The Single Big Idea of the Great Preacher from Nazareth

 

“Let them be as a pendant on your forehead.”

Dt. 6:8

 

The Single Big Idea of the

 Great Preacher from Nazareth

November 4, 2012, 31^st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Deuteronomy 6:2-9       Hebrews 7:23-28       Mark 12:28-34

First reading from Deuteronomy

Moses spoke to the people, saying: "Fear the LORD, your God, all his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you, and thus have long life. Hear then, Israel, and be careful to observe them, that you may grow and prosper the more, in keeping with the promise of the LORD, the God of your fathers, to give you a land flowing with milk and honey.

Shema Yisrael! Hear O Israel! The LORD alone is our God! Therefore, you shall love the LORD your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home, whether you are busy or at rest. Bind them at your wrist as a sign, and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates."

 The word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Alleluia, alleluia.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark  

Glory to you, Lord.

One of the scribes came up to Jesus and asked Him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?" Jesus replied, "The first is this: `Shema Yisrael! Hear, O Israel! The Lord alone is our God! Therefore, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.’[1] And the second commandment is this: `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[2] There is no other commandment more important than these two."

The scribe said to Jesus, "Well said, Teacher! It is true, as you say, that only the Lord is God, and that there is no other god but He. And man must love God with all his heart, and with all his mind, and with all his strength. And he must love his neighbor as himself. It is more important to obey these two commandments than to offer animals and other sacrifices to God on the altar.” Jesus noticing how wise his answer was said to the scribe, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And no one dared to ask Him any more questions.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Introduction

Standard Time, Election Day & Krystallnacht

On this first Sunday of November 4^th 2012, Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 AM, and we return to Standard Time. Today we set our clocks back: 6 AM becomes 5 AM. It’s lighter now when we get up at 6 AM. With Standard Time 4 PM becomes 3PM, and it’s darker now when we go home from work or school. It’s that season of the year when the light and darkness impinge themselves very noticeably upon our psyches. Tuesday, November 6^th 2012, will be Election Day and the Nation will go to the polls to choose a president. Then Friday, November 9^th will be the 74^th anniversary of the Krystallnacht – The Night of the Shattered Glass. That’s the night (74 years ago) when the Nazi’s went rampaging throughout all of Germany, and in one night destroyed 7000 Jewish businesses, and burned down 191 synagogues. Krystallnacht must be told and retold, lest we forget about man’s incredible inhumanity to man.

 

The Jewish Shema

In the first reading Moses commanded the people saying, “Shema Yisrael! Hear O Israel! The Lord alone is our God! Therefore, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”  (Dt. 6: 5) That was the Jewish Shema.

The Christian Shema

And then there is the Christian Shema; it’s different from the Jewish Shema. In today’s gospel a scribe (who is a very decent man) approaches Jesus and asks, “what is the first commandment?” The Lord responds by quoting Moses: “Shema Yisrael! Hear O Israel! The Lord alone is our God! Therefore, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Dt. 6: 5)

But then in the same breath and without being asked Jesus adds: “And the second commandment is this: `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Here Jesus is again quoting scripture--this time from Leviticus 19:18.) Then He tells the good scribe, “There is no other commandment greater than these two.”The scribe was delighted with Jesus’ answer, and said to Him, "Well said, Teacher! It is true, as you say.”

The Jews of old did, indeed, have two commandments, one to love God (Dt. 6: 5), and another to love neighbor (Lv.19:18). What’s new, however, is that Jesus nailed the two commandments together in his new Shema. By so doing He made it clear that there’s no loving God without also loving neighbor. Then Jesus opened all the phylacteries[3] and mezuzahs[4] in Israel and placed his new Shema in them:”Hear O Israel! The Lord alone is our God. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and you shall love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

The Jews’ need to prioritize.

Rabbinical tradition turned the Law of Moses into a confusing and burdensome maze of 613 major laws and a whole constellation of minor rules and regulations.  The people had to pay tithes on the mint, cumin and dill. (Mt. 23:23) They had to carefully wash their hands before eating and had to give ritual ablution to all produce brought in from the marketplace. They had to observe the correct washing of pots, pans, copper kettles, and beds. (Mk. 7:4‑5). Then there were the countless rules and regulations for the orthodox observance of Sabbath which often got Jesus into trouble. (Lk 6: 1-5; Lk 14: 1-6)  It was inevitable, therefore, that the need to prioritize would eventually arise among the Jews of old: which of their 613 major laws comes first, which one comes second, which one comes third, etc. Rival schools sprang up around famous rabbis, each having his own different arrangement of commandments according to importance. For some it was not much more than an academic pastime. But for others the question of priority was not an academic pastime but an honest-to-God question; they really wanted to sort things out and establish a sense of priority in their lives. The good scribe in today’s gospel was one of them.

