Let's Try Something New

“Let’s Try Something New”
August 28, 2011, 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 20:7-9 Romans 13:13-14; Matthew 16:21-27

Second reading from Romans

Brothers and sisters, let us conduct ourselves properly, as people who live in the light of day; no orgies or drunkenness, no immorality and debauchery, no fighting or jealousy. Rather, let us take up the weapons of the Lord Jesus Christ, and let us stop concentrating on the flesh and gratifying its desires.”

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

Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to You.” He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then He will repay all according to his conduct.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
----------------
Introduction
22nd Sunday and also feast of St. Augustine

Today August 28 is not only the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time but also the feast day of great St. Augustine of Hippo in North Africa (b. Nov. 13, 354 - d. Aug. 28, 430). As a young man he was a `rounder’ who begot a son out of wedlock. His love-child was named Adeodatus. Augustine’s mother, St. Monica (whose feast day was yesterday, August 27) continually prayed for her son’s conversion. She pursued him from North Africa into Italy and up to Milan. There she visited St. Ambrose, the bishop of Milan, and with many tears begged him to pray for her son’s conversion. Ambrose impatiently told her to stop her weeping, assuring her that “the son of so many tears surely will not perish.”

Ambrose’s prediction came true. In his Confessions (Bk. VIII, Ch. 12) Augustine relates the very powerful moment of his conversion. One day in the garden of his villa he heard a voice coming from the other side of the wall. The voice kept saying in a singsong sort of way, “Tolle et lege! Tolle et lege!” (Augustine wrote in Latin.) “Take and read! Take and read!” At first he thought it was the voice of some kid playing a game. Then suddenly seized with a strange impulse, he picked up the Scriptures which lay near at hand. They fell open to Paul’s letter to the Romans: “Let us conduct ourselves properly, as people who live in the light of day; no orgies or drunkenness, no immorality and debauchery, no fighting or jealousy. Rather, let us take up the weapons of the Lord Jesus Christ, and let us stop concentrating on the flesh and gratifying its desires.” (Rom 13:13-14)

That experience converted Augustine. St. Ambrose, Monica’s close friend, baptized him on Easter night between the 24th and 25th of April, 387. To make his joy complete, Augustine’s love-child Adeodatus, along with some very close friends, were baptized with him that same blessed night. Then Augustine went on to become the great Bishop of Hippo. By his voluminous writings he theologically ruled the Universal Church from the 5th to the 13th century, when the equally voluminous St. Thomas Aquinas appeared upon the scene to theologically rule the Church until Vatican II (1962-1965).

Because of his enormous literary output, Augustine has been declared the Patron Saint of Printers. He has also been declared Patron Saint of Brewers, because of his former life of wild partying and heavy drinking. Augustine’s complete turnaround is an inspiration to those who struggle with similar Demons of their own.

“Get behind me, Satan!”

Like Augustine, Peter, too, was no saint. He lacked faith when he walked on the water toward Jesus and began to sink. (Mt 14:28–31) He was a violent man when he cut off the ear of Malchus, the High Priest’s slave. (Jn 18:11) Worst of all, after the Last Supper, Peter went out and three times denied knowing Jesus. (Mt 26:69-75) And in today’s gospel Peter condescendingly takes Jesus off to the side and scolds Him for suggesting that He would have to suffer, and that makes Jesus angry: “Get behind Me, Satan!”

Just five short verses before, Jesus blesses Simon bar Jonah for his wonderful confession of Him as the Christ, and in reward He gives Simon a new name:“Peter” – “Rock,” for upon him Jesus will build His Church. (Mt 16:18) How quickly the scene changes; now Jesus is calling Peter “Satan!” “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” (Mt 16:23)

“Get behind Me, Satan!” Is Jesus angrily telling Peter to get out of His sight? Or is He simply telling him to get out of His way? Or is He telling Peter to get behind Him and follow Him, as a disciple follows his master? This last is an interesting insight, though it’s not often heard. It makes good sense, however, for in the very next verse 24 Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be my follower must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”

Fr. Boulad summons the institution to deny itself

Fr. Henri Boulad S. J. is an Egyptian-Lebanese Jesuit of the Melkite rite, rector of the Jesuit College in Cairo, superior of the Jesuits in Alexandria, regional superior of all the Jesuits in Egypt, professor of theology in Cairo, etc. So greatly qualified Fr. Boulad cannot be easily dismissed, as he writes a lengthy, personal and poignant S.O.S. letter to Peter’s successor, Benedict XVI. The opening paragraph of his letter shows how conflicted Boulad is:

Dear Holy Father,

I am adddressing you directly because my heart bleeds at the of the abyss into which our Church is sinking today. Please excuse my that is filial and dictated both by the "freedom of the children of God" to which St. Paul has called us, as well as by my passionate love for the Church. Perhaps you will excuse the alarmist tone of this letter, for I believe that it is already the eleventh hour and that confronting the present situation must not be further delayed.

