,000 dollars. In those days that represented a mighty mountain of work and thrift over the years. But alas! One day the circulation in her foot stopped, gangrene set in, her leg was amputated, and she was carried off to a nursing home where she eventually died.

To whom did all her piled-up wealth go? It went to the nursing home industry, which ate up much of her life-long savings in a very short time. What was left went to her well-off nephew. There was something sadly foolish about this dear `rational’ creature. She didn’t want to be foolish, but society made her so. In today’s gospel this `rational’ creature is contrasted by `irrational’ creatures like the birds of the sky, who do not toil and gather into bins, but are taken care of by the Father in heaven.

A friend ambushed by angst

A friend writes,

Have you ever awakened in the middle of the night with the thought that somethingbad was going to happen? This week I had one of those attacks. I was in the middle of an ordinary week of teacher training, grocery shopping, laundry, and parenting our two sons. Blame it on the drizzle outside, but suddenly small worries in every facet of my life (in the parenting, professional, and financial departments) rose together and came crashing down on me in a big wave of anxiety about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday.

My faith gives me a way to cope when such angst ambushes me: prayer. My worries arise when I begin to imagine that I am the one in control. Praying my rosary calms me down and reminds me that the heavenly Father, and not I, is the master of my universe and the captain of my ship. When I awoke in the middle of the night I was seized with panic. My rosary was outside in the family van, hanging from the rear view mirror. To calm myself down I started to pray the decades of the rosary, counting off the Hail Mary-s on my fingers. Before long I had calmed down and fallen back to sleep. Not only prayer but also Scripture helps me cope when angst ambushes me. I turn particularly to those wonderful words of Jesus who bids me, “Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?“

“Shut-up” to self-talk

We want to obey Jesus who commands us to stop worrying about what are we to eat or drink or wear. We want to obey His command not to worry about tomorrow, but we just can't do it. We tell ourselves to stop worrying about food, fuel, rent, taxes, doctor-bills, etc. Over and over again we say to ourselves, "Don't worry! Don't worry! Don't worry! Don't worry! ” But it doesn’t work. Worrying involves a great deal of `self-talk.’ At the end of the day, controlling our worrying requires that we command our `self-talk’ to `Shut-up!” “This may sound too easy,” writes one psychiatrist, “but it really works!”

Conclusion
Called to worry and not to worry

The gospel does not challenge us to choose between worrying and not worrying. Rather, it calls us to both: to worry as responsible people when there's something we can and must do, and then not to worry but to trust the Father in heaven, when there's nothing we can do. The gospel challenges us to worry, as `rational’ Anna worried, and at the same time not to worry, as `irrational’ Francis of Assisi (like the birds of the sky) did not worry. The gospel bids us to keep one eye focused on our barns and bins, and the other eye peeled upon the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. That’s the only sure, sane and safe way to live. For at the end of the day, sooner or later there comes a time in all our lives when the barns and bins dry up on us, and we are reduced to birds of the sky and lilies of the field with only the Father in heaven to bank on.

Children of the Heavenly Father

John Paul II visits his would-be assassin in
a prison in Rome on Dec. 27, 1983

Children of the Heavenly Father

February 20, 2011, 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18 I Corinthians 3:16-23 Matthew 5:43-48

First reading from Leviticus

The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy. “You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart. Though you may have to reprove your fellow citizen, do not incur sin because of him. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against any of your people. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”

The Word of God
Thanks be to God

Alleluia, alleluia.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Glory to you, Lord

“You have heard that it was said, ` You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for He makes the sun rise on the bad and the good alike, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
----------------
Introduction
Gabby’s impossible burden

When Gabby Giffords, recognizing the right of the people to peaceably assemble, held a `town-hall meeting’ on Saturday, January 8, in the parking lot of a Safeway supermarket in Tucson , AZ, she was shot in the head by a young man named Jared Lee Loughner. She is now undergoing what will be a very long journey back to health in a Houston hospital, involving many reconstructive surgeries. Imagine what a heavy (almost impossible) burden Jesus lays upon this terribly wounded woman, as He tells her to “love Jared Lee Loughner and pray for him, so that you may be the child of your heavenly Father.”

“Hate your enemy.” A glaring addition!