The Catholics’ need to prioritize

Catholics too, like the Jews of old, had need to prioritize. Right up until the eve of Vatican II (October 11, 1962), Catholics also had a confusing and burdensome maze of laws, rules and regulations. We had laws about fasting from food and abstaining from meat at various times of the year and before Holy Communion. We had laws that made marriages valid or invalid. Priests had laws that made Masses valid or invalid. There were laws that made our confessions valid or invalid. Catholics, too, were confused and heavily burdened, and in great need of prioritizing. Then along came Good Pope John XXIII who summoned his Church to Vatican II (1962-65), and gave it the task of prioritizing.

But prioritizing comes hard for the Church and hard for all of us. Some years ago the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops asked his fellow bishops to inform all pastors that the extraordinary[5] ministers of Holy Communion will no longer be permitted to assist in the purification of the sacred vessels after Mass! That permission was granted back in 2002, and Rome recently refused to renew it. My gosh! My gosh! We are knee-deep in an acute crisis of a priest shortage. A whole system of pastoral care built up over a period of a thousand years, which gives each congregation a pastor to care for it, is now collapsing before our very eyes. And people in high places are worried about who may or may not do the dishes after Mass! 

We must prioritize. We must insert Jesus’ new Shema in a mezuzah and nail it to our doorposts, and insert it into phylacteries to be tied to our foreheads and wrists, so that we might always remember and never forget what is the first and the second great commandment.

 

The need of a nifty nugget[6]

The story is told of a little boy whose father taught mechanical engineering at a prestigious university. One day the boy asked his mother, “What time is it?” Not wearing a watch; and being rather busy she said, “Your father’s in the living room, go ask him.” The kid shrugged his shoulders and said, “Never mind. I don’t want to know how to make a watch; I just want to know what time it is!”When it comes to understanding our Christian faith, we sometimes feel overwhelmed like the little boy. For example, there are sixty-six books of the Bible. Many of them are long and complex. For each book of the Bible there are commentaries explaining every nuance of every verse. If that weren’t enough, there are books on just about every conceivable topic of the Bible.

One pastor relates how a church member who signed up for a religion class at a local community college was hoping to borrow some books from him. The pastor said, “He handed me a four-page bibliography! I kid you not – four pages! Not only did I not have many of the books he was looking for, I’d never heard of most of them!” There’s a mountain of literature out there, and the problem is (if we’re not careful) like the little boy wanting to know what time it is, we’ll find ourselves so overwhelmed with the enormity of it all, and we’ll shrug our shoulders and say, “Never mind.”

Without oversimplifying faith, we need to keep it simple. We need a nifty nugget. We need something tangible and concrete upon which to build our faith. We need something that will have enough substance to give us purpose and direction, yet not be so over-laden as to drag us down. We need something concise enough to memorize, and simple enough for a child to understand. And the Good News is this: Hidden in the great maze of religious literature and church teachings, rules and regulations there is such a nifty nugget, and it is this: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and you shall love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

The single big idea of the preacher from Nazareth 

A homiletic professor spoke to his class about the need for `a big idea’ in one’s preaching. He told a story about President Calvin Coolidge. When he returned home from church one Sunday, his wife asked him what the minister preached about. "Sin,” the president said. But when his wife pressed him further and asked what the preacher had to say about sin, President Coolidge seemed uncertain. He replied:"I think he was against it.” The minister’s sermon had come across as a confusing mish-mash of ideas. It hadn’t come together under a single big idea. The great preacher from Nazareth had a single big idea, and it was this: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and you shall love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

Conclusion

Prioritize!

Prioritize! Know what’s really important. Then fasten it to your wrists and forehead and nail it to your doorposts. Prioritize! Know what’s really important, and then drill it into your children. Prioritize! Know what’s really important as you rush on your daily commute to Jericho and come across a man waylaid by robbers. Prioritize! Know what’s really important, especially in these days of a very slowly recovering recession. Prioritize! Know what’s really important especially at this time of `the rolling year’ when the very first notes of Christmas are already being struck. Know what’s really important as you will soon find yourself overwhelmed with gifts to buy, cards to write, parties to throw, decorations to hang and distances to cover. Prioritize by with the single big idea of the great preacher from Nazareth.