A very tiny part of his lengthy S.O.S. letter reads:

In the matter of morality and ethics, the injunctions of the Magisterium , repeated ad nauseam on marriage, contraception, abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, clerical celibacy, divorce and remarriage, etc. touch nobody and only engender weariness and indifference. All these moral and pastoral problems deserve more than preemptory declarations. They deserve an approach that is pastoral, sociological, psychological and humane. They deserve an approach more in keeping with the Gospel.

“Whoever wants to be my follower must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” That injunction, Fr. Boulad believes, pertains first and foremost to the ecclesiastical institution. It must first deny itself and take up the cross, before it can plausibly and effectively summon us, the People of God, to do the same.

Fr. Bourgeois summons the institution to deny itself

On July 27, 2011, Fr.. Edward Dougherty, Superior General of Maryknoll and (also a canon lawyer) sent a “Second Canonical Warning” to Fr. Roy L. Bourgeois, M.M., stating he must recant his belief and public statements that support the ordination of women, or he will be dismissed from Maryknoll. In part, his warning read:

Your public statements are directly opposed to the definitive letter of John Paul in the Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis #4, and in a response to a “dubium” on the matter, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith stated that this Apostolic Letter “is to be understood as pertaining to the deposit of faith.” (cf AAS 87, 1995; Cn. 750:2; Cn. 1371) Your numerous public statements and appearances in support of the ordination of women continue to create in the minds of the faithful the view that your position is acceptable to our Church. Your position is contrary to Church teachings. (Cn. 1399; Cn. 696:1)

Here I remind you of the words of our former Superior General, Father John Sivalon in his letter to you on October 21, 2008. “I must remind you, Roy, that if you do not recant within thirty (30) canonical days, you will be automatically excommunicated (C. 1331), and this will have ramifications for your membership in the Society.”

On August 8, 2011 Fr. Roy Bourgeois in a letter utterly devoid of canonical perspicuity and wizardry, and brimming over with conscience and courage responded to his superior and his Maryknoll Community. In part the letter reads:

I have been a Catholic priest for 39 years and Maryknoll has been my faith community, my family. So it was with great sadness that I received your letter of July 27, 2011 (Second Canonical Warning), stating I must recant my belief and public statements that support the ordination of women, or I will be dismissed from Maryknoll.

After much reflection, study, and prayer, I believe that our Church's teaching that excludes women from the priesthood defies both faith and reason and cannot stand up to scrutiny. This teaching has nothing to do with God, but with men, and is rooted in sexism. Sexism, like racism, is a sin. And no matter how hard we may try to justify discrimination against women, in the end, it is not the way of God, but of men who want to hold on to their power

As people of faith we believe in the primacy of conscience. What you are asking me to do in your letter is not possible without betraying my conscience. In essence, you are telling me to lie and say I do not believe that God calls both men and women to the priesthood. This I cannot do. Therefore I will not recant.

“Whoever wants to be my follower must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” That injunction, Fr. Bourgeois believes, pertains first and foremost to the ecclesiastical institution. It must first deny itself and take up the cross, before it can plausibly and effectively summon us, the People of God, to do the same.

Conclusion
“Let’s try something new!”

When Good Pope John was at the helm of the institution, he summoned his Church to the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965.) In preparation for it, various working documents were presented to him for his review. One day John approached a Cardinal and said, “My dear son, look at this document here! It uses up 30 inches condemning the world! We’ve been down that path for a very long time, and it hasn’t worked.” Then he added, “Let’s try something new.”

Fr. Henri Boulad S. J. who speaks of the institution’s “repetition ad nauseam,“ and Fr. Roy Bourgeois M. M. who rejects the much repeated stance that women can’t be ordained, and a whole host of other people -- they all beseech the institution to “try something new.”

