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GOD'S DREAM IS STILL GOOD

4/19/2025

GOD’S DREAM IS STILL GOOD
Homily presented at the 2025 Easter Vigil
St Vincent de Paul Church, Albany, NY

   This is the night. This is the night and there is a wonderful spirit in this place. Can I get an Amen? (The assembly responds loudly AMEN!)
   We have come to be with one another to first strike a new fire to obscure the darkness in our lives. In the glow of Christ the Light we heard the proclamation of Easter praising the unseen God. And we just listened to biblical stories about salvation after subjugation, trust against doubt, reconciliation instead of revenge, and then resurrection after death.
   In all of these passages we notice the challenges that faced our ancestors knowing that similar fears and anxieties surround us today. We witnessed their resolve to continue their search for a life uninhibited by ruthless regimes.
   Like our Jewish friends at Passover we retold the story of the Israelites’ emancipation. On the other side of the Reed Sea they turned to Moses and Miriam and asked: ”OK, now what? In our own time, we too struggle as we face the dangers that stop us and others from flourishing and making progress.
   And, like those impatient predecessors we want the promises of justice to become realities here and now, not later. To help us do so we are encouraged by the prophets not to stray away from the paths God laid out for us. If we try to follow our own paths we can get into trouble. What is that path God wants us to follow?
   Tonight we bless flowing water that can refresh us and cleanse our muddy pathways. We also use fire, oil, bread and wine — symbolic elements that help us engage with and grasp the significance of our Easter stories.
   Of course these sacred texts are not just about ancestral tribulations and victories. They offer us clues for which way to turn at every corner in our lives. We seek guidance from trustworthy guides who do not lead us astray into further danger. Maybe we need divine direction for these are not easy times.
   The legendary baseball player, Yogi Berra, is famous for his puzzling proverbs like this one: “If the world were perfect, it would not be.” The aphorism, of course, clashes with our genetic passion for unbridled perfection. We want to succeed at all costs — the best education, the best job, enough money to retire on.
   However, this pearl of wisdom is a powerful reminder. Although perfection is truly unattainable, the deficiencies we live with actually make the world a remarkable place. Just think if we were all perfect. We could not live with one another. I think Jesus knew this as he tried his best to make a difference in the world. He was killed not because he preached love but because he protested against corrupt government and religious leaders. Jesus did what he had to do. OK, now what?
   Many of us have the chance to make a difference. We will not forget that creation is founded on justice and that we have a moral responsibility to bring forth justice in these times. We cannot wait for others to do it. We can help others do so as well. My high school Latin and Greek teacher loved to tell us that “hardships are golden opportunities in work clothes.”
   In the biblical account describing creation, God looked at everything in the cosmos and on this planet and God found it to be very good. Obviously, God would have paid no attention to Yogi Berra’s philosophical wit about an imperfect world.
   It sounds like God actually took delight in making a utopian paradise for us to live in. We have to be careful about those who promise to provide utopia and we end up in dystopia. Even when we mess things up God’s deliberate dream for humanity doe not end. It remains for us to pursue that dream with vigor, with hope, with conviction. This faith community is well known for its commitments to social actions. Do not let that commitment go. You are needed more than ever.
   We have a unique calling to participate in the unfinished act of creation by partnering with God and one another. The creator God is not done creating. God is still lingering with us, haunting us, nudging us. The redeemer God is still walking with us on our journeys. The Spirit God is like a gust of wind pushing us to do the honest thing.
   Because God most often communicates with us through one another we encourage each another to know the difference between good and bad, right and wrong, truth and fiction. Finding ways to teach our children these same values is so important because manners and the rules of law do not seem to matter for many people.
   I imagine God does not want us to take delight only in what may bring us happiness but also to find ways to work for what is not yet finished on this fragile planet — justice and peace for all.
   Having confidence in our creed, our prayers and social actions, three people among us tonight are taking another step to energize their relationships with God and with us. With gratitude for their commitments we will confirm that the Holy Spirit God is moving in Sarah, Kelly and Tom charging them to use their gifts for the good of humanity. They are inspirations for you and for me. And we have to be inspirations to people who live in our communities.
   On this holy Easter night our ultimate contemplation, of course, focuses on the empty tomb. Like Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and women named in other gospels, we are thrilled and astounded by the very thought that Jesus of Nazareth, that carpenter, the revolutionary Jew who caused trouble for the tyrannical and corrupt leaders, was transformed from death to a new life. If you and I believe that we too can conquer death.
   That eternal promised land, the completion of the kin-dom of God on earth, is ours to live in now. It needs work but it is a free range open to all. God’s domain has no borders, no fences, no beginning or end, no weapons, no corruption, no greed. In the vast realm of God no one is divided along lines of rank, wealth, power, race, class, or gender. The risen Christ stimulates the world in new ways everyday. So now what?
   By our collective resolve to overcome human sorrow and to generate happiness, fueled by the holy communion that binds us together, we continue our efforts, against all odds, to perfect an imperfect world. God's Dream is still good!

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Of Fig Trees and Lamentations

3/23/2025

Of Fig Trees and Lamentations
Homily presented at St Vincent de Paul Church, Albany, NY
The Third Sunday of Lent in the Liturgical Year C

