HOMILY 21ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE “B” August 25, 202

 HOMILY     21^ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME   CYCLE “B”                   August 25, 2024

 

          “Many of Jesus’ disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?”

          What is this hard saying?   Well, just four verses earlier Jesus states: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”

          This is presumably the saying that the disciples found hard to accept.  Now it is important for us to understand why they found it hard to accept.  On it’s face it could be that these disciples misunderstand Jesus by taking His statement too literally.  ¿Are they repulsed by the idea of physically eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking Jesus’ blood?  Are they misunderstanding Jesus as advocating cannibalism?

          I think that solution lets us off the hook too easily.  Because you see, WE know that Jesus is not advocating cannibalism.  We know that Jesus is speaking figuratively, or better, sacramentally.  We know that Jesus gives us His flesh under the form of bread, and His blood under the form of wine.  Thus we know that this hard statement is not about cannibalism.

          But the disciples of Jesus’ day were His followers, his disciples, just like we are disciples of Jesus.   And they were not literalist dummies.  Jesus was always speaking poetically, symbolically.  Just a few verses before this they understood perfectly well that Jesus was speaking figuratively.  When Jesus instructed them: Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life,...."    The disciples responded: “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?"  [John 6:27-28] They understood well that Jesus was not talking about physical food, but rather about doing the works of God.  

          So then, why did they get so upset that they turn away and abandoned Jesus?  It was not because they misunderstood Jesus in some literalistic repugnance to cannibalism, but rather something else.      

They understood all too well what Jesus was really talking about, and it was because they understood that they left Jesus.  Not because they misunderstood.

          For the “hard saying” they reacted to was what we heard last week “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”

          What is Jesus talking about?   How should we understand Him? 

          “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”  This is a statement about very deep closeness, about very intense union, about intimacy.  It is about being known deeply and completely by the Lord, and knowing Jesus closely.  For to eat something is to become one with it.  When we eat food it becomes a part of us.  In this case, in the Eucharist, as St. Augustine pointed out long ago, we become part of what we eat.  We become part of the Body of Christ.  The Life of Christ is in us.  That is intimate.

          And intimacy is scary.   Anyone else here find intimacy a bit scary?  It is threatening because intimacy makes us vulnerable.  You cannot be intimate in a suit of armor.  Genuine intimacy is also a lot of work.  To truly be intimate with someone you have to share your hopes, your dreams, your fears, your desires, your likes and dislikes, your very being.  You have to argue and laugh and cry and speak profoundly about who you are. 

          Genuine intimacy is difficult.  And yet that is what Jesus is talking about: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”   This is about intimate union, a deep personal closeness.  This is about love.   

 (Here is where it gets a bit dicey).  

          St. Paul, in our second reading today tells us: “For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church,” - that is the gathering of Christ’s people - “because we are members of his body.”    St. Paul is talking here about a close and intimate union between Jesus and His people, who are all members of one and the same body. 

          Then St. Paul goes on to quote the Book of Genesis, and says: “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”    St. Paul then makes this outrageous comment on the quote from Genesis: “This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and (His people) the church.”

          St. Paul is boldly using the image of marriage, and indeed even of sexual union, to try to capture this mystery of the intimacy that we are called to with Christ.  

          As the man and wife are joined and become one flesh, so we take Jesus into us, eat His flesh and drink His blood, so that His life is within us, and we become no longer two, but one body in Him.  That is intimate. 

 

          That is pretty radical.  That is powerful.  And it is scary.  It demands a great deal of us, just as deep intimacy with any other human demands a great deal of us; in terms of honesty, in terms of being vulnerable, in terms of dependability and loyalty, in terms of commitment.  To eat Jesus’ flesh and drink His blood demands an absolute and thorough commitment from us, the same kind of commitment Jesus makes in giving us Himself.  It is to remain in Him and He in us.  That is POWERFUL.

           Commitment precludes options.  We belong to Christ now and He to us.  Commitment defines who we are: people who live in and for Christ.

          And a lot of us have a problem with such heavy-duty commitment.  So did those early disciples we hear about in today’s Gospel.  They weren’t just confused and so left Jesus over a misunderstanding.  No.  Rather they understood Him all too well, and so they are a challenge to us.  We are now presented with this invitation to radical intimacy with The Lord.   We too are tempted to pull back and walk away. 

          Jesus’ question today is also addressed to us: “Do you also want to leave?”    //

The price of staying is steep.  The demand of committed discipleship is high.  But it is the only way to the fullness of life. 

          We answer with Simon Peter: “Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.   We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

Amen.

Homily 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle B August 18, 2024

 Homily 20^th Sunday in Ordinary Time    Cycle B   August 18, 2024

As you just heard from the Gospel, we are still in the Johannine “Bread Of Life” discourse; so I will again preach on the SECOND reading today. 

Perhaps we can find something of interest and of worth in the reading from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians.   Let’s see.

Paul tells us: “Watch carefully how you live, not as foolish person but as wise, … 

There are PLENTY of foolish persons around us.  And sometimes they are US.  The Orthodox Study Bible translates this as: “See that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, …” 

There are still almost 3 months till the national election, and we are already witnessing much foolishness.  In the midst of all this it is difficult to walk circumspectly, that is, walk carefully, with deliberation, consciousness, and care, choosing our words and actions and even our feelings carefully.