Jesus says,”You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’” That’s supposed to be a quote from Leviticus 19:18. But if we check the quote, we find it says only, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” That’s all! When Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, `You shall hate your enemy,’” He was really quoting the scribes and Pharisees whose teachings supposedly were based on Scripture. But nowhere in the Old Testament is there a precept which commanded the Israelites to hate their enemies. ”You shall hate your enemy” was the invention and glaring addition, pure and simple, of the scribes and Pharisees.

Why did the scribes and Pharisees add “Hate your enemy” to the command to “Love your neighbor?” Were they simply thinking that the opposite of a command to love one’s neighbor was a command to hate one’s enemy? Or were they following their own base human nature which delights in hating an enemy? Or were the scribes and Pharisees misapplying some of the Old Testament passages about hatred for God’s enemies. For example, psalms 139 `prays:’ “O God, how I wish you would kill the wicked!” (vs. 19) “O Lord, how I hate those who hate You! How I despise those who rebel against You!” (vs. 21). Etc.

“Love your enemy” -- a command of the O.T.

The Old Testament does not command hatred of an enemy. In fact, it commands just the opposite. “If you happen to see your enemy’s cow or donkey running loose, take it back to him. If his donkey has fallen under its load, help your enemy get the donkey to its feet again; don’t just walk off.” (Exodus 23:4-5) "If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink…." (Proverbs 25:21)

“Love your enemy” -- a crystal-clear command of the N.T.

“Love your enemy” is, indeed, a command of the Old Testament. It’s also a crystal-clear command of the New Testament. “You have heard that it was said, ` You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.” (Mt. 5:43-45)

These words of Jesus have begotten a whole “cloud of witnesses,” starting with the proto-martyr of the faith St. Stephen. As he was being stoned to death (under the supervision of Saul of Tarsus) he cried out with love for his enemies, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Acts 7:60)

Mama Assunta -- a child of the heavenly Father

That cloud of witnesses to Jesus’ words to love an enemy continues in every age. On July 5, 1902, 12 year old Maria Goretti lay dying in a hospital after being stabbed by a family friend, Alessandro Serenelli who intended to rape her. Before dying she forgave her murderer, saying, “For the love of Jesus, I forgive him, and I want him to be with me one day in heaven!” Serenelli went to prison for 24 years, where he underwent a profound conversion, after seeing a vision of Maria in his prison cell. After getting out of prison, he went immediately to Maria’s mother Assunta, begging her forgiveness. The mother, like the daughter, wonderfully forgave Serenelli. Assunta and Alessandro even went to Christmas Mass together, receiving Communion side by side.

The Capuchin friars from Le Marche received Alessandro into their monastery. He said, “They welcomed me with angelic charity into their monastery as a brother, not as a servant. I have been living with them for 24 years, and now I am serenely waiting to witness the vision of God, to hug my loved ones again, and to be next to my Guardian Angel and her dear Mama Assunta.”-- Jesus says, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.” That’s what Mama Assunta did; she’s truly a daughter of her heavenly Father.

John Paul II – a child of the heavenly Father

That cloud of witnesses to Jesus’ command to love an enemy continued in Pope John Paul II. On May 13, 1981, Mehmet Ali Ağca, a Turkish assassin, shot the Pope in Saint Peter's Square. Ağca was apprehended and imprisoned. John Paul II asked people to "pray for my brother Ağca, whom I have sincerely forgiven.” Though he had once said that the Pope was the “incarnation of evil capitalism” and had tried to murder him, Ağca later developed a friendship with John Paul. In 1983, the Pope and he met and spoke privately in a prison cell. John Paul was also in touch with Ağca's family over the years, meeting his mother in 1987 and his brother a decade later. – Jesus says, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.” That’s what J.P. II did, and he’s truly a son of his heavenly Father, and a worthy candidate for beatification on May 1, 2011.

The Amish -– children of the heavenly Father

On October 2, 2006, Charles Carl Roberts IV took hostages in an Amish one-room schoolhouse, in the Old Order Amish community of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. He eventually shot ten girls (aged 6–13), killing five, before committing suicide in the schoolhouse. That horrific event was followed by incredible accounts in the national media of forgiveness and reconciliation on the part of the Amish community. A Roberts-family- spokesman said an Amish neighbor had comforted the Roberts family hours after the shooting, and had extended forgiveness to them. Amish community members visited and comforted Roberts' widow, parents, and parents-in-law. One Amish man held Roberts' sobbing father in his arms, reportedly for as long as an hour, to comfort him. The Amish also set up a charitable fund for the family of the shooter.