He Gathered God's Scattered Children

Papa Giovanni – Il Papa Buono
He Gathered God’s Scattered Children

August 21, 2011, 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time
Isaiah 22:19-23 Romans 11:33-36 Matthew 16:13-20

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

Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you: “You are Peter, the Rock, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

The Gospel of the Lord
Thanks be to God
---------------
Introduction
Packers instead of politicians

Here it is the middle of August – over half of the new year is old! The kids go back to school. Soon “the leaves of brown come tumbling down” in Wisconsin. And here in Texas, after three months of unrelenting 100 degree heat, the temperatures will start going south. Best of all, football season 2011-2012 will soon be here. And life will again be worth living! On Thursday, September 8, the 92nd regular season of the NFL begins as the Green Bay Packers (champions of Super Bowl XLV) host the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI, in the new season’s kickoff game. After each team has played 16 games the play-offs start, and then comes the event which crowns the whole season: Super Bowl XLVI on February 5, 2012. Life, indeed, is worth living!

So it is going to be football for 5 straight months. And the return of football season will be a welcomed relief and distraction from the terrible ordeal which politicians are putting the nation through, as they choose to put the work of their party before the people. They almost brought the nation to the brink of economic disaster. Someone has said that compromise is the art of knowing how to divide the cake in such a way that everyone believes he’s getting the biggest piece. That art has been lost in Washington today.

Boehner and Barack at a bar after six

Tip O’Neil was a well-beloved Democratic Speaker in the House when Ronald Reagan was president. The two of them would have a drink together on a special occasion, while searching for bridges of compromise between their differences. It was said of them: “They were friends after six pm.” What a welcome relief it would be, if that were the tone in Washington today! What a great blessing it would be, if the present speaker of the House John Boehner and President Barack Obama would sit down together at some bar after six! What walls could start crumbling! What wheels of compromise could be set in motion. As it is now, Republics go home to drink, and Democrats go home to drink. What could happen, if they also sat down at times, and drank with each other?

The art of compromise these days has disappeared in Washington. As we head now into the new football season, what a relief it will be to turn our attention away from politicians and the bad political atmosphere through which they’ve just put us. What a relief it will be to turn our attention, momentarily at least, to football - that great all-American game which Americans always use to momentarily forget their problems.

The great St. Peter’s Basilica

The world’s most famous tourist attraction is St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The basilica covers an area of 5.7 acres and has a capacity of over 60,000 people. The interior is a splendiferous splash of every conceivable kind of marble from the great Italian quarries. Way up front in the basilica near the main altar is an ancient fierce-looking statue of St. Peter giving a blessing with his right hand and holding the keys to the kingdom of heaven in his left. The toes of his protruding right foot have been literally worn smooth by the touches and kisses of millions of pilgrims and tourists down through the centuries. Way up in the great circular dome of St. Peter’s (which dominates Rome’s skyline) is the Latin inscription in gold mosaic letters 6.5 ft tall: YOU ARE PETER, AND ON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH. TO YOU I WILL GIVE THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. (Mt 16:18-19)

The clear-cut interpretation of Catholics

The Roman Catholic interpretation of Matthew 16:18-19 is clear-cut. Jesus is saying to Simon bar Jonah:

I give you Simon a new name because I am going to give you a new job. I now call you Peter, Rock, because on you, as on a solid rock-foundation, I am going to build my Church. And when I take leave and ascend to my Father, you, Peter, are to be my vicar.

Out of that interpretation rose the magnificent basilica of St. Peter’s, one of the seven great wonders of the world. Out of that interpretation was sculptured the fierce statue of St. Peter, prince of the apostles, with blessing in one hand, a key in the other and a protruding foot worn smooth by the kisses and touches of the faithful down through the centuries
.

Many good Christians don’t agree with it.

 Many good Christians don’t agree with that clear-cut Roman Catholic interpretation which gives Peter such an exalted position. It doesn’t make sense, they say. They quote various Scriptures which don’t paint a good picture of Peter. For example, when he is walking on the water toward the Lord and starts to sink, Jesus scolds him for his lack of faith. (Mt 14:28–31) When Peter cuts off the ear of Malchus, the High Priest’s slave, Jesus scolds him again saying, “Put your sword back in its place. Don’t you understand that I have to drink the cup which the Father has given me?”(Jn 18:11) Worst of all, the four canonical gospels relate that at the Last Supper Jesus foretells that Peter would deny ever knowing Him. Peter goes out of the upper room and denies Jesus not once but three times. (Mt 26:69-75) Many good Christians, therefore, find it hard to believe that Jesus would build His Church on such a man.

