A reflection for an Advent becoming Christmas http://ow.ly/rLzcv

Just some snippets which I wanted to share….

Para 22: “God’s word is unpredictable in its power. The Gospel speaks of a seed which, once sown, grows by itself, even as the farmer sleeps (Mk 4:26-29). The Church has to accept this unruly freedom of the word, which accomplishes what it wills in ways that surpass our calculations and ways of thinking.”

Para 24: “An evangelizing community knows that the Lord has taken the initiative, he has loved us first (cf. 1 Jn 4:19), and therefore we can move forward, boldly take the initiative, go out to others, seek those who have fallen away, stand at the crossroads and welcome the outcast. Such a community has an endless desire to show mercy, the fruit of its own experience of the power of the Father’s infinite mercy. Let us try a little harder to take the first step and to become involved. Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. The Lord gets involved and he involves his own, as he kneels to wash their feet. He tells his disciples: “You will be blessed if you do this” (Jn 13:17). An evangelizing community gets involved by word and deed in people’s daily lives; it bridges distances, it is willing to abase itself if necessary, and it embraces human life, touching the suffering flesh of Christ in others.”

I suspect most folks know and can tell some version of the story of David and Goliath (see 1 Samuel 17). It is a narrative that lends itself to story telling for people of all ages.  It is also a story that is so familiar that when we attempt to study the biblical passage we are likely to engage in isogesis, placing our interpretation upon the text, rather than exegesis, letting the story inform us. I regularly lead a bible study with emphasis on “study.”  I think the line I most often use is some variation of “Is that what the text says?”

With that as background, have a look at the ever interesting Malcolm Gladwell’s talk on David and Goliath

¹¹  As he continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. ¹² As he was entering a village, ten lepers met (him). They stood at a distance from him ¹³ and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” ¹⁴ And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. ¹⁵ And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; ¹⁶ and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. ¹⁷ Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” ¹⁹ Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

People of faith.  “Stand up and go; your faith has saved [sozo] you” (v.19). Such are the words spoken to the Samaritan leper, the only one who returned and gave thanks to Jesus.  sozo has as a basic meaning, “to rescue from danger and to restore to a former state of safety and well being.” Thus it is translated with words like “save,” “heal,” “make whole,” depending upon how the danger is understood.  How are we to understand the use of sozo here in this verse? Continue reading →

Luke 12:49-53  (20th Sunday in Ordinary Time)

⁴⁹  “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! ⁵⁰  There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! ⁵¹ Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. ⁵² From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three;  ⁵³ a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” Continue reading →

This Monday marks the Feast Day of one of the great figures in Franciscan history – St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio – as well as the eighth anniversary of our Franciscan presence in this historic downtown parish.  St. Bonaventure is a good model of what it means to be a Franciscan, while at the same time being a priest in leadership positions in a parish.  Bonaventure reminded the friars of his day that our first vocation is as “brother.”  At the core of our charism, we are a fraternity in mission to the People of God striving to continue our Order’s 800-year-old mission:  bringing the Gospel into the everyday experience of men and women through our life in fraternity and compassionate service to all.

Among our brother friars in Holy Name Province we have medical doctors, nurses, university professors, world renown artists, scholars, directors of nursing homes, youth ministers, teachers, butchers, bakers, cobblers, tailors, economists, HVAC mechanics, as well as men who serve as ordained ministers in parishes.  Bonaventure reminds us all that we are called to work, to live a common life in fraternity, and to give humble witness to those we serve.  Bonaventure himself gave continual witness to that humble service.

In the years while St. Francis was alive, the Franciscan Order experienced rapid growth – which only accelerated after St. Francis’ death and canonization – each friar and local fraternity trying to discern what it meant to follow Christ in the “tradition” of Francis of Assisi. They came to several differing conclusions and the opinions were not always offered “humbly.”  Over simply, one group called for poverty to be the mainstay while another called for obedience. A third group was in the middle just wanting everyone to get along because fraternity and minority were the hallmarks of Franciscan life. The Order was beginning to come apart at the core.

It was in the midst of this dissension that Bonaventure was elected to lead the friars during one of the most fractious times in the Order’s history.  In the following 15 years of leadership, Bonaventure continually visited the brothers – walking from Assisi, to Padua, to Madrid, to Paris, and to all the friaries of Europe.  His example of humble living coupled with his words reminding the friars that following Christ was the center of Francis’ vision, enabled the rifts in the fraternity to be healed.

His humble manner of living was on display when the Pope elevated him to the role of Cardinal.  The papal couriers carrying the official proclamation and “red hat” found Bonaventure at one of the friaries in northern Italy.  When the couriers arrived on the scene, Bonaventure, the Minister General of the Order, was occupied washing the dishes after a meal.  The courier’s formal announcement was followed by the presentation of the red hat.  Bonaventure thanked him, asked him to set the hat on the table, and said he would attend to those things as soon as he had finished washing the dishes.

The friars of Sacred Heart share this anniversary with St. Bonaventure, and so it is perhaps best to remember the words of St. Francis that Bonaventure quoted to his brothers during his days of leadership:  “Up to now we have done nothing.  Let us again set out to do that which we have been given.”

May we all bring the Gospel into the everyday experience of men and women through our life as a community and in compassionate service to all.

A garden statue of Francis of Assisi with birds (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is not original – been floating around the Internet for a couple of years at least – but it always bring a smile.  Enjoy.

GOD:   Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, milkweeds and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles. Continue reading →