About 30 members of the Amish community attended Roberts' funeral, and Marie Roberts, the widow of the killer, was one of the few outsiders invited to the funeral of one of the victims. Marie Roberts wrote an open letter to her Amish neighbors thanking them for their forgiveness, grace and mercy. She wrote, "Your love for our family has helped to provide the healing we so desperately need. Gifts you've given have touched our hearts in a way no words can describe. Your compassion has reached beyond our family, beyond our community, and is changing our world, and for this we sincerely thank you." – Jesus says, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.” That’s what those dear Amish brothers and sisters did, and that makes them true children of the heavenly Father.

“Anger and hate – too heavy a burden to bear”

Loving an enemy is never easy and never pleasant, even when the enemy says he’s sorry. It’s difficult to forget the past or try to pretend that nothing has happened. But when an enemy says he is sorry and means it, he ceases to be an enemy, and then the ball is in our corner: then we must let hate out and love in. But when the enemy is not sorry, it’s almost impossible to make any sense out of a commandment to love an enemy. It’s almost impossible to “do good to those who hate you, to bless those who curse you and to pray for those who mistreat you.” (Lk 6: 27-28)

At the end of the day, loving an enemy, especially one who isn’t sorry, is first and foremost for our own sake. (Here is a `self-interest’ which is, indeed, a great virtue.) Strange to say, our need to forgive an enemy is even greater than our enemy’s need to be forgiven by us. Martin Luther King said, “I’m sticking with forgiveness and love; anger and hate are too heavy a burden to bear.”

Conclusion
In good company

They are, indeed, too heavy a burden. They mire us down so that we can’t get on with our lives. They consume our energy as we tirade against them and seek revenge, instead of expending our efforts in service of others. Anger and hate turn our gaze constantly upon our `poor offended selves’ instead of upon the sufferings of others. They poison our human spirit with a negativity which makes it impossible to count our blessings and smell the roses.

On the other hand, forgiving our enemy puts us in good company with Proto-martyr Stephen, Mama Assunta, Blessed Pope John Paul and our Amish brothers and sisters. Above all, forgiving our enemy makes us children of our heavenly Father, who makes the sun rise on the bad and the good alike, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

"You have heard that it was said...but I tell you..."

“You have heard that it was said…but I tell you….”

February 13, 2011, 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sirach 15:15-20 I Corinthians 2:6-10 Matthew 5:20– 45.

Second reading from 1 Corinthians

Brothers and sisters: We speak a wisdom to those who are mature, not a wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away. Rather, we speak God’s wisdom, mysterious, hidden, which God predetermined before the ages for our glory, and which none of the rulers of this age knew; for, if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him, this God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.

The Word of God
Thanks be to God
Alleluia, alleluia.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Glory to you, Lord

A long litany of `You have heard that…’

Jesus said to the crowds, “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Then He proceeded to preach, saying,

(1) “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, `You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ But I tell you: whoever is angry with his brother will be brought before the judge.” 5:20-22

(2) “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you: anyone who looks at a woman and wants to possess her is guilty of committing adultery with her in his heart.” 5:27-28

(3) “You have heard that it was said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you: if a man divorces his wife, and she has not been unfaithful, then he is guilty of making her commit adultery, if she marries again, and the man who marries her also commits adultery.” 5:31-32

(4) “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not break your vows to God, but must fulfill them all.’ But I tell you: Don’t make any vows at all. Your `Yes, I will’ or your `No I won’t’ should be enough. To strengthen your promise with a vow shows that something is wrong.” 5:33-37

(5) “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you: Do not take revenge on someone who does you wrong. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap you on the left cheek as well.” 5:38-39

(6) “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemies.’ But I tell you: love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you will become the sons of your Father in heaven.” 5:43-45

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Introduction
Deconstructing prevailing views

The second half of Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount is a long litany: six times it repeats the formula “You have heard that it was said … but I tell you.”(Mt. 5: 20–22; 26–28; 31–32; 33–34; 38–39; 43– 45) Some say that in this litany Jesus is taking a teaching common in the Judaism of His day and is giving it a new and loftier meaning. Others say He is simply unpacking the true and full meaning of the Law as it was originally intended (especially in contrast to the literal and narrow approach of the Pharisees). In his book What Would Jesus Deconstruct? John Caputo says that in this passage Jesus is `deconstructing’ prevailing views regarding the Law. He is saying, "This is what we always assumed that passage is saying, but let's take another look at it to see if our assumption is right."