   You will be pleased to know that Jewish and Greek Christian traditions tell us that the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden was not an apple but a juicy fig. Old Testament prophets used the fig tree as a metaphor for Israel and Judah. Jeremiah (8:13) for example lamented there will be no figs on the fig tree as a punishment for the Israelites’ spiritual bareness.
   Jesus used the fig tree story (Luke 13:1-9) to send the same message to his followers and detractors about the need to repent for their sins. A barren tree represents failure to produce good fruit here on earth. A fruitful tree on the other hand symbolizes faithfulness to God. Adam and Eve flunked that test.
   Depending on what kind it is a fig tree could take a few years to produce figs. So the gardener in the gospel story urged the owner of the orchard to put down the chainsaw and give the barren fig tree more time to bear good fruit.
   Deborah J. Mumford, professor of homiletics, puts it this way. “Like this [fig] tree, we are often given multiple opportunities to do better, to be better, or to do the right thing.” Yes, the psalmist sang “God is kind and merciful” (Psalm 103: 1-8, 11) And, God is calling us to cooperate to make a difference in the world now. How do we do that?
   We used to think of Lent as strictly a time of remorse and penance. On Ash Wednesday, amid the dust and ashes, some of us heard “Repent and believe in the gospel.” In the original Greek language, the word “repent” means having a change of heart, one that requires a deep, life changing transformation.
   This Lenten re-shaping of our lives cannot be solitary. That would be self-serving. For our Lenten transformative experiences to have a broader influence on society we must advocate for the overhaul of neighborhoods, governments, religions, corporate monopolies that impact our daily lives.
   Moses was a good example of having a change of heart. In the Exodus story (3:1-8, 13-15) God outlined a new plan for delivering the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity and called Moses to take the lead.
   But apparently the once intrepid Moses, who was part Egyptian, was afraid to speak up to the Israelites and Pharaoh. God said: “do not worry.” Just tell them I sent you. A younger Moses was an unpredictable vigilante who failed to rescue the Israelites once before. Now he needed divine help. Don’t we all need divine help.
   How do we answer God’s call today, to take a place in the ever unfolding cosmic plan that we attribute to God, to transform the worlds we live in?
  There is a lot of conversation these days about protecting The Constitution of the United States of America from destructive and delusional ideologies that drain people from their rights and freedoms. One of those rights is the freedom to speak up without being afraid.
   Another constitution, one based on biblical justice, deserves our defense. In 1965 the Constitution on the Church in the Modern World outlined ways to bring joy and hope in times of sorrow and anxiety: Imbalances in the world can be corrected if we promote loving kindness, if we support governments that care for the general welfare of all people, if we protest the indiscriminate killing of people and destruction of their countries, if we foster a peace among all nations.
   What if we are afraid to speak up like Moses was? Some cannot do so out of fear of getting fired, being deported, or losing health care. Jewish scholar Joel Hoffman writes: “It is destructive tyranny that tries to silence unpleasant voices. One sign of a poorly run society, Hoffman said, is that people are rightly afraid to speak [up].” What about those who can speak up?
   The combination of our personal and communal transformations gives us the courage to speak up against the alarming absence of moral values, the disregard for ethical norms. Regardless of our personal opinions about local, national or global affairs our collective voices can eliminate oppressive and corrupt political, financial, and even religious rulers.
   Pastoral theologian William Bauch cautions us that “transformation is seldom instant. It is a slow, quiet affair that usually takes place as a result of repeated small moments, not big ones … it is the result of many little acts of kindness, unnoticed charities, secret prayers, quiet compassions.”
   Can we be that patient? Can we afford to merely moan or lament all the troubles that people are suffering without responding to their cries? Will we then feel guilty and the need to repent for not addressing their needs? Is this all that Lent is about.
   Professor of ethical studies, Jennifer McBride reminds us: “The social and political significance of Lent and Holy Week is precisely this lament—the ability to open oneself up to the pains and needs of the world.”
   Not to identify with those victimized by structural sin, McBride continues, will undoubtedly make us feel guilty. But by repenting and living by the gospels we can experience a change of heart and become more passionate about repairing the world.
   Moses did return to Egypt after all. And he was not afraid to speak up for the incarcerated Israelites. He and his sister Miriam ushered them to the promised land of freedom and prosperity. Along the way, girded with new hope and joy, unaware of the hardships ahead of them, I imagine they just may have eaten nourishing figs from very healthy fig trees.
________________

SOURCES:

Arminta Fox, Professor of Religion & Feminist biblical scholar, Augusta University

William Bausch in Hungry and You Fed Me. Jim Knipper, editor. (NJ: Clear Vision Books 2012) 64-65.

Joel Hoffman. “Democracy, Oligarchy and Free Speech” in Ancient Wisdom, Modern Lives <[email protected]>

Jennifer M. McBride in Radical Discipleship: A Liturgical Politics of the Gospel (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2017) 122-23

Deborah J. Mumford, Professor of Homiletics, Howard University

Joerg Reiger, theologian at Vanderbilt University “The Impossibility of Deep Solidarity” in Theology in the Capitalocene: Ecology, Identity, Class, and Solidarity. (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2022) 172

Left out of the homily >>>

In the second reading today ... Paul warned the Corinthians, who were upset over Jewish restrictive dietary laws. (1Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12 ). He spoke of the dangers of speaking up and confronting those who have different convictions, ideas and practices.

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THE CROSS IS JUST TOO HEAVY

2/9/2025

THE CROSS IS TOO HEAVY
A Super Bowl Sunday Sermon
Presented at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Albany, NY