---

[1] Deuteronomy 6:5.

[2] Leviticus 19:18.

[3] Little boxes containing the `Shema,’ which were strapped to the forehead at prayer-time

[4] Little vials containing the `Shema,’ which were nailed to the door-post at prayer-time

[5] Non-ordained minister of Holy Communion

[6] This section is taken almost verbatim from a sermon entitled The Christian Shema by Dr. Philip W. Mclarty

 

 

"Master, I Want to See"

Blind Bartimaeus

 

"Master, I Want to See."

 

October 28, 2012 30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jeremiah 31:7-9       Hebrews 5:1-6       Mark 10:46-52

 

First reading from Jeremiah

Shout with joy for Jacob, exult at the head of the nations; proclaim your

praise and say: The LORD has delivered his people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them back from the land of the north; I will gather them from the ends of the world, with the blind and the lame in their midst, the mothers and those with child; they shall return as an immense throng. They departed in tears, but I will console them and guide them; I will lead them to brooks of water, on a level road, so that none shall stumble. For I am a father to Israel, Ephraim is my first-born.

 

The word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

 

Alleluia, alleluia.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark  

Glory to you, Lord.

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, son of David, have pity on me." And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me." Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you." He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man answered, "Master, I want to see." Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the way.

 

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

----------------

Introduction

October 28, 2012 -Reformation Sunday

Protestant congregations (especially Lutheran ones) celebrate Reformation Sunday on the last Sunday of October. It was on October 31, 1517, that Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg. That event kicked off the Protestant Reformation; its battle cry was “Ecclesia semper reformanda.” ("The Church constantly needs to be reformed.”) That was also the battle cry of many bishops in the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). Reformation Sunday reminds Protestants and Catholics that reforming the Church is never a finished job. The reformation of the Church angrily begun by Martin Luther in the 16^th century continues now through reformers of a very different kind – peaceful reformers like Pope John XXIII, Fr. Mychal Judge of New York City, Bp. `Ken’ of Saginaw, Archbp. Hunthausen of Seattle, Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini of Milan, and yes, even Cardinal quarterback Kurt Warner.

A whole section on blindness

In Mark’s gospel there is a whole section on blindness. It begins in the 8^th chapter with Jesus curing a blind man from Bethsaida, by twice putting spittle on the man’s eyes. (Mk. 8:22-25) The section on blindness ends today in the 10^th chapter with Jesus curing a blind man from Jericho, named Bartimaeus.

Sandwiched in between these two stories of physical blindness is a section on spiritual blindness. There’s spiritual blindness in the 8^th chapter: when Peter utterly rejects the idea that Jesus would suffer and die at the hands of the chief priests and scribes. Because Peter so soundly rejects the idea that Jesus should suffer, Jesus calls Peter `Satan’ and says to him: “Can't you see! Your thoughts are men’s thoughts, not God’s!” (Mk. 8:31‑33)

There’s more spiritual blindness in the 9^th chapter: when Jesus’ disciples are arguing about who among them is the greatest, Jesus says to them: “Can't you see! The one who wants to be first must place himself last of all and be the servant of all.” (Mk 9: 33-37)

There’s still more spiritual blindness in the 10^th chapter: when the sons of Zebedee, James and John, ask Jesus for a special place when He comes in to his Kingdom, again Jesus cries out in exasperation: “Can't you see! The one among you who wants to be great must be the servant of the rest.” (Mk 10:43)

The section on blindness ends with today’s gospel: Jesus cures blind Bartimaeus who begs Him, “Master, I want to see." At the end of the day Bartimaeus wasn’t really blind at all, for those who see that they don’t see aren’t really blind at all; they indeed have 20/20 vision.

 

 

 `A holy conversation’

“Master, I want to see" – that was the cry of the blind man who ardently wanted to see. “Master, I want to see” - that is also the cry of a humble Church which sees that it doesn’t see, and ardently wants to see. That’s the cry of a humble Church which sees that it doesn’t see everything there is to be seen, especially concerning complex issues like celibacy, human sexuality, homosexuality, birth control, divorce and remarriage, the shortage of priests, the ordination of women, etc.