Bp. Untener tried to deconstruct

Former Bishop of the Diocese of Saginaw, Kenneth Edward Untener (1937- 2004) was a good shepherd for the people of the Saginaw Diocese. He was a comforter for his priests and a challenge to his fellow bishops. He sold the bishop's mansion and proceeded to live in 69 rectories over the next 24 years. People said his office was the trunk of his car. His first words as bishop to the people of Saginaw were: "My name is Ken, and I will be your waiter for a long, long time.” His funeral Mass, attended by some 1,800 people, evoked tears and laughter, audible "amens" and a standing ovation.

1993 was the 25th anniversary of Pope Paul VI's encyclical letter Humanae Vitae (which reaffirmed the Church's stand against artificial birth control). Bp. Untener used the occasion to ask his Church to deconstruct its teaching on birth control, and to an open a new and open discussion on the subject. Untener was saying to his Church, “You say that all forms of artificial contraception are forbidden, but I say to you, `Let’s take another look at this to see if this assumption of ours is right.’”

Archbp. Hunthausen tries to deconstruct

The former Archbishop of Seattle (1975-1991), Raymond Hunthausen (b.1921) was a great advocate for the poor and the marginalized. He spoke out courageously about controversial issues in the Church, like artificial contraception and homosexuality. Already in 1977 he courageously and publicly defended the rights of gays and lesbians. He permitted a homosexual group called Dignity to hold its own Mass in his cathedral. “They're Catholics, too,” he explained. "They need a place to pray.” Some grumblers managed to have the Vatican strip him of some of his episcopal authority, because “his lack of clarity about homosexuality had confused the faithful.” Hunthausen said to his Church, “You have heard that it was said that gays are `an abomination unto the Lord.’ (Lv 18:22) But I say to you, `Let’s take another look at this to see if this assumption of ours is right.'”

Bp. Gumbleton tries to deconstruct

Former Auxiliary Bishop Thomas John Gumbleton (b. 1930) of the Archdiocese of Detroit openly admitted that many bishops don’t believe that every contraceptive act is intrinsically evil, but aren’t willing to say it publicly. That didn’t please the Vatican. Despite Pope John Paul II definitive stand against the ordination of women, Gumbleton also openly predicted that “priestesses will inevitably come,” and he pointed out that “already, female parochial administrators are proving their competency and laying the groundwork for the ordination of women.” That, too, didn’t please the Vatican. Gumbleton said to his Church: “You say that every contraceptive act is intrinsically evil and that only celibates and only males may be ordained, but I say to you `Let’s take another look at this to see if these assumptions of ours are right.’”

Archbp. Weakland tries to deconstruct

Former Archbishop of Milwaukee, Rembert Weakland, OSB, .in a pastoral letter to his people, addressed the shortage of priests in his archdiocese. His letter reads in part,

If it became evident that no resident priest would be available for a parish, and that there was no prospect of getting one in the near future, I would be willing to help the community surface a qualified candidate for ordination to the priesthood – even if a married man - and without raising false expectations or unfounded hope for him or the community, present such a candidate to the Pastor of the Universal Church [the Pope] for light and guidance. (P. 340 in A Pilgrim in a Pilgrim Church)

The Vatican’s response to Weakland’s attempt was unambiguous. When the Archbishop went to Rome in 1993 for his obligatory ad limina visit to the Pope, a letter was hand-delivered to him from Cardinal Bernadine Gantin, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. The letter made it clear to Weakland that,

Among the requirements of Catholic unity there is the need [for you Rembert Weakland] to accept the tradition of the Church. According to ecclesial practice, reinforced by a Synod of Bishops, it is not [italics ours] possible to present married men for ordination to the priesthood. (!)

Then the letter took aim at Weakland’s `unspeakable’ attempt to deconstruct concerning the ordination of women. The letter continued:

The question of the ordination of women, your position is perceived to be in opposition to the teaching of the Church. Moreover, the charge of ‘intransigency’ – a word used by your Excellency – on the part of the Church in this matter, can seriously damage Church authority and Church government. (P. 340 in A Pilgrim in a Pilgrim Church)

Weakland was asking his Church to dispense from the discipline that ordains only celibates, and to rethink her `dogma’ that only men may be ordained. He was saying to his Church, “You say that only celibates and only males may be ordained, but I say to you, `Let’s take another look at this to see if these assumptions of ours are right.’”