   As you listened to this story about a miraculous catch of fish (Luke 5:1-11) what were you thinking? What kinds of fish did they catch? (A: Tilapia and Sardines!) How many did they catch? The gospel of John says exactly 153! Not more. Not less. Exactly 153! Anyway, the fish do not even matter.
   New Testament scholar, Abraham Smith, wrote that the focus of this story “is not so much on fish but on followers—or, better yet, on the church’s future leaders ….” Some of those would include women like Mary of Magdala, Joanna, Lydia, Phoebe, Euodia, and other women who led the church. Oh yes, there were some men as well.
   Our sacred texts, our traditions and life experiences teach you and me how to be good and holy, to act responsibly, to live justly and humbly. We model our lives after Jesus of Nazareth and the early Christians. We look to contemporary prophets, coaches, and teachers. To become Christian leaders is our vocation, our job.
   Jesus was an itinerant apocalyptic Jew. He believed the world was in bad shape. He saw that oppressors treated people unfairly and brutally. He sensed that society needed a winner, someone who could break tackles and score touchdowns. Jesus was an underdog who knew that the odds of winning were against him. His cross was too heavy. He needed help from his team.
   But there is a notable problem with the Catholic team today. In last November’s general election more than 50% of Catholics who voted chose a general worldview based on fear and revenge. This should not surprise us. We Catholics have many opinions about a lot of issues. And, we often disagree on how to handle the difficult ones. Will it ever be possible for us to reach a common ground?
   Theologian Massimo Faggioli advises: “The U.S. Church, at all levels, appears unprepared to confront this kind of world and to effectively evangelize in it.” So … if we Catholics are polarized, divided down the middle, how are we to be an effective team of evangelizers in a anxious country, a fragile world, where people are scared and vulnerable?
   Columnist David Brooks adds: “We know our institutions have flaws and need reform, but we regard them as fundamentally legitimate.” And so it is with our religion which we regard as thoroughly genuine. The Catholic Church is an institution based on scripture and tradition that continues, we believe, to provide a beacon of light in stormy weather.
   But, the Catholic Church is also flawed. (Although it is a mix of fact and fiction, see the movie “Conclave” and then think about corruption in the Church.) If the religion we belong to is unable to defend against ideological and real strategies designed to wear people down and deprive them of human rights, are we, the members of the Catholic team, responsible?
   The prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8 ) often wrote about the corporate nature of sin, that is, any sin committed on a larger scale, by a community or a society. Belonging to a larger cohort of people, like the Church, means each one of us is accountable for the actions or inactions of our religion.
   Helen Chukka, Hebrew biblical scholar, suggests that today’s texts from Isaiah “embody messages of transformation and subversion for the Isaian community [back] then and for us today.“ In her words, it is “a call to prophetic ministry and the challenges [that] such ministry entails.”
   This is a ministry that each of us is called to by virtue of our baptism. And, it is not easy task for anyone of us to accept. As Paul challenged the Corinthians in today’s passage (1 Cor 15:1-11), there is no room for lackadaisical players in Christianity. The competition is simply too tough. The cross is too heavy.
   Religion, like football for example, requires a team effort. (How can I not refer to football today?) No one coach, quarterback, or player, no matter how talented, can carry a team to victory alone. No one bishop, pastoral leader, liturgical minister or parishioner, no matter how gifted, can carry the community to victory alone.
   Martin Luther King Jr wrote in 1963: “The ultimate measure of a [person] is not where she or he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where [that person] stands at times of challenge and controversy.” That true neighbor, he surmised, will risk position, prestige, and even his or her life for the welfare of others.
   I realize not everyone is interested in the Super Bowl. But there may be a message in the it for all of us. Like it or not the game has a grip on American culture. It seems there are a number of things that are pressing upon us these days.
   To compete with those who blatantly oppose the gospel playbook we have to come up with a game plan that will steadily take us down field and into the end zone where victory wins; where there is no agony of defeat.
   We who are gathered here are responsible for helping those who need help in winning against the odds. But first we have to learn to play together. The cross is just too heavy [to carry alone].

_________
Sources:
Abraham Smith, New Testament scholar, Perkins School of Theology
Massimo Faggioli, Theologian, LaCroix International, December 20, 2024
David Brooks, The Moral Challenge of Triumphalism, New York Times, Nov. 28, 2024
Helen Chukka, Hebrew Biblical scholar, Wartburg Theological Seminary
Martin Luther King Jr, Strength to Love (NY: Harper & Row) 1963

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HOLY DREAMS

1/5/2025

HOLY DREAMS
Homily for Epiphany 2025
St. Vincent de Paul Church, Albany NY

   Do you chalk your doors on the feast of Epiphany? It is an long standing custom in many cultures to mark your doorway with the first letter of the names of the Persian astronomers in Matthew’s story. (Matthew 2:1-12) “Overjoyed at seeing the star” they traveled with their caravan and guards to find the house where Jesus and his parents were staying.
   Matthew does not mention the names or the number of the astronomers, but according to one later and popular Christian tradition, there were three: Q. Do you remember their names? A., Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. Their initials CMB also stand for a Latin phrase translated as “May Christ Bless this House.” Now, who here does not want Christ to bless their homes?
   But as wonderful as this tradition sounds, I must report to you that biblical scholars do not consider the story of the magi and the bright star in the sky to be historically true. Still, this legendary tale remains a rich opportunity for you and me to reflect on what the 12 days of Christmas mean to us and how they can bolster our hopes for the future.
   What we do know about this astronomical story is that long before Jesus was born, star gazing and foretelling the future played a tremendous role in Greek and Roman culture. (Ever read your horoscope?) The royal courts used astronomy to interpret celestial events. They understood them as ominous signs sent from the gods to the king, in this case King Herod.
   Also, that bright star in the sky mentioned in the gospel was not only important astronomically, but astrologically and politically at that time. The prediction of such a king [of the Jews] would have held wide interest in the year seven before the common era (B.C.E.), when a power vacuum prevailed in the Middle East. The Israelites especially were waiting for someone to deliver them from oppressive leaders. Power mongers were eager to be potentates.
   According to Amy-Jill Levine, professor of Jewish studies and the New Testament, Matthew’s gospel presents “political challenges … the concern with political evil becomes [more] explicit she writes, in [Matthew’s] chapter two.”
   Biblical scholar Meda Stamper adds: “For Epiphany the lectionary offers us a tale of two kings: the holy child Jesus and the godless Herod.” Like many kings before him, Herod was an egocentric autocrat who surrounded himself with lackeys who were afraid to challenge him.
   When the three Persians told Herod they were looking for the King of the Jews, Herod became paranoid and annoyed that his power would be taken away from him. Professor Stamper continues: The joy of the magi, contrasts starkly with the terror of Herod and his subjects. They [the magi] feel they are in the presence not only of a [new] king but of a savior.”
   This is the “epiphany” we celebrate today — the disclosure of what was previously unknown, or not recognized, or not accepted — that Jesus of Nazareth is the savior. Matthew’s gospel suggests as does the second reading (Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6) that the life-story of Christ is so compelling and potent it affects all of humanity in one way or another. Thus, he is called the light to all the nations.
   The reading from Isaiah (Isaiah 60:1-6) provides a biblical background for this gospel (written around 50-60 C.E.) that declared Jesus to be the savior that the Jews were waiting for. It was a message of comfort and hope for the people of Israel who were facing exile and hardship. Isaiah prophesied that God will rescue the Israelites from evil rulers and bring them back to their homeland. Isaiah wrote “Your light has come, the glory of God shines upon you.”
   Stamper reminds us: “The magi are, most of all, models of people who faithfully follow signs to something or someone that exudes holiness. They announced publicly the God of their holy dreams, even if it meant disobeying a king and taking the long way home. We all want to be in the presence of something that is sacred or holy to temper the stress and busy-ness of our everyday lives. But our aspirations are not always sure things.
   How many of us make plans only to have them affected by some unexpected situation — bad weather, sickness, death, disagreements. In this story the magi, who experienced Christ the savior, had to avoid the wicked king. When we encounter Christ in our lives we are transformed, our plans change. We cannot live like we once did. We begin follow our intuitions, we take notice of interruptions, we become risk takers, and, like the magi, we ponder our holy dreams hoping they will come true.
   During this Jubilee Year Pope Francis is calling upon you and me to become Pilgrims of Hope. The magi were like pilgrims waiting for, hoping for, better days. Francis wrote this: “Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring.”
   That is why it is good for us to be here in this church, to be reminded that all “nations shall walk by our light.” (Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13 ) We gather to bless and thank God and to pray for peace, good health and harmony. We search for new ways to help others. We give voice to those who are voiceless. We visit incarcerated persons. We serve immigrants, hungry, and homeless families. We respect persons in the LGBTQ+ community. We care for the environment. We show kindness and mercy to countless others who fear the wrath of autocrats and oligarchs like Herod.
   Astronomer Eric Betz wrote: “In the end, we’ll likely never know what really inspired the biblical story of the [the magi and the] Star of Bethlehem. We can decide for ourselves what it means to us.” So, may our holy dreams reveal the bright light of Christ in a world where the dark of night is troubling us all. That will be our epiphany.

