June 29, 2012. Homily, Tuesday, July 3, 2012

John 20: 24-29


Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." but Thomas said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." Now a week later the disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe." Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."
The Gospel of the Lord.


"Didymus" means "Twin". 


Thomas was the Apostle that went and preached in the State of Kerala in India.  The Catholic Church in India traces its origin to the preaching of St Thomas the Apostle, who, according to tradition, came to India in 52 A.D., nearly 2000 years ago, and who was martyred in Mylapore, where his tomb is venerated ever since.


The personality of this great figure, with his own characteristic traits, emerges in the Gospel of St John (Jn 11,16; 14,5; 20,24-29). Together with the other Apostles, he formed an intimate community with Jesus of Nazareth and shared all the joys and trials that accompanied him as he moved around the countryside to preach his message of love and unity. Thomas was an impulsive type of man, zealous in reaching out to others, not afraid to ask questions and seek clarifications when required, who battled with his own resistance and doubts surrounding the extraordinary events of Christ's death and resurrection in Jerusalem. He is the one who, touching Jesus' wounds after the resurrection, had all his doubts disappear and his faith moved to a new level. He simply believed, exclaiming from the depths of his heart: "my Lord and my God". It finally came home to him the full import of what had happened: Jesus Christ had risen from the dead, thus overcoming suffering and death and offering new hope for all humanity. A new era had begun.


Thomas understood his own mission as that of sharing this experience, as in the words of Jesus, "go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good news to all creation", that is, to proclaim the message and reality of God's unconditional love to all peoples, regardless of creed or colour, nationality or race. Each of the Apostles set out on the mission assigned them by the Lord: "you will be my witnesses, not only in Jerusalem, but throughout Judea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth"


St. Thomas the Apostle on Farmington Avenue in West Hartford was the name of the grammar school where I was a student from 4th through 8th grade. I was taught by the Ursuline Sisters. 

June 25, 2012. Homily, Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Matthew 7:6, 12-14


Jesus said to His disciples: "Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.
"Do to others, whatever you would have them do to you. This is the Law and the Prophets.
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few."
The Gospel of the Lord.


These quotations are all from the Sermon on the Mount which also contains the Beatitudes and the Lord's Prayer, the Our Father.


The first quote is on the dignity of man. You are a worthwhile being. You must treat yourself with respect. One must treat oneself with respect. You are the home of your soul. Your soul is the speck of life created in you by the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life.  Do not abuse your body, the temple of the Holy Spirit.


And the second quote is the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them  do to you. Jesus says that the Golden Rule sums up the Law and the Prophets.


The third quote tells us that discipline is essential to any argument. As the way we conduct our lives is our argument at to why we should be admitted into Heaven. So we must discipline the way we live that life. Remember when we studied Shakespeare and learned about the sonnet and then we had to write our own sonnets. They had to be in iambic pentameter, be fourteen lines and rhyme (the octet abab  cdcd and the sextet efef gg in the Shakespearean sonnet or the octet abba abba and the sextet  cde cde in the Italian sonnet).  And they would be on some abstract theme: Love, our love for our Father or our Mother or some idealized person of the opposite sex. It seemed so difficult to cram that huge abstract thought into the sonnet form, but when you did it, you realized that the stricture of the form made the expressed thought more powerful. So here this is the argument of Jesus.  When we take our life through the narrow gate and down the constricted road we are on the way to eternal life.


Mother Teresa of Calcutta was asked by an acquaintance, "Why do you care for these people? They are dirty, they are sick, they are poor, and they are dying." Mother Teresa's answer was, "I am preparing them to meet my Lord and your Lord, Jesus Christ."





The Health and Human Services (HHS) rule requires that sterilization and contraception -- including controversial abortifacients -- be included among "preventive services" coverage in almost every health care plan available to Americans. 


Cardinal Dolan opposed that regulation stating that HHS has given us a year to determine how we are to violate our consciences.


