Thursday, September 19, 2013

Takin’ it to the Streets

          There’s a lot of buzz about the interview of Pope Francis that was published earlier today by the Italian Jesuit journal La Civiltà Cattolica. You can find an English version of the full interview by following this link to America Magazine. In the interview, Pope Francis speaks openly, honestly, frankly and very personally about some of the hot-button issues facing the Church today. Notwithstanding what may be said in the mainstream media over the next few days, the Pope doesn't introduce any new Catholic teachings in the interview. Everything he says about Church teachings is already in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The interview is, nonetheless, extraordinary. It’s extraordinary because rather than speaking from the lofty heights of papal dignity, this Pope speaks to us as one human being to another. And by doing so, he’s bringing Christ’s Church to the people it’s meant to serve. He’s taking it to the streets.

          We meet a very human Pope in this interview, a Pope who defines himself first with the words, “I am a sinner.” The Pope a sinner? Heaven forfend! But with those four words Francis becomes a Pope we can relate to - one who seems to understand that life is tough and we’re not always able to make the best choices. By speaking openly about mistakes he’s made, Francis reveals himself as a flawed human being, just like the rest of us. In Francis, the Pope is no longer an institution; he’s a human being.

          We've seen Pope Francis’ human touch before. From his first words from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis has encouraged us to feed the hungry, visit the imprisoned, welcome the immigrant, console the mourning and pray for peace for all mankind. And just this morning, he implored his bishops to be close to their flocks, to “smell like their sheep” and not to allow the trappings of their office to distance them from the real problems people face. If his papacy to date could be summed up in two words, they would be “human dignity.” In Pope Francis’ words, “We must always consider the person.” Pope Francis has set the barque of Saint Peter on its proper course: the preservation, protection and defense of human dignity. But more importantly, he directs the Church toward the one Morning Star who never sets – Jesus Christ – our God who became man so he could live the human experience with us.

          For the Church to promote human dignity, it has to live in the modern world; it has to meet people where they are. This is what Pope John XXIII set out to do through the Second Vatican Council – to update the Church, to define its role in the modern world and to preach the Gospel in a way that’s relevant to the circumstances we face today. Many question when the Council will be fully implemented. Pope Francis’ message seems to be that the time is now. It’s time to “make waves.” It’s time to be a Church that “is home to all.” It’s time to “heal the wounds.” It’s time to “accompany [people] with mercy.” It’s time to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the streets.


Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Let Go - Homily from September 11, 2011

          Desmond Tutu, the former Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town South Africa, was walking through a construction site on a sidewalk that was only wide enough for one person to pass. A white man was approaching from the other direction, and when he met up with Archbishop Tutu he said, “I don’t step aside for gorillas.” Archbishop Tutu stepped aside; he made a sweeping gesture with his arm and said, “Well, it’s a good thing that I do.” Archbishop Tutu didn't get angry; he didn't hold a grudge. He simply let him go. And letting go is what forgiveness is all about.

          Today’s Gospel falls into the category of Bible passages that we almost know by heart. Peter thought he was being so generous when he suggested that we should forgive a sinner 7 times because in Biblical terms, that would be considered perfect forgiveness. Then, as usual, Jesus ups the ante. He tells Peter that seven times isn't enough. We must forgive 77 times. Jesus is introducing us to God’s definition of perfect forgiveness. God’s forgiveness is “beyond all calculation,”[1] and we Christians have no right to put limits on it.[2] In fact, Jesus calls us to imitate both the frequency and the depth of God’s mercy. That’s because we've already received, and we continue to receive God’s forgiveness of the unpayable debt of our sin through the sacrifice of his only Son. Christ suffered and died for everyone, saints and sinners alike. So as God’s Church we must witness to God’s infinite mercy by showing mercy to all, even those who hurt us.

          There’s a reason why God calls us to forgive: it’s for our own good. Our first reading puts it all in context: Can we “nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord?” (Sirach 28:3) In other words, how can we be open to God’s healing and forgiveness with our fists clenched in anger? Holding onto anger puts us in grave danger. It’s like the Monkey Trap. The Monkey Trap involves putting a piece of candy in a small hole carved in a heavy coconut. The monkey slips his hand in, grabs the candy, and then finds that he can’t pull his hand out of the small opening with a clenched fist. The monkey wants the candy so badly that he won’t let go. With the heavy coconut on his arm, he can’t run or climb. So he ends up suffering a much worse fate than if he had just let go. Holding onto anger drags us down; it stops us from living. Failure to forgive is to hold onto an injury and remain a victim. Buddha is credited with saying that “holding onto anger is like holding onto a hot coal waiting to throw it at the person who offended you. You’re the one who gets burned.”

          God wants us to let it go. Let go of the candy; drop the hot coal. Let it go. And that’s not always easy. Let’s face it, we don’t want to forgive people who don’t deserve it – people who haven’t even asked for our forgiveness. We’re afraid that we’ll look weak or that we’ll be hurt or taken advantage of again. But we have to appreciate that forgiveness is really an act of loving humility. “Loving humility is wonderfully strong, the strongest of all things, and there is nothing like it.”[3] Forgiveness is a balm that heals us; it opens us up to God’s healing grace so we don’t waste our lives waiting for an apology that may never come. Forgiveness makes us stronger and much happier. Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves.