SOURCES

Simo Parpala. “The Magi and the Star: Babylonian astronomy dates Jesus’ birth.” Bible Review 17, no. 6 (2001) <www.biblicalarchaeology.org/free-ebooks/the-first-christmas-the-story-of-jesus-birth-in-history-and-tradition/>

Meda Stamper. Commentary on Matthew 2:1-12 https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/epiphany-of-our-lord/commentary-on-matthew-21-12-14>

Amy-Jill Levine, Women’s Bible Commentary. Editors: CA Newsom, S, Ringe, JE Lapsley (Louisville: John Knox Press, 2012) 466

Zimmerman, Joyce. “Working with the Word: Solemnity of the Epiphany.” https://liturgy.slu.edu/EpiphanyC25/theword_working.html

James Tabor - We Have Seen His Star in the East: What Was the Christmas Star?
December 25, 2024 < https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/we-have-seen-his-star-in-the-east-what-was-the-christmas-star

Eric Betz. February 1, 2024 <https://www.astronomy.com/science/the-star-of-bethlehem-can-science-explain-what-it-was/>

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Dennis Guyon Memorial

7/13/2024

"How to Make a Sad Song Better"
Presented at St Vincent de Paul Church
Albany, New York

How do we remember and honor the life of Dennis Stephen Guyon? How do our sacred texts help us do that? From the Book of Ecclesiastes (Ecclesiastes 3:1-15) we heard some wise words that borrow from autobiographies and proverbs. At the time, Judea was under the autocratic rule of Hellenistic kings. The average Jew felt hopeless and wondered why God was so silent. Many people feel the same way today about their lives.
   Old Testament scholar Kathryn Shifferbecker called the Book of Ecclesiastes a collection of skeptical or dissenting wisdom. Though the one who wrote Ecclesiastes, in Shifferbecker’s words, was tired of life’s uncertainties, she somehow saw a “reliable order that God has put in creation.” [1] Yes, as the world and we turn, turn, turn there is a time for everything under heaven.
   What is required of us in time is humility, accepting imperfection and mortality as normative. At the same time, we do take comfort in glimpses of the lights of a new city that reveal the brighter sides of life. In this sense, as the psalmist suggests, (Psalm 116) we learn to walk in the presence of God all the days of our lives, to map out our journeys. Where do we want to go? To the land of the living, of course.
   Sometimes the road to the land of the living is not so smooth. To make crooked paths straight we stand up to people who are not humble and who desire only to reap the goods of this earth for their own benefit. We are wary of troubling voices who create fear and suspicion in our minds. This is what happened in the first century to the Colossians, a population of Gentiles and neophyte Christians. [2]
   In the second reading (Colossians 3:12-17) the apostle Paul noticed that there was trouble brewing among the Colossians. Writing from prison, Paul admonished the people to put away their vices and turn to doing good, to put on love. Paul taught them several high moral standards that undergird the ideal Christian life.
   Marion Soards, a professor of New Testament studies, puts it this way. “The virtues [listed by Paul] describe the character of Christians living as God’s chosen people who are called out of the ordinary realm of human existence.” Paul, he wrote, “let the word of Christ dwell in [them] richly, which means teaching, and admonishing, and singing [psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs].” [3] Are you thinking of Dennis?
   Ahh. How can the ideal Christian keep from singing? Perhaps this is one of the questions that energized Dennis. He believed his life flowed on in endless song above earth’s lamentations. Dennis said it himself: “My ministry allows me to share and give back the gifts with which I seem to have been blessed.” Dennis understood, “there is nowhere you can be that isn’t where you are meant to be.”
   Although Dennis longed to see a day of glory dawning he wondered how long it would be before every tear would be washed away. But we really cannot wait that long, can we? We want peace and justice and loving kindness here and now for all people. And, that’s what Dennis did in a quiet but active way. His ministerial passions spread beyond making music to the parish food pantry and other volunteer programs like working with incarcerated persons in area prisons.
   Dennis wanted everyone to know that that heavenly place over yonder can be theirs here and now. One of Dennis’s favorite bands [Here’s a clue: they were from Liverpool] resonated with his desires to make a difference in the world, to "take a sad song and make it better.” Here is a sampling of their other lyrics ….
   Imagine all the people living life in peace, getting by with a little help from friends. We all wanna change the world. There is nothing you can sing that cannot be sung. All we need is love, because life is very short and there’s no time for fussing or fighting, my friends. Life goes on within you or … without you.
   And just one more word. It is from the gospel of Matthew where the author presents what we have commonly understood to be the responsibilities of Christian disciples. These beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) remain a wonderful lesson for us as we remember how much of a blessing Dennis was to so many of us.
   Biblical scholar Elizabeth Shively wrote this about the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus applied the presence of the kingdom of heaven to poor and persecuted persons. (verses 3, 10) Those who trust in God will be fortunate forever. She remarked: “Jesus calls those who would be his followers to the same radical commitment and hope” he had. [4] With courage, we too are called to bring about the kingdom of God here on earth.
   Dennis led a good, perhaps an ideal Christian life. He loved, he worked, he played, he prayed. We continue to remember him, determined to keep his spirit alive. And we know, pondering the precious words of his 4-year old granddaughter Cora when she learned her Grampy had died: “Now he is safe!”
—————————--
1. Shifferbecker, Kathryn. https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-sunday-after-epiphany/commentary-on-matthew-51-12-3