 

“Master, I want to see" - that’s the cry of a humble Church which is willing to open a `holy conversation’ about these complex issues. By a `holy conversation’ Richard Gailardetz (theology professor at the University of St. Thomas in Houston) understands a conversation which “renounces the temptation to control or direct the discussion toward predetermined conclusions.” By a `holy conversation’ Gailardetz understands one that is free from fear and allows another to speak, and gives the other an honest hearing. A `holy conversation’ is the kind that Bp. `Ken’ Untener of Saginaw, Bp. Gumbleton of Detroit, Archbp. Hunthausen of Seattle and many others in various ways have invited their Church to hold.

 

A humble Church, which sees that it doesn’t see everything, doesn’t have recourse to facile phrases like “according to the ancient, sacred and unbroken tradition of the Church” or “according to the immutable and infallible teaching of the Church.” Such recourse conveniently puts an end to `a holy conversation’ even before it ever gets started. A humble Church sees that it doesn’t see, and it humbly prays, “Master, I want to see.”  

 

“Disclaimers of certainties” &”searchers for truth”

Bishop Geoffrey Robinson (b. 1937) headed the Australian bishops’ committee for nearly a decade. He retired in 2004 at the very young age of sixty-six because he had profound reservations about the Church he loved. He emerged from retirement in 2007 to promote a new book which demands `a better Church.’ His book is entitled Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus.

 

For Bp. Robinson a better Church sees that its teachings on sex and sexuality are outmoded and inadequate. For him a better Church sees clerical celibacy as indeed a good, but not as an obligation. For him a better Church redistributes its authority between national bodies of bishops and the `Sensus Fidelium’ - the `Feel of the Faithful.’ That is to say, for Bp. Robinson a better Church believes that the consciences and experiences of good and faithful Catholics (who, let’s say, are practicing birth control) are a valid source of religious truth. At the end of the day, Robinson’s bottom line is that the Church is fractured into “proclaimers of certainties, on the one hand, and searchers for truth, on the other.” He writes,

 

In writing the book, I became aware that I was writing a book for these people [searchers for truth], that I was trying to tell them that there is a Church for them, and that it is fully in accord with the mind of Jesus. I was telling them there are indeed basic certainties, but there is also abundant room for search. I became aware that it was important for many people that there should be a bishop saying these things. At moments I felt that the needs of these many people were so great that it is perhaps true that I have never been more of a shepherd [a bishop], I have never been more justified in carrying around a pastoral staff [a crosier], than I have in this.

 

For Bp. Robinson a better Church is “a disclaimer of certainties” and “a searcher for truth.” A better Church disclaims its certainties about sexuality, divorce and remarriage, birth control, celibacy, homosexuality, ordination of women, open-Communion, etc. Only when certainties are disclaimed can one become a searcher for truth. For Bp. Robinson a better Church sees that it doesn’t see, and like blind Bartimaeus cries out, “Master, I want to see."

We too - disclaimers & searchers

We ourselves must first be disclaimers of certainty and searchers for truth before we can demand the same from our Church. We ourselves must first be aware of our own blindness; only then will we cry out with blind Bartimaeus, “Master, I want to see.” We ourselves must first be disclaimers of certainty and searchers for truth; only then can we be capable of a `holy conversation’ with those near and dear to us, freeing them from fear, allowing them to speak, and giving them an honest hearing.

 

Conclusion

A strange saying

The classical story of Jesus dealing with physical and spiritual blindness is

in John’s gospel. A man born blind has obviously been cured by Jesus. But the Pharisees (who could physically see) weren’t willing to see that the blind man was miraculously cured by Jesus. The story rambles on for forty‑one verses. (Jn .9:1-41) The whole narration builds up to an impatience that has us crying out, "For God's sake! Can’t you Pharisees see?”  It finally ends with a strange saying from the mouth of Jesus indicting the Pharisees for their spiritual blindness, and at the same time declaring His mission as the light of the world:

 

"I have come into this world so that the blind should see,

and those who see should become blind."

 (Jn 9:39)

 

A paraphrased version reads:

"I have come into this world to show those who think

they see everything there is to be seen that they are blind.

And I have come into this world to give sight to those who see

that they don't see, and who ardently cry out with blind Bartimaeus,

`Master, I want to see.’”