Other interpretations

There are other interpretations besides the clear-cut interpretation of Roman Catholics. The early Church Fathers were not unanimous in their understanding of the “Thou art Peter” Scripture. Launoy, a Roman Catholic scholar of the 17th century, compiled a list of varying interpretations of the Petrine text in the early Church. 17 Fathers believed the Rock was Peter. 44 believed the Rock was the faith of Peter who had just confessed Jesus as the Messiah. 16 said the Rock was Christ. St. Augustine initially thought the Rock was Peter, but he later changed his mind, saying that each one should make up his own mind. Swiss German theologian Fr. Hans Kung maintains that in the early centuries no one viewed Matthew 16:18-19 as justifying today’s papacy.

An expansive take on the Petrine Office 

Like the 17 Church Fathers Fr. John Hunwicke, an Anglican priest and theologian, believes that the Rock is Peter and that the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, is Peter’s successor. Does that mean he wants to become a Roman Catholic? Not at all! Both he and his Anglican brethren harbor too much affection for their Anglican tradition to do that. Though he doesn’t want to become a Roman Catholic, he does want to be an Anglican in full communion with the Bishop of Rome. But he wants to be in full communion with a Pope whose job-description is not to rule over the whole Church but to serve its universal communion. By that Fr. Hunwicke means that the job-description of the Bishop of Rome should be not to lord it over the universal Church but to serve it by protecting and promoting its universal communion – its union between Orthodox, Anglicans and Roman Catholics. That, indeed, is an expansive take on the Petrine office.

An even more expansive take on the Petrine office

Evangelist John writes that the high priest prophesied that Jesus would, "die for the Jewish people, and not only for them, but also to gather together all God’s scattered children.” (Jn 11:52) Can we push the envelope further and say that the Bishop of Rome’s job-description is similar to that of Jesus: to gather together all God’s scattered children? Can we say his job-description is to foster communion not just between Orthodox, Anglicans and Roman Catholics but also between all God’s scattered children: Lutherans, Presbyterians, as well as Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus etc. That, indeed, would be an even more expansive take on the Petrine office.

The Church's official position

The Church’s official position does not perceive the Petrine office so magnanimously. In 2000, Cardinal Ratzinger as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a 36-page document entitled Dominus Iesus (Jesus the Lord). It warned Catholics not to water down the very extraordinary uniqueness of Jesus when dealing with Buddhism and Hinduism. In dialoguing with non-Catholic Christian churches, the document also warned us not to water down the extraordinary uniqueness of the Catholic Church.

The document, heavy with ponderous theology, was disheartening for ecumenists who for thirty years were laboriously trying to gather together God’s scattered children; the document instead seemed to be scattering God’s children. At times it even seemed arrogant and condescending in such remarks as, “Though non-Catholic churches suffer from defects, they by no means have been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation.”

An unofficial position

When Ratzinger assumed the Petrine office as Pope Benedict XVI he approved a document which restated the key sections of Dominus Iesus. The Rev. Sara MacVane of the Anglican Center in Rome said there was nothing new in the new document, and she didn’t know what motivated it. She pointed out, however, that there is the `official’ position, and then there’s an `unofficial’ position, which is infused with a spirit of fellowship and with a desire to gather together all God’s scattered children. That `unofficial’ position even worships with others. That’s certainly true, she said, between Anglicans and Catholics, and also between other groups and Catholics.

A triumphant Catholic and a disappointed one

On the other hand, a very disappointed Catholic gentleman responding to the same Vatican document writes, “As an American Catholic, I want to apologize to my non-Catholic friends and acquaintances for the arrogance of my Church toward them.”

Pope John Paul II -- gathering God’s scattered children

In response to the apocalyptic event of 9/11, 2001, Pope John Paul II (1920–2005) invited all God’s scattered children to summit with him for Peace on Earth at Assisi, the birthday place of St. Francis. On January 24, 2002 they came from the four corners of the earth: Orthodox Christians, Anglicans, Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans, Mormons, Mennonites together with Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Shintoists and followers of African tribal religions. That was the third time John Paul had gathered together such a stellar assembly of all God’s scattered children.