2. Colossae was once a thriving city located in the southwest corner of what is now Turkey. It is uncertain that Paul ever actually visited Colossae. In Colossians 2:1 he implies that those at Colossae and nearby Laodicea had never seen him “face to face.”

2. Soards, Marion. https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/first-sunday-of-christmas-3/commentary-on-colossians-312-17-2

4. Shively, Elizabeth. https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-sunday-after-epiphany/commentary-on-matthew-51-12-3

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The 2024 Easter Sunday Homily

3/31/2024

REJOICE AND BE GLAD!
Easter Sunday Homily
St. Vincent de Paul Church, Albany, NY

Acts 10:24, 27-43; Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8; John 20:1-9

   This church this morning is an Easter basket full of glorious gifts — gifts that are holy because you are holy. And, like the psalm we sang: “This is the day God has made let us rejoice and be glad.” Yes, it is a difficult psalm to sing in a world filled with bad news. And, it is a good song of praise because we are people of hope. But not everybody is in church today.
   Recent surveys suggest that many organized religions are in decline; that a growing number of people of different generations claim to be spiritual but have no interest in religion. One study reported last week that attendance in churches and synagogues is down by as much as 50% in this country.
   How wonderful it is, then, for us to gather this morning to hear the Easter stories, to renew our lives as Christians, to share the sacramental bread of life and the cup of salvation, to think of ways to bring the good news to others.
   In addition to the psalm we heard three biblical stories this morning. In the first one the disciple Peter summed up the life of Jesus of Nazareth. That letter was not written to a large crowd but to Cornelius, a leader in the Roman army. He was a good man who had converted to Christianity.
   In many ways Peter wrote that letter to inspire first century Gentiles to believe that God is impartial; that there is room for everyone in God’s house. Peter was encouraging them to commit themselves to the mission and message of Jesus.
   The second reading this morning, attributed to Paul, was an admonition to the people of Corinth caught up in a culture of immorality. The text is rather contemporary in that it suggests that you and I are needed like a “fresh batch of dough” in order to rise up to overthrow the malice and wickedness in the world.
   But, as Paul writes, we first must remove the old yeast from our lives because old yeast can go bad. We are charged with renewing, reinventing what it means to be a follower of Christ in these difficult times.
   We Christians believe that these biblical texts sustain our faith in a God who, throughout the history of salvation, is a demanding but just God. We Catholic Christians, along with other people of faith, can remedy what is wrong in the world with sincerity, truth and acts of loving kindness.
   That is why we renew our covenant with God and each other throughout this Easter season. Sprinkling ourselves with water from the baptismal font reminds us to refresh our identity in the world, to discover ways to bring hope to those who live in distress, those who doubt, those who live in fear.
   That’s what may have happened on that first Easter morning when it was still dark outside. Contrary to those who disparage her Mary of Magdala was not only a prominent supporter of Jesus, she was an enlightened woman, a wise woman, who brought light into the mysterious sides of life.
   Mary of Magdala, the first apostle among apostles, found the tomb empty. But her heart was not empty. She ran to tell the other disciples who, huddled together, were afraid of what might happen to anyone who followed Jesus. They doubted Mary at first but after she talked to them they followed her to go see for themselves.
   The remainder of the resurrection story does not rest with the early Christians who came to believe that the wonder working Jesus was raised from the dead. No, it rests with all of us, each of us, not to question the presence of Christ in our lives but to illuminate and energize others with new hope. In the lyrics of our final Easter song this morning we will sing: “In this feast we share the story — love’s new birth for all to see.”
   This Easter we join some 2.6 billion Christians throughout the world who gather today and on Orthodox Easter Sunday on May 5th, to remember Jesus’s proactive promise that suffering and death can be defeated.
Imagine what one-third of the world’s population could do to eradicate greed, corruption, racism, war, prejudice, hunger and homelessness. If we would only work together to accomplish that overwhelming mission we too can sing without doubt “This is the day God has made let us rejoice and be glad.”