Conclusion
A great cloud of witnesses

An appeal to “ecclesial practice, reinforced by a Synod of Bishops,” or an appeal to “a long unbroken and sacred tradition” of ordaining only celibates or only men , is, at the end of the day, an appeal “to do things the way we’ve always done them.” Or it’s an appeal “not to rock the boat.” We remind ourselves that we had “a long unbroken and sacred tradition” of slavery in this country, and we are grateful that that’s been broken. We remind ourselves also that we had “a long unbroken and sacred tradition” of men only in the US Congress, and we are grateful today that that, too, has been broken. We are grateful for “a great cloud of witnesses” (Heb 12:1), like Untener, Hunthausen, Gumbleton, Weakland and many others in high and low places, who courageously rock the boat of Peter, as they invite the Church they love to take another look to see whether her assumptions are right.

A Shining City on a Mountaintop

Mont St. Michel France

A Shining City on a Mountaintop (Mt 5:14)

February 6, 2011, 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isaiah 58:7-10 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 Matthew 5:13-16

First reading from Isaiah: “Your light shall break forth.”

Thus says the LORD: Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am! If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday.

The Word of God
Thanks be to God
Alleluia, alleluia.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Glory to you, Lord

“You are a shining city on a mountaintop.”

Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

“You are the light of the world. You are a shining city on a mountaintop, glowing in the night for all to see. No one lights a lamp to put it under a bowl; instead he puts it on a lamp-stand, where it gives light for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see your goodness and give praise to your Father in heaven.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
----------------
Introduction
A much-liked imagery

The boot of Italy is dotted with thousands of little towns and cities perched upon the lofty hills and mountaintops. At night, they’re all aglow with lights. It’s a beautiful sight to behold. That’s the imagery Jesus has in mind when He says, “You are like a city built upon a mountaintop, and glowing in the night for all to see.”

It’s a much-liked image.. Puritan John Winthrop, standing on the tiny deck of the Arabella in 1630 off the Massachusetts coast, wrote a sermon entitled A Model of Christian Charity. In it he admonished the future Massachusetts Bay colonists to be a “shining city upon a hill, watched by the whole world.” President Reagan also used the image in a speech: “Why this country is a shining city built upon a hill!” In response to Reagan, former Governor of New York, Italian Mario Cuomo, took up the image in his famous keynote address to the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, July 16, 1984. “Mr. President,” he said, “you ought to know that this nation is more a Tale of Two Cities than it is a shining city upon a hill.” Cuomo wove the image throughout his speech.[1] In 2008 running mate Sarah Palin announced that she shares a worldview with John McCain “that says that America is a shining city upon a hill, as President Regan so beautifully said.”

Pope John and Fr. Judge -- shining cities upon a mountaintop

The gospel says that we are like those little Italian towns perched upon mountaintops and sparkling like gems in the setting sun. People seeing our goodness give glory to the Father in heaven. Good Pope John XXIII sitting on the lofty throne of Peter was truly a shining city on a mountaintop, during his very short pontificate (1958-63). As he lay dying on June 3, 1963, the whole world was kneeling at his bedside. (We who were tuned in to the news that day know that’s not an exaggeration.)The Catholic and non-Catholic world had experienced Pope John’s goodness, and both gave glory to the Father in heaven for it.

Franciscan Father Mychal Judge was a compassionate champion of the forlorn and forgotten of New York City and a beloved chaplain of the N.Y. City Fire Department,. He died in the holocaust of 9/11, as he ministered the last rites to a dying firefighter. He too was a shining city on a mountaintop. Multitudes of churched and unchurched people saw Fr. Judge’s goodness, and gave glory to the Father in heaven for it. When a memorial service was held for Fr. Judge, an endless flow of priests, nuns, lawyers, cops, firefighters, homeless people, rock-and-rollers, recovering alcoholics, local politicians and middle aged couples from the suburbs streamed into Good Shepherd Chapel on Ninth Ave., an Anglican church, to memorialize a Roman Catholic.