Pope John XXIII -- gathering God’s scattered children

In an even more stellar style Pope John XXIII (1881-1963) gathered all God’s scattered children. In April of 1963 he issued his encyclical Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth.) It is one of the most famous of 20th century encyclicals. He died from cancer two months after its completion, and it was John’s last love letter to the Universal Church and to the world. John opened his farewell encyclical in the usual way that encyclicals always open:

To Our Venerable Brethren the Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, Bishops, and all other Local Ordinaries who are at Peace and in Communion with the Apostolic See, and to the Clergy and Faithful of the entire Catholic World…

But then Good Pope John added to the typical encyclical addressee a very special stroke of his own: “and to all Men of Good Will.” That surprising addition reflected John’s great all-embracing spirit: he wanted his last love letter to speak not only to the family of the Church but also to the family of the whole human race.

Conclusion
Il Papa Buono

John did such a wonderful job of gathering together all God’s scattered children that Italians affectionately called him Il Papa Buono – The Good Pope. And when on 3 June 1963 he lay dying, the whole world was kneeling at his bedside. (We, who were tuned into the news that day, know that this is no exaggeration.) John did such a wonderful job of gathering together all God’s scattered children that he is commemorated on June 3 (his death anniversary day) even by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and on June 4 by the Anglican Church of Canada.

I am saddened by my Church when it scatters God’s children. But I am very proud of her when, like Jesus, she gathers them together. I am very proud of her when the Rock upon which she is built is a man like Il Papa Buono.

A triumphant Catholic gentlemen responding to Dominus Iesus said, “The ultimate goal of dialogue among the various Christian religions is to eventually bring these people back into the Catholic Church. Three cheers to the Pope for having the courage to say it.” Another triumphant Catholic sang the same song: “With Dominus Iesus the cafeteria now is closed! No more picking and choosing. All religions are not created equal. Period!”

The Transformer was Transformed

"Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”
(Mt 15:22)

The Transformer was transformed!
August 14, 2011, 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 Matthew 15:21-28

1st reading: about foreigners

Thus says the Lord God: Observe what is right, do what is just; for my salvation is about to come, my justice, about to be revealed. The foreigners who join themselves to the Lord God, ministering to him, loving the name of the Lord God, and becoming his servants—all who keep the Sabbath free of profanation and hold to my covenant, them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples

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

The gospel: about a Canaanite woman -- a foreigner

At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, "Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” But Jesus didn’t say a word. The disciples urged Him to send her away. ”Tell her to get going,” they said, “for she is bothering us to death.”Then Jesus, trying to put her off, said to the woman, “I have come only for the lost sheep of the House of Israel.” But the woman approached Jesus again, did Him homage and pleaded, “Lord, help me.” He replied, “It’s is not right to take food that belongs to the children, and toss it to the dogs.” But she responded, “Lord, just remember that dogs eat the scraps that fall from their masters’ table.” Her words took Jesus by surprise, and He replied, “O woman, great is your faith! What you want will be done for you.”And the woman’s daughter was healed at that moment.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Introduction
A timely prayer

Yesterday, August 13, marked the 50th anniversary of the day when the Communists began building the infamous Berlin Wall in 1961. The wall divided the city into Capitalist West and Communist East, and it was meant to keep West Berliners out of East Berlin, and vice versa. The wall was 10 ft. wide, 15 ft. tall, and it ran through the heart of city for 28 miles. It was built not so much by brick but by xenophobia: fear of the foreigner. (The foreigners were capitalists.) Communist party chief Erich Honecker vowed that the wall would stand for a 100 years; it lasted for only 28. In one historic moment, at the stroke of midnight on Nov. 9, 1989, mobs with hammers and chisels scaled the wall, and it came crumbling down. The opening prayer for this 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time is indeed timely: “Oh Lord, may the walls which prejudice raises between us crumble beneath the shadow of Your outstretched arm.”

"The foreigner” – a uniting theme

The theme of “foreigner” unites the first and Gospel readings. In the first, the Lord promises that the foreigner (the Gentile), who joins himself to the Lord and loves His holy name, will be welcomed to His holy mountain, the Temple in Jerusalem, for His house shall be called a house of prayer for all people. In the Gospel, the foreigner is a Canaanite woman – a non-Jew – a Gentile.