Aspiring to Greatness by Serving Others

Aspiring to Greatness by Serving Others

October 21, 2012, 29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isaiah 53:10-11   Hebrews 4:14-16    Mark 10:35-45
 

Alleluia, alleluia.

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

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do something for us." He asked, "What is it you want me to do?" They answered him, "Grant that when you come into your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left." Jesus said to them, "You don’t know what you’re asking for. Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering from which I must drink? Or be baptized with the baptism of suffering with which I must be baptized? "We can." Jesus answered. “You will indeed drink from my cup and be baptized with My baptism, but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give. Those appointments have already been made.”

When the other disciples heard what James and John had requested they were very indignant. Jesus summoned them and said," As you know, kings and other important people of this world like to lord it over other people. But it shouldn’t be that way with you. Among you, whoever aspires to greatness must be the servant of the rest. And whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
----------------

Introduction

`The rolling year’

October 21 is the 294th day of the year, and there only 71 days remaining in what used to be the `new’ year of 2012. We are at that time of `the rolling year’ when things start moving fast: Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas, and then New Years 2013.

No clue about true greatness

In Matthew’s gospel it is not the sons but the mother who’s making the self-seeking request: “Teacher, promise that these two sons of mine will sit at your right and your left when you come into your kingdom." (Mt. 20:21) If it is the mother who’s making such a request, then she’s sending a wrong message to her sons. She has no clue as to where her sons’ (or her own) greatness lies. Jesus puts her and her sons straight: “Among you, whoever aspires to greatness must be the servant of the rest. And whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all.” (Mk 10:43-44)

We recall the story of Wanda Holloway,  a Texas mother who, like the mother of the sons of Zebedee, had no clue whatsoever where the greatness of her children lie. Sorely wanting her daughter to get on the cheerleaders’ team, she tried to hire a hit-man to kill the mother of her daughter's cheerleading rival! She hoped that would upset the girl so much she wouldn’t be able to compete successfully. Her insane plot was discovered, she was taken to court, tried and given probation.  Her story was made into a 1992 television film entitled Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story. The poor woman had no clue whatsoever where the greatness of her daughter (and of herself) lay.

Pope John XXIII – a great servant

On the day of Pope John XXIII’s `coronation,’ Nov. 4, 1958,  Cardinal Nicola Canali placed a tiara on his head, and uttered that age-old formula: ”Know that thou art the father of princes and kings, pontiff of the whole world and vicar of Christ on earth.” In his homily that day, however, Pope John said he wanted his pontificate to be guided by the example of Jesus who came not to be served but to serve. (Mk 10:45) The next day John quietly sped out of elaborate Vatican gates to visit prisoners in Regina Coeli prison in Rome, because ( he quipped) “You couldn’t come to me.” He also visited aging clergy in nursing homes. With such gestures at the beginning of his pontificate Good Pope John indicated the tone and tenor of his papacy: he was going to be a servant. By his wonderful but all too short papacy John kept his promise to be true to the greatest of the many titles given a pope: Servus Servorum Dei – Servant of the Servants of God. The whole Church and even the whole world loved this great servant.

 

Father Mychal Judge - a great servant

Franciscan Fr. Mychal Judge, (1933-2001) was a compassionate servant of the needy and forgotten of New York City, and a beloved chaplain of the N.Y. City Fire Department. The story of his selfless life and heroic death in the line of duty as chaplain of the fire department was one of the first to come out of the horrendous 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan.
Every Christmas Eve, Fr. Judge would walk up Ninth Avenue, in his brown habit and sandaled feet, carrying a baby doll wrapped in a towel, to a shelter for abused and homeless women. There he would place the doll on a table which served as the altar for Mass, and would ask the women: “Where do you think baby Jesus would want to be to be tonight?” Then he’d answer his own question: “Right here with you, celebrating his birthday.”

On the horrific day of 9/11/2001 Fr. Mychal rushed to administer the last rites to a dying fireman. Suddenly debris came crashing down upon him, and he died there on the spot. His body was carried off to a nearby church and laid upon an altar. And when a Month's Mind Memorial was held for  Fr. Mychal on October 11, 2001, an endless flow of priests, nuns, lawyers, cops, firefighter, homeless people, rock-and-rollers, recovering alcoholics, local politicians and middle age couples from the suburbs streamed into Good Shepherd Chapel on Ninth Ave to do a memorial for this great servant of New York City.