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The 2024 Easter Vigil Homily

3/30/2024

Repair aWorld That Has a Broken Heart
St. Vincent de Paul Church, Albany, NY

According to recent surveys there is a growing number of people in this country who describe themselves as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” when asked about their religious affiliation.
   They gather in non-religious places where there are no pulpits or altars. Formal liturgies are rare. They say they believe in God, that they are spiritual persons, that they are charitable, but they are just not religious.
   Our gathering this evening is a marvelous counterpoint to the survey results that claim many organized religions are in trouble. Yes. There is a general decline in church and synagogue attendance in many parts of the world but the good news is this: We are here!
   Our liturgies are as much about us as they are about our ancestors. In this holy night we started a new fire, to celebrate the radiance of the risen Christ. We are entrusted to keep the light of Christ shining.
   We gather in this holy place to hear biblical stories about where we’ve come from and to plot where we might be going. These narratives are about us; and our future, which is in our hands.
   We splash ourselves with baptismal water to recommit ourselves to the peace agreement established between our ancestors and God, a covenant affirmed by Jesus of Nazareth. We promise also to be true to one another in our common priesthood.
   We share spiritual food and drink to nourish ourselves on the sacrament of Christ’s sacrifice. We are desirous to end food insecurity and other social injustices as part of our commitment to act with loving kindness. We want to invite everyone to feast at the supper of the Lamb.
   And we take delight in being here with our Elect — Catherine, Alexander, and Dylan — who by their faith are answering the call from God to join this Christian community. We initiate them in the refreshing waters of baptism, with a fragrant stream of chrism, and the rich taste of bread and wine from heaven.
   It is also our privilege to witness Stella and José as they take yet another step in their spiritual journeys guided by a Holy Spirit. Together we share the hope that our faith and good works can raise up to a new life those people who live in despair and with tired bones.
   Our story of salvation is a long journey marked by sinful deeds and acts of reconciliation. The origin of our history is recorded in Genesis a retelling of more ancients tales of creation.
   In her just released novel on the Book of Genesis, Marilynne Robinson writes that the text we heard tonight is about “the nature of creation and the spirit in which it was made; the nature of humankind … and in what spirit the creator God enters into a relation with human creatures.” (p. 24)
   We then heard segments from other biblical texts that summarize the joys and sorrows in the associations between a demanding but just God and a recalcitrant tribe of nomads searching for peace and justice.
   It is a story of failure and success, trust and doubt, wisdom and ignorance, loyalty and infidelity, war and peace, patience and impatience, victory and defeat, the very stuff of life and death we ourselves know all too well.
   The three women found the tomb empty but their hearts were filled with joy as they raced to share the good news with others. We are called to share the good news with those who have not yet heard the word of God.
   The knot that ties these strands of biblical intrigue together is the faithfulness of a God who never gave up on the human protagonists created by God for a particular purpose.
   The intention God has for humanity, for you and me, is for us to figure out for ourselves how to repair the world by developing honest and just alliances with one another, between cultures, nationalities, races, genders, and class systems.
   That brings us to tonight when we celebrate the bright light of Christ and the Christian water bath, the charisms of a holy Spirit and the sustenance of eucharistic blessings. In the Easter season we re-identify with the Christ who was raised from the dead. We are strengthened in our beliefs and our efforts to overcome needless suffering and death in the world.
   As the surveys suggest there may be many believers who are no longer fed by traditional rituals and ancients words of wisdom. But for tonight you and I remember these biblical stories. They prompt us to maintain healthy relationships with God and one another. These narratives matter in our period of history that calls you and me to repair a world that has a broken heart.

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Break Down the Boundaries

3/3/2024

BREAK DOWN THE BOUNDARIES
Homily for the Third Sunday of Lent - Year A
Delivered at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Albany, NY

   Recently a program called “With Malice Toward None, With Charity for All: Reclaiming Civility in American Politics” was held at the Washington National Cathedral. [1] Leaders from two political parties discussed their differences.
   This event was timed at the start of an already contentious election season. In the words of Ruth Okediji, a professor at Harvard Law School: “If we don’t encourage and teach and preach and pray and speak about the strength of institutions that can be gathering places for us, then we leave this generation and ourselves with nothing but contempt and hate.” [2]
   In this gospel of John (Jn 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42) we hear a story about putting an end to contempt and hate. John describes the uneasy meeting between Photina, the Samaritan woman, and Jesus, a Jew. [3] After the initial and scandalous dialogue between them, Jesus listened to the woman’s story but, contrary to other commentaries, he never actually judged her as sinful. Rather, he offered her a drink of “living water.” Because she did not harden her heart ( 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9) she would never again be thirsty.
   Theologian John W. Martens comments: “Ultimately she grasps that what Jesus offered fulfills more than material desires: it is exactly what she and everyone needs.” [4] After meeting Jesus, Photina felt better about her own identity; she grew in self confidence and she became an ardent disciple of the good news.
   But there is more to this story. Although Samaritans and Jews held some beliefs in common, according to biblical scholar Pat McCloskey, “both politics and religion were involved” in this meeting between Jesus and Photina.
   The Samaritans and the Jews hated each other for a long time. After the Babylonian exiles the Samaritans, a mixed race, were ready to welcome the Jews back. The Jews, however, despised the Samaritans because of their inter-marriages with the Assyrians. They also emphatically disagreed over which mountain was the correct cultic location for worshiping God.
   The battles in Ukraine, Sudan and the Middle East are current examples of raging bi-cultural tensions that have resulted in deep seeded acts of hate, murder, and crimes against humanity. In this country, too, there is a painful socio-political-cultural divide caused by competing policy-making idealisms, conspiracy theories, falsehoods, and a reckless interpretation of biblical texts to justify moral agendas that suffocate people’s freedoms and rights.
   Christian denominations disagree over what is best for America. Heidi Pryzbala wrote: “People’s sense of right and wrong often is shaped by religious conviction.” It is OK to be influenced by our individual Christian faith. Many social movements fuse Christian theology with Christian activism. e.g., the civil rights movement. Tension occurs, however, when it is asserted “that there should be Christian primacy in politics and law … [because] it can manifest itself through ideology, identity and emotion.” [5]
   The same tensions occurred among mid-first century Christians in Rome. Paul appealed to the Christian Gentiles and Christian Jews to end their divisive ways. He worried that those arguments would threaten his hope-filled message that Christ’s mission modeled a way of living whereby all human beings could live in harmony with one another. But for Paul hope does not fail. (Rom 5:1-2, 5-8)
   In her comment on the gospel the late biblical scholar Gail R. O’Day wrote: Jesus showed that the grace of God he offers is available to everyone. “Jesus breaks open boundaries in his conversation with the Samaritan woman: the boundary between male and female, the boundary between ‘chosen people’ and ‘rejected people.’” [6]
   Through these texts the Christian water bath - baptism - takes on new significance for us as we march toward Easter. To drink deeply of the “living water” is to be fully immersed in the life of Christ. For our elect — Kathy, Alexander, Dylan — baptism celebrates their acknowledgement and reception of the call to make a difference in the world. For those of us who have been baptized a long time we are reminded to confirm our obligations as Christians.
   For all of us it involves a life long learning curve on how to be more effective Catholic Christians. How are we recognized in the public square through acts of witness to the gospel — attending rallies, writing to elected officials. By what measure do we share our convictions with others? Once she was immersed in living water the Samaritan woman spread the good news to others.
   Theologian Terra Schwerin Rowe adds another thought: “There is no more an important task before humanity in the twenty-first century than to rethink models of relationship and exchange among humans and between humans .…” [7]
   In that Washington, DC meeting diverse political agendas and opinions were aired in an effort to come to a common ground that would serve all people in this country and around the world. That is our goal as baptized Christians — to break down boundaries and barriers like Jesus did, to work effectively in both small and large ways to assure that all people no matter who they are, what language they speak, what they look like, where they come from … it is our responsibility to make sure that they too can drink of the “living water.”
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1. The title of the Conference held on February 21, 2024 is borrowed from a line at the end of Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address that lasted just five minutes.
2. See Adele M. Banks <https://religionnews.com/2024/02/22/at-national-cathedral-leaders-of-different-parties-perspectives-call-for-civility>
3. Photina is a Greek word that means “enlightened one.” She is a saint in the Greek Orthodox tradition.
4. John W. Martens. The Word on the Street: Sunday Lectionary Reflections. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2016), 29.
5. David French. “What is Christian Nationalism, Exactly?” In New York Times February 25, 2024.
6. Gail R. O’Day. “The Gospel of John” in Women’s Bible Commentary, Newsom, Ringe, Lapsley, Editors (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 2012) 517.
7. Terra Schwerin Rowe Toward a Better Worldness: Ecology, Economy, and the Protestant Tradition (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2017), xxxix in Joerg Rieger Theology in the Capitalocene: Ecology, Identity, Class and Solidarity. (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2022) 100.