For the Catholic Church opposes "abortifacients": items that make abortions and refuses to provide health care in an environment that
promotes abortifacients. 

June 20, 2012. Homily, Saturday, June 23, 2012

Mt. 6:24-34


Jesus said to His disciples; "No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them/ Are you not more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes?Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them.  If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?' All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil."
The Gospel of the Lord


The Lion King: Hakuna matata  [What a wonderful phrase. It means no worries for the rest of your days] sung by the warthog and the meerkat 
and Alfred E. Newman [What me worry]



So here's the heart of the question of worry. Do we trust God? God tells us to trust him. "If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?" Dare we?

June 20, 2012. Homily, June 20, 2012

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
Jesus said to his disciples, "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms giving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But, when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
"When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."
The Gospel of the Lord.


There are three Gospels that consist solely of the words of Jesus Christ.


The Beatitudes: Jesus sat on a mountain and opened His mouth and His disciples came to Him. Blessed be the poor in spirit for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Blessed be the merciful for they shall receive mercy.
  Blessed be the meek for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed be those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be fulfilled.
  Blessed be those who mourn for they shall be comforted.
  Blessed be the pure in heart for they shall see God.
Blessed be the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed be those persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.


Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you peace.
Take my yoke upon you, for I am gentle and humble at heart,
and my yoke is easy and my burden light.


And the above:
Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people might see them . . .
Posted by Daniel Murphy at 12:35 PM

June 15, 2012. Homily, Tuesday 19, 2010

June 15, 2009. Homily, June 16, 2009.
Matthew 5: 43-48.
Jesus said to His disciples: "You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."
The Gospel of the Lord.


How hard this Gospel is. But then do we not want God to be perfect, and do we not want His standard to be one we may strive for.  Remember Sister Mary Ann?  She used to be the chaplain of the sixth floor. One day I was visiting the patients on the sixth floor. I went into one patient in the back right of the north wing. The patient ended up yelling at me and kicking me out of his room.  I footnote here that that is very unusual in my time here at Calvary and in fact this is the only time that happened to me.  Nevertheless, I retreated out to the hall. And Sister Mary Ann was waiting there. "That was hard, wasn't it?", she said. Then she added, "This is God's work. And that is a good thing, for it is God who is doing it." I interpret that to mean, that it is God doing our work here at the hospital through us.


Have you ever been to a resort and noticed that everyone you pass seems to be smiling and that each one takes a moment to give you a quick wave or a hello?  Doesn't that make you feel great?  Isn't that an up? So Jesus says, "Do you greet your brothers only" or "If you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that?"  But when we greet all, as Nurse Vivian on the third floor reminds me to do, we greet all, brothers and non-brothers. But when we greet all, then all become our brothers.  


When I started as a lawyer at a big firm, the firm had different departments representing different fields of law, and I was placed in the Litigation Department, because, they explained, it better fit my personality. I thought, "Great. I would be able to tell my opponents what-for." But I started by being nice, and I found that I did so well being nice that I never gave my opponent what-for. But what about when the case was over?  Well, when I won, I did not have to be mean because I had won.  And when I lost, I could not be mean, because I had lost. An abiding truth about the Gospels of Jesus, is that when we try to follow them, they work.

June 11, 2012. Homily, Tuesday, June 12, 2012.

Matthew 5:13-16


[follows the Sermon on the Mount] Jesus said to His disciples: "You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it give light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father."
The Gospel of the Lord.