Bishop Ken Untener - a great servant

Kenneth Edward Untener (1937- 2004) was the Bishop of Saginaw, Michigan. His first words to the people of his diocese were: "My name is Ken, and I am your waiter. I will be your waiter for a very long time.” Then he proceeded to serve his people. He sold the bishop's mansion, and for the next 24 years lived in 69 rectories. The trunk of his car became his office. Servant Untener courageously invited his Church to reopen an honest and transparent discussion on birth control. (His invitation was not well received.) And on the issue of divorce he said, “I am not here to condemn divorced people, nor am I here to condone them. I am here to help them. Jesus did not come to condemn or condone the woman caught in adultery; He came to help her.” `Ken’ did such a wonderful job of being the people’s `waiter’ that a throng of 1800 people attended his funeral Mass on April 1, 2004. The church that day resounded with a strange mix of crying and laughing, and it joyously rang out with audible `Amens’ and a standing ovation.  Bishop `Ken’ had wonderfully kept his promise to be a `waiter’-  to be a great servant of the people of Saginaw.

Archbishop Hunthausen - a great servant

The former Archbishop of Seattle, Raymond Hunthausen (b.1921) served especially the poor and the marginalized of his archdiocese. He spoke out courageously about controversial issues in the Church, like artificial contraception and homosexuality. In a letter on July 1, 1977, he 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 people in Seattle managed to have Rome strip him of some of his episcopal authority, because “his lack of clarity about homosexuality had confused the faithful.” Archbp. Hunthausen is a great servant, dearly beloved by the Church of Seattle.  

Cardinal Martini - a great servant

Jesuit Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, former archbishop of Milan died on Friday, August 31- 2012 at the age of 85.He diplomatically espoused liberal views on a range of controversial subjects, such as priestly celibacy, Communion for remarried Catholics, homosexuality, the right to die, condom use to prevent the spread of AIDS, and even the ordination of women as deacons. Though such openness often put him at odds with his Church, it forged an exceptional bond with the city of Milan and its people. More than 150,000 people filed past his coffin. Despite the rain, thousands watched the funeral on giant screens set up outside the cathedral. Among those who packed into the cathedral to pay their last respects were a radical and gay fo_her communist governor and also the leader of Italy's conservative Christian Democrats. In the cathedral were also representatives from the Islamic and Judaic communities, as well as representatives from Orthodox, Protestant and Coptic Christianity for Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini was a great servant to all different kinds of people.

Cardinal Quarterback Kurt Warner - a great servant

Years ago Kurt Warner (Arizona Cardinal quarterback and winner of NFL’s MVP award) was a stock boy in a supermarket. One day he was called to do a carryout job for a very nice looking girl named Brenda. Next day he offered to drive her home; he looked harmless and she accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked whether he could see her again, and take her out. When she explained she had two children and couldn't afford a baby-sitter, he offered to pay for the baby-sitter. When Saturday night came and he arrived at the door, she said she couldn’t go because the babysitter had cancelled out on her. Kurt suggested they take the kids along, but Brenda quickly responded that that wasn’t an option. She presented her pretty daughter to Kurt. And then she presented her son: a paraplegic with Down syndrome, and in a wheelchair! To her utter amazement, Kurt suggested they take the kids along. Most men would take off at high speed from such a situation; that’s what Brenda’s former husband had done. That evening Kurt and Brenda loaded up the kids for dinner and the movies. When the son needed to go to the rest room, Kurt picked up the little guy and carried him to the rest room. The kids loved him. A year later, they were married. Kurt adopted both of her children. Since then they have added five more kids of their own. Kurt Warner is a great servant, beloved not only by his family but by all who know his story.  

Conclusion

Aspiring to greatness by serving

Our culture stresses the strong virtues like aggression, ambition and competition. Our culture entertains its kids with electronic games in which human beings are smashing the faces of other human beings and blowing off each other’s heads. So it’s difficult to make sense out of the Gospel injunction  ”to aspire to greatness by becoming the servant of the others.” In counter-culture, however, one aspires to greatness by serving others. Quarterback Kurt Warner is great not because he was winner of NFL’s MVP award. He’s great because he packed up Brenda and her two kids and took them to dinner and the movies. He’s great because he picked up the little paraplegic son and carried him to the rest room. He’s great because he married Brenda (`dumped’ by her first husband) and instantly became the father of two needy kids.