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A Holy Disruption

2/18/2024

A HOLY DISRUPTION
Homily for the First Sunday of Lent - Year B
St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Albany, NY
https://www.facebook.com/stvincentalbany/

   I talk quite frequently with a 16-year old boy who lives in Harlem. Mpiana is a refugee from Congo who lives with many hardships that are different from most teenagers. Through it all he is a remarkably resilient student-athlete determined to succeed.
   Mpiana goes to a Baptist church with his little brother and, impressively can recall passages from the Bible. He once told me he believes God does not test us beyond our ability to be tested; that God does not leave us alone; that God helps us deal with the tests that come our way. (1 Cor 10:13) Mpiana is nourished by God’s promises.
   Mark’s gospel today (Mk 1:12-15) asks us to pay attention to “Biblical precedents where God does test people to play a significant role in the story of salvation.” [1] Think of Abraham being tested to sacrifice his son Isaac. But this gospel is not just about Jesus being tested. (The Greek word also means temptation. One could say all temptations are tests.)
   The gospel also tells us how Jesus was called to ministry when his cousin John baptised him. According to the story, during that event God broke through the world order with an earth-shattering, roaring voice, accompanied by thunder and lightning. Jesus was being called out loud by God to a life of service that would engage him in a conflict with world powers.
   David Schnasa Jacobsen, biblical scholar at Boston University, noted that Mark’s narrative pointed out the urgency of the gospel. “In doing so, we’ll understand Jesus’s temptation as the first skirmish of his vocation and a harbinger of the apocalyptic battles to come.” [2] Those are the struggles that confront us today.
   In so many words, Jacobsen wrote that Jesus’ baptism in Mark is portrayed as an act of apocalyptic, cosmic, holy disruption that will usher in God’s plan for the coming kingdom. It will be a time that includes healings, liberations from bondage caused by evil, announcements of forgiveness, and calls to social transformation.
   But the devil and evil are still at large. How do we respond to the tests that often can lead to a change of heart? The reading from Genesis (Gn 9:8-15) is a good reminder of the covenants God created with us. A covenant is an ancient formula wherein two parties promise to do something or not do something. Some of them are worth remembering. In the covenant with Noah God promised no more floods. It was a sign of God’s faith in people but the people did not return the favor. The psalmist (Ps 25:4-9) today reminds us God’s ways are love and truth for those who do keep God’s covenants.
   So God tried again. The covenant with Abraham and Sarah prompted loyal relationships with God. What is our bond with a God who wants to be our friend? The covenant with Moses at Mt. Sinai included a code of conduct (the 10 commandments) to help us live together in harmony. Are we abiding by those moral barometers?
   The covenant with David included the promise of a messiah who would save people from all oppression. And, the new and everlasting covenant embodied by Jesus assures us that God forgives sins and restores communion with all of God’s people. (1 Peter 3:18-22)
   So, how do we keep our part of our covenant with God today? Can we set complacency aside? Advocate for justice? Can we disrupt the work of evil doers? Or, are we being tested beyond our abilities to handle the test? These are urgent questions for us as we begin our march toward Easter.
   Lawlessness is rampant; lying is normal; negotiated diplomacy doesn’t seem to matter; covenants rooted in love are broken, civility is trumped by rudeness, distinctions between classes are distorted and the rights of marginalized persons are minimized. These challenges require a “moral reinforcement in [our] collective beliefs.” [3]
   Of course, Lent can be an intense period of prayer, reconciliation, initiation and even fasting. More urgently, however, it is a time to confront those forces that alienate us from God, one another and ourselves. Can we figure out “what we are willing to sacrifice for a more important good.” [4] Our task is to balance competing interests that can cause anxiety, even sickness.
   On Ash Wednesday Pope Francis said Lent is about rediscovering our call "to love the brothers and sisters all around us, to be considerate to others, to feel compassion, to show mercy, to share all that we are and all that we have with those in need.”
   Yes, Lent calls you and me to renew the values that Jesus invites us to embrace — loyalty, commitment, solidarity. It is a time to cause a holy disruption that will bring about the kingdom of God here on earth. Getting into “good trouble” [6] is grounded in our longing for God to set things right. If Mpiana, that young teenager from Harlem, were here he would say: “Hey, Bro, don’t you know with God on our side anything is possible.” (Mk 10:27)
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1. Byrne, Brendan. A Costly Freedom: A Theological Reading of Mark’s Gospel. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press) 2008, 33.
2.  David Schnasa Jacobsen. <https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/first-sunday-in-lent-2/commentary-on-mark-19-15-6
3.  See Karen Fields and Barbara J. Fields. Racecraft: The Soul of Inequality in American Life. (NY: Verso, 2012), 227 in Joerg Rieger Theology in the Capitalocene: Ecology, Identity, Class and Solidarity. (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2022) 96.
4.  David Brooks “The Cure For Ails Our Democracy”  <https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/15/opinion/democracy-good-evil.html>
5.  John Pilch. <https://liturgy.slu.edu/1LentB021824/theword_cultural.html>
6.   “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and redeem the soul of America.” John Lewis made this statement on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama on March 1, 2020 commemorating the tragic events of Bloody Sunday.