It is way too easy to get caught up in the furor and the shouting and the crazy, lame-brained accusations back and forth, and walk with arrogance, conceit, scorn for others, and in general, not walk circumspectly, not wisely, but foolishly.

So, St. Paul tells us today: “Watch carefully how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making most of the opportunity, because the days are evil.”   This was written nearly 2,000 years ago, but still very apropos today. 

“Therefore” Paul continues “do not continue in ignorance,” or in the New Revised Standard Version “do not be foolish”, “but try to understand what is the will of the Lord.”

This is important.  The will of the Lord is not always obvious.  Many people who have an agenda will try to tell you what the Will of the Lord is.  So, you have to be careful and try to discern. 

Paul tells us, “do not get drunk on wine,” because medicating your angst and worry with alcohol, or sex, or drugs, or frenetic activity, or buying lots of stuff, or some other distraction is not going to help. 

Rather, what Paul recommends is rather interesting.  Paul says: “but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…”    Have you ever addressed another person in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs?  I mean, if your spouse or neighbor or even your pastor started addressing you in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, would you not find that rather bizarre?  I think I would.  So I recommend you just say Paul was being a bit overly enthusiastic in that particular recommendation.

But his next recommendation is spot on: “singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.
St Paul is right on in instructing us that the antidote and cure for all the stupid carping and griping and complaining and blaming and name-calling and anger and anxiety and bad juju is gratitude.  Much better is “singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.

That is not easy.  But it is true wisdom. 

 Take to heart Paul’s warning today: “Watch carefully how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil.”

But we have the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of gratitude: “…singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks always and for everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.”

 Now let us continue to give thanks in the Eucharist.  AMEN. 

HOMILY Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle B August 11, 2024

 HOMILY   Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time   Cycle B    August 11, 2024

The Jews said: “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?  Do we not know his father and mother?”  

First of all, in the Gospel of John the phrase “the Jews” refers specifically to the party of Jews that were in opposition to Jesus and Jesus’ followers.  At the time John wrote his Gospel it was 60 years after the Resurrection, and the division between Jews who followed Jesus verses the other Jews had hardened and become toxic.  It is NOT what we mean when we say “Jews”.  After all, the Apostles, all the earliest disciples, Mary, and Jesus Himself were all Jews, and still are.  So, when you read or hear the Gospel of John, you have to mentally translate the phrase, “the Jews”, to “those who opposed Jesus.”  

And those who were opposed to Jesus, especially among the scribes and the pharisees, said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?  Do we not know his father and mother?”

Of course, in the simplest terms, they were correct.  Jesus was known as the son of Joseph.  And people certainly knew Joseph and Mary.  Thus, on the most basic, literal level, those opposed to Jesus, were correct. 

But they were also totally wrong, because their understanding was way too limited, too short-sighted, too surface and superficial.  And this is a warning for us.  We must not only see on the surface, but to truly understand, and thus respond correctly, we must see deeper, much deeper.

Jesus said to them: “Stop murmuring among yourselves.  No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, …” 

Ever hear any murmuring?   Every murmur yourself?   Ever moan, complain, criticize, badmouth, murmur?   Seems that there is lots of murmuring these days. 

Those opposed to Jesus, the so-called “Jews”, murmur and complain and moan and groan because they only see the surface.   They have no idea of what is really going on, and more importantly, who Jesus really is.  They are confused, feel left out, and are angry.

To see more deeply, more truly, more really, is a gift.  Jesus tells us:  “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him (or her) on the last day.”  

Faith in Jesus is a gift that the Father wants everyone of us to have.  God offers this gift of faith to you, and to everyone.  Jesus assures us: “Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.”  So to really see, you first have to listen.  And that requires patience, inner quiet, and attention.  We listen to the Father, learn from Him, and come to His Son Jesus. 

There is no one way to do this.  I suspect this is individual and even unique for each person.  But the result is the same, which is faith in the Son of God.  And Jesus solemnly assures us: “Amen, Amen I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

SO, What do you see?  How deeply into reality can you see?  Growing in the spiritual life is the ability to see more deeply. 

When you see a homeless person on the street:  do you see something to be avoided?   A threat?   A person in need?   A fellow human being?   An object of compassion?    An opportunity to help?  What do you see?    Can you see several things at once? 

Those opposed to Jesus, “the Jews,” were not seeing Jesus as He truly is.  They saw, but only the surface: “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?”   They were not wrong, but they were way too limited.  They missed what was really important, indeed critical, and remained only on the surface. 

To believe is another way of seeing.  Jesus in the Gospel today says, “I am the Bread of Life.”   What an odd statement.  What does He mean?  Can you see Jesus as the “Bread of Life”???

When you see the bread and wine consecrated and shared, do you see only bread and wine?  Can you see in the sharing and communing the Body of Christ?  Maybe not every time you come to church.  But at least once-in-a-while?  So that the memory of seeing more deeply can hold you over on the days you really just don’t see it?

We strive to open ourselves to the Holy Spirit so that we can let go of our blindness, our seeing only on the surface, and see more deeply into the reality of what is really going on, what is really happening here.   To see Who is really and truly present. 

And when we can overcome our fear, overcome our blindness, then we will truly know what Jesus solemnly tells us today: “Amen, Amen I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.”

And that is wonderful.  That is Good News.   AMEN.