A gutsy repartee to a knee-jerk reaction

When Jesus withdraws to the region of Tyre and Sidon, a Canaanite woman begged Him to cure her daughter tormented by a demon. It took courage for a Gentile (and a woman) to ask a Jewish man for help. At first Jesus didn’t respond to her. But she wasn’t going to be put off. Jesus, seemingly rude and insensitive, told her it wasn’t right to take food that belongs to the children, and toss it to the `dogs.‘ That Jesus would call the Gentile Canaanite woman a dog might sound a bit disturbing, but He was simply echoing what He had heard all His life. It was a knee-jerk reaction on his part. It was the byproduct of His cultural and religious upbringing. After all, Moses had commanded the Israelites to destroy Hittites, Amorites and Canaanites because they worshipped false gods. (Deut 20:16-18)

Refusing to be crushed by being called a dog by Jesus, the Canaanite woman responded with a gutsy repartee: “Call me dog, if you want, but just remember dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”The crumb she asked for was the cure of her daughter. Her sharp response took Jesus by surprise. What’s more, it overwhelmed Him, and He exclaimed: “Woman, you have great faith! Be it done for you as you asked.” At that moment her daughter was cured.

The Transformer is transformed

The Canaanite woman had changed the very direction of Jesus’ mission: it was no longer limited to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” It no longer pointed narrow-mindedly only to fellow-Jews; it now reached out to Gentiles as well. The Canaanite woman had `turned the tables’ on Jesus: He who usually transformed others was now the one who was transformed! He was transformed by a doggedly persistent, in-your-face woman, who demanded that Jesus sees her not as a despised Gentile dog but as a human being and as a mother instinctively pleading for a sick child.

An incredible twist of fate

Jews in Jesus’ day called Gentiles dogs. Two thousand years later, by an incredible twist of fate, Gentiles would be calling Jews dogs. We remember (because we cannot forget) that in the first half of the 20th century German and Polish Nazis (Gentiles) looked on Jews as dogs. That made it physically, psychologically and emotionally possible for Nazis Gentiles to jam six million Jews into railroad cars and send them off to concentration camps in Auschwitz, Dachau and Buchenwald. There Nazi Gentiles ruthlessly suffocated Jewish `dogs’ in gas chambers and reduced them to ashes in crematories. Animal lovers among themselves say, “If the Nazis would have known how to treat dogs, they would have known how to treat Jews! “

An incredible letter

A letter addressed to that audacious Canaanite woman, who had managed to `turn the tables’ and transform the Transformer, reads as follows:

Dear lady,
We have never heard anyone talk to Rabbi Jesus the way you did! How dare you, a foreigner (and a female besides) speak that way to One who
belongs to the House of Israel! On second thought, dear woman, it was really Jesus who was the foreigner! He had wandered off into your home-turf of Tyre and Sidon! What was He doing there? You would tell Him what He was doing there: you begged Him saying, "Have mercy on me, Son of David. My daughter is tormented by a demon."

You kept running after Rabbi Jesus and His gang. This gang told Him to tell you to “Get lost!” He ignored them, but He ignored you as well. Some of us who know Rabbi Jesus (a rather nice guy) found His silence even more disturbing than your painful pleading. When at last He did speak, things got worse. He told you that He “was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." At that point, had I been you, Canaanite woman, I would have gotten very angry. "Sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, huh! Then what in the hell are you doing in Tyre? Need a road map, Omniscient Son of God?" But you, Canaanite woman, though very anxious about your daughter, kept your cool. You, gentle and Gentile woman, standing in the midst of Jewish males who want you to “get lost” even on your own home-turf -- you are so `out of place!’ But you are exactly where your daughter needs you to be. In her behalf you cry out to Rabbi Jesus: "Have mercy on me, Son of David. My daughter is tormented by a demon." By your constant entreaty you, a Gentile and a female, changed the mind of a Jesus, a Jew and a male. He finally gives in, and even exclaims, “Oh
woman, your faith is great! I grant what you ask.”

Uneducated Gentile woman, you taught the educated Jewish Rabbi. You and your fierce need taught God's own Son Himself to see that His mission generously included many more than just the ”lost sheep of the House of Israel.”He who had been culturally and religiously conditioned not to look for anything worthwhile in a person like you
(Gentile and female) – He found great faith in you, and that transformed Him.
Signed: a secret admirer

Conclusion
Following the example of her Master

Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB, is a well-known theologian. She is also the nemesis of a male-driven Church, just at the Canaanite woman was a nemesis of Rabbi Jesus’ gang. Sr. Joan says her Church “is riddled with inconsistencies, is closed to a discussion about those inconsistencies and is sympathetic only to `invisible women.’ By `invisible women’ she means those who are contented to be neither heard nor seen, but simply go along with what the men want. By `visible women’ she would point to that very `in-your-face’ Canaanite woman in today’s gospel, who refused to `get lost,’ but demanded to be heard and seen.