A Jewish CEO --- a shining city upon a mountaintop

Aaron Feuerstein, a devout Jew, is CEO and owner of Malden Mills, a fabric factory in Methuen, Massachusetts. On the night of December 11, 1995 when a surprise party was held for his seventieth birthday, a boiler exploded and a devastating fire demolished a good part of his factory. He didn’t grab the insurance money and run. Instead he assembled all his 2400 employees in the Catholic school and assured them that with God's help they would all get through the tragedy together. Then he gave them their pay checks plus a $275 Christmas bonus and a $20 food coupon. He also promised that for 30 days all his employees would be paid their full salaries, and that for 90 days their health insurance would be paid. Above all, he promised that within 90 days he would try to have his factory 100 percent operational, and his people back to work. There was a moment of stunned disbelief, and then the workers rose to their feet cheering and hugging each other and also weeping. Aaron Feuerstein is the salt of the earth. He is light for this world. He is a shining city on a mountaintop, for everyone to see. His 2400 employees saw his goodness, and gave glory to the Father in heaven for it.

A quarterback -- a shining city upon a mountaintop

Today February 6, 2011 Super Bowl XLV will pit the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Green Bay Packers to decide the NFL champion for the 2010 season. The game will be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Kickoff time is approximately 5:25pm. Quarterback for the Packers is Aaron Rogers and Ben Roethlisberger for the Steelers. The occasion calls to mind another quarterback - Kurtis Warner – of the St. Louis Rams, who led his team to victory against the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV, Jan. 30, 2000.

An e-mail I received reads:

When they met, Kurtis Warner was a university student and Brenda was a divorced
single mom living on food stamps. In his autobiography Keep Your Head Up Kurt describes his and Brenda's first encounter, when a teammate at the University of Northern Iowa talked him into going to a country-music club in Cedar Falls, Iowa. There was an instant connection, but Brenda didn't know whether it would last. Not only was she a single mom, but one of her two children - her son Zachary - had significant medical problems. He was blinded and brain-injured when accidentally dropped to the floor by her first husband. Kurt was not turned aside by the children or Zachary's condition, and he and Brenda forged a relationship that resulted in their marrying four years later.

After trying out with the Green Bay Packers, Kurt received a pink-slip and returned to Cedar Falls in 1994. There he worked nights stocking shelves for $5.50 an hour. To keep a long story short, he eventually became quarterback for the St. Louis Rams, and rose to fame by throwing an amazing 41 touchdowns passes in one season for the Rams, bringing them to a 13-3 record and to memorable victory in Super Bowl XXXIV.

He is known for his commitment to his family, his clean-kid lifestyle, and his Christian faith. He and Brenda now live in St. Louis with their four children Zachary, Kade, Jesse, and Jada Jo. Kurt is the founder of First Things First -- a foundation dedicated to impacting lives by promoting Christian values, sharing experiences and providing opportunities to encourage everyone that all things are possible when people seek to put First Things First.

That e-mail was sent as a gentle rebuttal to a homily I preached, which took pot shots at sport heroes “as overrated, overpaid and very spoiled brats.” Among them, I included the infamous quarterback Michael Vick, who has more money than he needs, and yet ran a lucrative but utterly cruel dog-fighting operation. The e-mail was written by one who saw quarterback Kurt as a shining city upon a mountaintop (especially in the world of sports), and he titled his e-mail: “Sometimes sport heroes are heroes.”

Conclusion
A motley tribe

John XXIII was born poor in a little Italian village named Bergamo Sotto il Monte (Bergamo at the Foot of the Mountain), and he made it to the top as the Church’s 261st pope. Fr. Mychal Judge was a recovering alcoholic and parish priest for all of New York City’s forlorn and forgotten. CEO Aaron Feuerstein showed remarkable goodness toward his burnt-out employees, and he dismisses any praise of him, saying he was simply following the prophet Micah who asks him "to act justly, to be filled with loving kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God." (Micah 6:8) Super Bowl hero quarterback Kurtis Warner proves that “sometimes sport heroes are heroes,” as they try to put First Things First in their lives.

John, Mychal, Aaron, Kurtis are indeed a motley tribe. But at the end of the day, they’re all shining cities on a mountaintop, and we, seeing their goodness, give glory to the Father in heaven.

[1] In the same speech Cuomo also remarked, “We would rather have laws written by the patron of this great city, the man called the `world's most sincere Democrat,’ St. Francis of Assisi, than laws written by Darwin.”