Homilies
24th Sunday In Ordinary Time, Aug. 24, 2014
Written by Fr. Fitz Thursday, 21 August 2014 12:28
...and I say to you, 'You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church...
MT 16:18
Pope John Paul condemned in the strongest words Communism and abortion and conservative Catholics loved him.
Pope Benedict thought Vatican II may have been mistnterpreted and started a "reform of the reform." restoring for some the Latin mass. In the meantime, Vatican scandals forced him into retirement.
Now Pope Francis critiques capitalism with a critical eye and tells us that social justice and concern for the poor are ALSO important concerns, and conservative Catholics mumble and wind bags like Rush Limbaugh rail against the pope.
And all three popes are successors of Saint Peter. Both in secular and in church history, pendulums swing. If one steps back and ruminates on the current papal pendulum, it would seem to me that Francis is going back to the gospel and focusing more on the immediate and voiced concerns of Jesus who announced in his first mission statement: "I have been sent to bring good news to the poor!"
IMAGES;
Tomas Halik writes about images stirring up and manipulating our inner fantasies. Thank God the beheading of Foley was NOT shown on CNN. If it had been shown, the fanatic savages would have had a great accomplishment to their satisfaction by impressing on our minds an image of horror.
Halik goes on to write: "This toying with images from deep inside is a kind of antimeditation wheras meditation is achieving freedom from images."
The modern mind has more images thrown at it than any minds in human history!
Meditation....time out....cease and desist....are spiritual respites than can restore our balance in this cascade of violent images.
RECENT FILMS AND IMAGES:
The Chief: lots of images of delicious food, and a light hearted ultimately happy plot.
IDA: a black and white captioned Polish film about a nun about to take final vows who discovers she is Jewish. A very reflective film that speaks to the heart both through image and silence. Commonweal magazine featured it with a cover story.
Calvary: a powerful film about the pain caused by the clergy sexual abuse scandal in Ireland. It climaxes with one horrific scene. If you cannot stomach another horrific image, don't go.
However the dedicated priest in the movie, fulfills a Christ like role who takes on the sins of abusers and sacrifices himself. It ends with a great image of forgiveness. It is thought provoking and profound.
Breakfast Question: What kind of images flood my consciousness?
Personal Reflection: Do I need to let go of images?
22nd Sunday In Ordinary Time, Aug. 31, 2014
Written by Fr. Fitz Thursday, 28 August 2014 14:13
VIOLENCE! iN today's Gospel: Jesus began to show his disciples that he nust go up to Jerusalem and suffer...and be killed" MT 6:21
And here in Arizona, a 9 year old whose hapless parents took her to a shooting range, accidently kills her instructor with an Uzi automatic weapon...
Yes, her parents said shooting an automatic weapon was on her "bucket list!
Jesus lived in a violent age, but he was not inundated with it at age 9. Three hours on the cross was enough. Today, children are inundated with images of violence: video games, TV, movies are Bang! Bang! Bang! So much so that a 9 year old chid's fervent wish was to go to a shooting range and fire an automatic weapon. When the range owner was asked if he would reevaluate his age policy, he said he would confer with the NRA!
Good luck.
Violence in every age is a reality. The Romans used nails and a sword on Jesus. Today, guns are the preferred choice. And around guns has arisen a cult. They actually are objects of worship!
So much so that a nine year old girl woud put as a cherished desire the opportunity to fire an automatic weapon, and her "out to lunch parents" would honor her desire. There is a gun culture in America which raises guns to the status of idols.
Guns possess glamour. And on Easter, interestingly enough, we promised to reject not evil per se, but "the glamour of evil."
And yet, we know sometimes it seems they are needd for self defense. It would apparently be so in dealing with the murderers of ISIS. But this should be as a last resort. Today, our children are so inundated with images of shooting guns, it can easily seem like a way of life, a glamorous pursuit.
The explosions of violence all over the world, can easily drown out voices calling for restraint, calling for dialog, calling for a cessation of arms. One such voice is that of Pope Francis. Here
are his words:
"Peacemaking calls for courage,
much more so than warfare.
It calls for the courage to say yes to encounter,
and no to conflict;
yes to dialog, and no to violence;
yes to respect for agreements
and no to acts of provocation;
yes to sincerity,
and no to duplicity.
All this takes courage. It takes strength and tenacity."
Pope Francis
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Aug. 17, 2014
Written by Fr. Fitz Friday, 15 August 2014 12:27
Fitz and Classmates, 1957, who survived the storm on the lake. ( See last week's homily.)
All went on to be ordained. All went on to be ordained. Six later left and married.
...behold a Canaanite woman of that region came and called out, 'Have pity on me, Son of David!'
MT Chapter 15
19th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Aug. 10, 2014
Written by Fr. Fitz Friday, 08 August 2014 11:01
...the boat was being tossed about by the waves...Gospel
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 3
Written by Fr. Fitz Friday, 01 August 2014 13:43
18th Sunday In Ordinary Time
...when he got the news, he slipped away to an out of the way place by himself...MT 14:13
When I got the news: Gaza, Syria, border crossing children-scorned, haters screaming "AMNESTY NEVER!" Ukraine, kidnapped girls in Africa, Downed air-plane......I felt I needed my yearly retreat more than ever. I had begun to feel, worn down--discouraged, which ultimately means losing heart.
So Buddy and I are in this beautiful "out of the way place." Pictured here on the grounds of St. John Vianney Church in Sedona.
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