Salt:  preservative of food (salt draws moisture out; decomposition cannot occur without moisture), curative of wounds (an antiseptic that kills bacteria; rubbing salt in a wound prevents infection), enhancer of food (brings out flavor for food otherwise bland).
City set on a mountain:  for defensive purposes and so that all (travelers and traders) may be drawn to it.
Light a lamp:  set on a shelf so that it may illuminate the house.  Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father (as Christians we should be lights leading people to God and away from evil).
Posted by Daniel Murphy at 5:23 PM 0 comments   



REFLECTION 
Today's Gospel tells us that we are "the salt of the earth." We are 
these gifts with others. In the same way as food stays flavorless until salt is added, the world will be a better place when we share our gifts and talents with others. A gifted artist could create beautiful works of art but they remain a secret until shown to others. 
Each of us is born with God-given gifts and our purpose, as Christians, is to share those gifts.

A brilliant mind would remain unknown until used to learn all it can and share that knowledge.What can we do to bring out the best in ourselves and in others? Is it enough to be good children, good parents? Can we be fair bosses or honest employees? Can we be competent and sympathetic doctors? This list is endless. Each one of us has a role in making our world a better place.

At the end of the day, let us look back and remember an incident or action that we did for someone else; something that made God's gifts in us shine through. A little goes a long way.

June 7, 2010. Homily, Sunday, June 10, 2010

Corpus Christi (the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ)


Mark 14:12-16, 22-26


On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover Lamb, Jesus' disciples said to him, "When do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?" He sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him. Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"' Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there." The disciples then went and entered the city, and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
[14: 17-21 When it was evening, he came with the twelve. And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me." They began to be distressed and to say to him one after another, "Surely, not I?" He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the bowl with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born."]
While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks and gave it to them, they all drank from it. He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.  Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.


"Go into the city and a man will meet you carrying a jar of water." Identified not by his name but by his acts. So too will we be identified not by our names but by our acts. The disciples followed him "wherever he enters" and spoke not to him but to the master of the house. And the master is identified not by his name or by his house. And the master obeys the teacher.  The room is found "furnished and ready" and the disciples made the preparations for the Passover  there.


Then while they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, and then gave the words of consecration of the Bread (This is my body. Corpus Christi) and of the cup of the fruit of the vine (This is my blood of the covenant which shall be shed for many.).  They had eaten and drank, then after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

June 8, 2012. Homily, Saturday, June 9, 2012

Mark 12:38-44
In the course of His teaching, Jesus said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation.
He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood."
The Gospel of the Lord.


Let us more and more insist on raising funds of love, of kindness, of understanding, of peace. Money will come if we seek first the Kingdom of God - the rest will be given. Mother Teresa.


There is no man so poor that he cannot give to another. There is no man so rich that he cannot receive from another. Pope John Paul II.


It is the Temple Treasury. Some judged (materially) by how much they gave. Jesus judges (spiritually) by how much the giver has left after the gift. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven/God.


Coach Wooden teaches: “Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters.”

June 5, 2012. Homily, Wednesday June 6, 2012.

Mark 12:18-27


Some Sadduccees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and put this question to him, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us, If someone's brother die, leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first married a woman and died,  leaving no descendants. So the second brother married her and died, leaving no descendants, and the third likewise. And the seven left no descendants. Last of all the woman also died. At the resurrection when they arise whose wife will she be? For all seven had been married to her." Jesus said to them. "Are you not misled because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? When they rise form the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are like the angels in heaven. As for the dead being raised, have you not read in the Book of Moses, in  the passage about the bush, how God told him, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not God of the dead but of the living. You are greatly misled."
The Gospel of the Lord.

June 4, 2012. Homily, June 5, 2012.

Mark 12:13-17

Some Pharisees and Herodians were sent to Jesus to ensnare him in his speech. They came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you are not concerned with anyone's opinion. You do not regard a person's status but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?" Knowing their hypocrisy he said to them, "Why are you testing me? Bring mw a denarius to look at." They brought one to him and he said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" They replied to him, "Caesar's." So, Jesus said to them, "Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." They were utterly amazed at him.
The Gospel of the Lord.

The denarius carries the image of Caesar, for Caesar made the denarius to carry Caesar's image.
Human beings carry the image of God for God made human beings in the likeness of God.

The denarius was one day's wage.