How dare you, Sr. Joan (a foreigner and female) feel and speak that way about your Church? She probably would respond: “I feel and speak that way I do because I believe that if Jesus, the Transformer, is capable of being transformed by the Canaanite woman, then His Church should follow the example of her Master.”

"Lord, help me; I'm drowning!"

“Lord, help me; I’m drowning!”

(Mt. 14:30)

Someone Bigger than Ourselves to Call Upon

August 7, 2011, 19^th Sunday of Ordinary Time

I Kings 19: 9, 11-13 Romans 9:1-5 Matthew 14:22-33



The Lord God in a tiny whisper

At the mountain of God, Horeb, Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter. Then the Lord God said to him, “Go outside and stand on the mountain before the Lord God who will be passing by.”A very strong wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the Lord God, but He was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord God was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire, but Lord God was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whisper, and the Lord God was in it. When Elijah heard it, he hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.

The word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Alleluia, alleluia.

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

The Lord Jesus in a roaring storm

After He had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, while He dismissed the crowd. Then He went up into the hills to be alone and pray. When evening came, He was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, and was being tossed about by strong winds and huge waves. About four o’clock in the morning Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake! The disciples were terrified for they thought they were seeing a ghost! But Jesus immediately said to them: “Fear not! It is I!” Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Jesus said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he felt the strong wind and the rolling waves beneath him, he became terrified. Beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, help me; I’m drowning!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why do you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the winds stopped roaring, the waves stopped rolling, and a wonderful calm settled on everything. The others in the boat were awestruck and exclaimed: “Truly, you are the Son of God.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Introduction

Time to be alone and pray

When Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been beheaded, He was sad and went off into the hills where He could be alone and pray. (Mt 14:13) But the crowds came running after Him and disturbed His solitude and prayer. They begged Him to heal their sick, and at sunset He had five thousand hungry people to deal with. After such an exhausting day, He dismissed the crowds and told the disciples to get into a boat and precede Him to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. After sending them off, Jesus went again into the hills to be alone and pray. (Mt. 14:23) In our gregarious society we remind ourselves that Jesus wasn’t afraid to be alone. In our very busy lives we remind ourselves that He was never too busy to pray.

I. The Lord God in a tiny whisper

The first reading from Kings speaks of the Lord God’s presence in a tiny whisper. The Lord God commands Elijah to go outside and stand on the mountain, and there he will experience the Lord God passing by. A thundering earthquake shatters the silence, but the Lord God is not in the earthquake. Then a roaring fire sweeps through the place, but the Lord God is not in the fire. A howling wind blows up, but the Lord God is not in the wind. Finally a tiny whisper could be heard, and the Lord God is in the tiny whisper.

A tiny whisper: a widow

One day Jesus and the apostles were in the Temple near the treasury. The apostles were watching the rich and famous tossing in their big donations. But the eye of Jesus alighted upon a poor widow dropping two copper coins, worth about a penny into the treasury. That’s all she had to live on. Jesus called over to the others saying, "Come here and feast your eyes on this poor widow who gave more than all the others put together." (Mk 12:41-44)

No thundering earthquake, no roaring fire, no howling wind in the Temple that day. Just the tiny whisper of a little lady putting her two copper coins into the Temple treasury. But the Lord was in that tiny whisper, and it has gone down in history as the Widow’s Mighty Mite.

Another tiny whisper: a robin

One spring, a robin nested on the elbow of a downspout outside my kitchen window. I watched her go through all her appointed rounds. In conformity with an unalterable blueprint, she built her nest. In blind obedience to a law written within her, she brought her eggs to term. With unwavering fidelity, she kept uninterrupted vigil over her chicks, sheltering them against a late winter snow. With easy know-how, she fed her chicks out of the scarcity of early spring. I stood in awe of her built-in `appointed rounds’ and her standards of excellence. Then one day, led by an eternal ordinance that governs all growth and love, she let go of her chicks. They flew away. The nest was empty, and I felt lonely but also very grateful for the miracle she worked for me.

No thundering earthquake, no roaring fire, no howling wind on the elbow of a downspout outside my kitchen window. Just the tiny whisper of a robin going quietly on her `appointed rounds.’ But the Lord, creator of animals big and small, was in it all.