          Let’s talk for a minute about what forgiveness is not. Forgiveness is not indifference to sin. It does not obviate the need for justice. Forgiveness also is not forgetting. Forgiveness won’t displace memories of past hurts because we’re hard-wired to remember – it’s a defense mechanism.[4] And Christianity is all about remembering. But of course, there’s always a kicker with Christianity: Whenever we remember, we’re called to forgive again. That’s what the 77 times thing is all about.

          So now we have to address the 800 pound gorilla in the room. Today is September 11th – the tenth anniversary of the worst attack on American soil – the day that nearly three thousand innocent people lost their lives, and countless people lost their loved ones. I was working in Washington, DC on September 11, 2001. I saw the Pentagon explode before my eyes. My family and I were unharmed, and none of my friends or relatives was directly touched by the tragedy. So who am I to ask people who suffered so much at the hands of ruthless killers to forgive? How can I ask the family and friends of the innocent victims to let go of the throats of the men who killed their loved ones?

          I didn't want to preach about forgiveness on September 11th. But the Holy Spirit thought otherwise. You know the Church didn't pick today’s readings especially for the 9/11 Anniversary. Today’s readings are the assigned reading for Year A of the 24th Sunday in Ordinary time, whenever it may fall. These readings were designated for this day some 40 years ago. The Holy Spirit decided that we needed to hear these readings today, and that I had to preach about it.

          So I offer these few poor words that I can only hope will bring some comfort on this difficult day: First, I am so sorry for the loss and suffering that so many have endured; my prayers and the prayers of this whole community are with everyone touched by this tragedy and with the men and women who stepped up to do the Lord’s work in its aftermath. If any of you ever need to talk, I’m here to listen. Second, I hope you understand that forgiveness is a journey. God doesn't expect us to forgive instantaneously. Sometimes it takes a lifetime. God calls us to journey toward forgiveness, to pray about it and be open to it. If we do that, we've already begun to forgive. And lastly, God doesn't intend the call to forgiveness to be a burden; He calls us to forgive to ease the burden of our pain so that we can truly live again. God wants to take the burden away from us. That’s why God calls us to let go.



____________________________________
[1] New Interpreter’s Bible, vol. VIII at 380.
[2] The Collegeville Bible Commentary: New Testament at 889.
[3] Dostoevsky, Fyodor, The Brothers Karamazov (Shelton, The Easton Press, 1979) at 244.
[4] Worthington, Jr., Everett L., Forgiving and Reconciling: Bridges to Wholeness and Hope (Downers Grove, InterVarsity Press, 2003) at 133.

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Make me an Instrument of Your Peace

                I've spent a lot of time over the last few days
reading news articles and commentary about the situation in Syria because I haven’t been able to formulate an opinion on what we should do.  I may be a lot of things, but I am rarely shy of opinions, so this is pretty uncharacteristic of me.  On the one hand, I find the deployment of chemical weapons against innocent people to be a barbaric act that deserves our condemnation and punishment.  On the other hand, any military action against the government will necessarily benefit the rebels, who don’t seem like the type of people we want to support.  And in the end, dropping bombs will mean that even more innocent people will die.  How do we make sure that chemical weapons are never used again without doing more damage than good?  I didn't have any good answers, so I decided I needed more information.  And boy, there’s a lot of contradictory information and opinions out there.

                So after all of this reading, what do I think?  What should we do?  Well, I think we should start from the proposition that military action should always be the last resort.  And let’s face it, the international community has done NOTHING so far to help resolve the situation in Syria.  Sure, there has been plenty of outrage and condemnation spewing forth from the safety of presidential palaces and national legislatures around the world, but no one has done anything meaningful yet to help end the conflict.  The world has sat back and allowed the situation to escalate into the crisis it has become.  Moral outrage is meaningless if we’re not willing to do something about the object of our outrage.  And there’s a lot that can and should be done before bombing is even considered.  If the world community (the United States, Russia, China, the EU and the Arab League in particular) would get on the same page, the Syrian Government and the rebels would be brought to the negotiating table, would implement a ceasefire and would work toward a peaceful resolution.  And while that’s going on, the churches, the Red Cross, the Red Crescent and other humanitarian assistance groups could get in there to tend to the injured, repatriate the refugees and bring food, clothing and medical supplies to the needy. 

Of course, it’s easy for me to pontificate on the Syrian situation at the foot of a keyboard.  So I have to ask myself, we all have to ask ourselves, what will I do to help the people of Syria?  We, as individuals and as communities, have a moral obligation to help the Syrian people.  What can we do?
 
+ We can speak up to let our governments know that we want all peaceful means to resolve this tragedy exhausted before military options are considered;

+ We can support the works of our churches and humanitarian organizations to get aid to the injured, the starving and the homeless in Syria;

+ We can pray.

Yes, I said pray.  Prayer, like the art of diplomacy it seems, has fallen out of favor as a means of solving our problems.  But I believe in the power of prayer – I have seen it work countless times, always for the good.  Through prayer we understand that we don’t have all of the answers and that we need God to guide us to a solution.  Prayer breaks down barriers, it unites us with our God and with one another.  Prayer calms emotions, softens egos and quiets our hearts and our minds so that we can listen for the inspiration that always accompanies prayer.  Prayer makes us instruments of God’s peace.

Pope Francis has called for people throughout the world to pray for peace in Syria today, probably the most constructive suggestion I've seen in all of my readings.  So I offer the prayer of Saint Francis for all of those suffering from this senseless tragedy, for world leaders to find the inspiration to end this war and, most of all, for peace:

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
                                   And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.