The little widow casting her copper coins into the treasury and the little robin birthing her chicks are fine whispers. As fine whispers, they require fine-tuning to hear them. But our culture, which likes what’s loud and which cultivates what’s rich and famous, finds it hard to be tuned-in to poor widows and nesting robins.

II. The Lord Jesus in a roaring storm

The first reading speaks of the Lord God being present in a tiny whisper. In contrast, the gospel speaks of the Lord Jesus being present in a roaring storm. As night fell and the disciples were rowing to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, a fierce storm blew up, and rolling waves were tossing them up and down. From His hillside retreat Jesus could see (even though it was night) that the disciples were straining at their oars on the lake, and were in deep trouble. So He walked out on the waters to come to the aid of his tempest-tossed friends. Not only does Jesus, but Peter also, walks on water: “Peter, seeing Jesus walking on the water, got out of the boat and started walking on the water toward Him.” (Mt 14:29) When both finally climb into the boat, the winds die down and the waves stop rolling. The waters turn smooth as glass, and a wonderful calm settles on everything.

Another storm calmed

Jesus calmed a roaring storm on a previous occasion. He and His disciples were again on the same Sea of Galilee, and Jesus was in the back of the boat sleeping. Suddenly a fierce storm arose. The frightened disciples woke Jesus and pleaded, “Save us, Lord! We’re going to drown!” Jesus scolded the disciples with the selfsame words with which He would later scold Peter, “Oh you of little faith, why do you doubt?” Then He commanded the winds and the waves to calm down, and a wonderful peace settled on everything. The same note of awe, struck in today’s gospel event (“Truly, you are the Son of God!”), was also struck on that occasion: “Everyone was filled with awe, and asked, `What kind of a man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!’” (Mt 8:23-27)

The storms set to music

As we listen to these two gospel stories above roaring winds and rolling waves calmed by Jesus, we hear Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony (the Pastoral) in the background. The Sixth begins melodiously with the babbling of a brook and the calls of cuckoos, quails and nightingales. Then gradually strident notes begin to be heard, and they build up into a full blown summer storm. In the symphony one hears instruments banging and booming, and one can even see lightening streaking across a darkened sky. The storm finally climaxes and then begins to subside. Little by little a wonderful calm settles upon everything. Beethoven’s Pastoral is the gospel stories of Jesus calming life’s roaring storms set to music.

Water-walking or Storm-calming?

The way we title an event shapes the way we see it. Some title Jesus’ feeding 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fishes”The Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes.” Others see the event a little differently, and prefer to title it “The Division (the sharing) of the Loaves and Fishes.”Some title this event “Water-walking Jesus.” In Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx one of the two main characters, Jack Twist, is drunk, and he’s singing an old Pentecostal hymn: Water-walking Jesus:

“I know I shall meet you on that final day.

Water-walking Jesus, take me away.”

“Water-walking Jesus” smacks of thaumaturgy – wonder-working. It draws more attention to the spectacular than to anything else. Others prefer to title the event “Storm-calming Jesus.” That turns attention to Him who calms the storms of those who plead with Him in their tempest-tossed lives.

We are all tempest-tossed

We are all tempest-tossed, and our storms can be just as frightening and devastating as the storms on the Sea of Galilee which terrified the disciples. The storm might be the bad news that we or a loved one is diagnosed with cancer. Or the storm might be the hard economic times of these days, keeping us awake at night, worrying about how to make ends meet. Or the storm might be a valued relationship turned sour or abusive. Or our storm might be some very terrible and irreparable mistake we’ve made. All of us, even the most blessed, are tempest-tossed. And the gospel is about finding the Lord in our tempests, and calling out to Him as Peter did: “Lord, help me; I’m sinking!”

Conclusion

Someone bigger than ourselves to call upon

Life is filled with tiny whispers, in which the Lord God can be found. And blessed are we who are finely-tuned to them. Blessed are we who, like Jesus, are finely-tuned to the tiny whispers of poor widows dropping their meager coins into the treasury. Blessed are we who are finely-tuned to the tiny whispers of mother robins feeding their chicks out of the scarcity of early spring. The Lord God is in those tiny whispers.

Life is also filled with loud storms, in which the Lord Jesus can be found. When the winds howl fiercely and the waves heave menacingly (as sooner or later they will surely do) blessed are we who have Someone bigger than ourselves to call upon.