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Performing Redemption

2/4/2024

Performing Redemption
Homily for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time - B Cycle
Presented at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Albany, NY

   There are many stories in the New Testament about the healing miracles performed by Jesus. The evangelist Mark uses these episodes to describe Jesus exercising his messianic ministry; a redeemer who had definitive authority over anything having to do with evil spirits, sickness, oppression, and death.
   Some believe Jesus cured people from whatever afflicted them. The word “cure” is in the gospel we just heard. We all long for miraculous cures for cancer, dementia, Sickle Cell Anemia, and other diseases that plague our minds and bodies. But did Jesus actually cure people or did he heal them? In the Bible healing is different from curing.
   When Jesus healed people it was not just about fixing things in the moment — making them see, walk, feel better, rise up again. No, the purpose of those actions was to inspire the healed person and those who witnessed the act to transform their lives, to follow Jesus, to become healers of humanity themselves.
   In the Bible healing is a long transformative process, one geared to bring about the kingdom of God on earth through acts of loving kindness. In today’s gospel, once Peter’s mother-in-law was healed from her fiery fever, she started offering hospitality to others in the room.
   Jesus does not tell us why suffering exists. However, he does show us how to deal with it. As the long awaited “eschatological prophet” [1] it was his vocation to heal humanity from pain and, in doing so, deliver people from oppressive regimes — what Paul calls the powers and principalities. That’s the political message of the gospels that has been entrusted to all Christians.
   Through his miracles Jesus revealed a time, an end-time, when all people would experience freedom from illness, disease, oppression, persecution. We refer to that time as eternal life. But who can wait that long? Jesus was slowly fulfilling the promise of liberty from dictators, power mongers, greedy financiers. It would be a time when justice is the hallmark of every country and institution.
   Jesus of Nazareth performed those redemptive acts before his execution on a cross. Proclaiming freedom was a costly mission for him. His antagonists were suspicious of his words and actions. They wanted to get rid of him. What does it cost you and me to be followers of Christ, healers of humanity?
   The author, Murphy Davis, a tireless advocate for homeless people and incarcerated persons on death row, once wrote that we cannot just go with the flow. To do so, she wrote, is to “give silent assent to the realities of war, oppression, violence, crushing poverty, mass imprisonment, executions, [and] the destruction of the earth.” When she was alive Murphy Davis urged her colleagues and others to make good use of their time on earth to “perform redemption.” [2]
   But every healing process takes so much time. Addicts overcoming addictions, unemployed persons hunting for a job, hungry people waiting in line at food pantries and soup kitchens, incarcerated persons spending time in correction facilities, immigrants reaching across borders — all these persons know what it means to be resilient and steadfast as they search for inner peace and sustenance.
   In the worldview of the gospel physical illness is no less a mark of the evil spirits in the world. There is continuity between the healing that took place in the house of Peter and the exorcism in the synagogue in last week’s gospel. [3] So too there is continuity between these ancient biblical stories and our own modern lives.
   Our world order is off track. Of course, we can choose to ignore the facts about inequality, climate change, and looming threats to freedoms but these factors are eroding lives of millions of young and old people. The story about Job is our story. Job’s life was turned upside down and he began to think he would never see happiness again. This tale is commonplace today. Life is a terrible drudgery for people all across the cultural, educational, financial spectrum — people who are afraid, lonely, poor, disoriented.
   Yet here we are. We gather in this holy place to be sustained by one another in a ritual sacrament to remember who the Christ was, what he did and why he died. We also remember and believe in being raised up again like he was.
   Our faith is not just in the mission, passion, death, and resurrection of Christ. Our faith and our hope rests with all of us, each of us. Our love for one another, family, friends, and strangers alike, should stir in us a desire to be proactive working for peace, justice, reconciliation among all peoples. The psalmist says God heals the broken hearted. God does that through us. Our passion for doing good is the same that Jesus had for healing the world. He showed up to dispel evil spirits and evil doers. Now it is time for us to do what we’ve been called to do — “perform redemption.”
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1.  Eschatology is a study concerning the final things, such as death and the destiny of humanity.
2.  Murphy Davis, “It’s about time,” Hospitality 28, no. 9 (October 2009) 9-10 in Jennifer McBride, Radical Discipleship: A Liturgical Politics of the Gospel (Fortress Press: Minneapolis) 2017, 102
3.  Byrne, Brendan. A Costly Freedom: A Theological Reading of Mark’s Gospel. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press) 2008, 46

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Funeral Homily Terry P. Doyle

10/13/2023

Theresa "Terry" P. Doyle died October 3, 2023
This is the homily delivered at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Albany, NY
October 13, 2023

   Loreto Abbey, Rathfarnham, Dublin was a boarding school, convent and farm established by the Irish branch of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1822.   The founder of the Institute was an Englishwomen Mary Ward whose ideas of religious life were so radical that her Institute was suppressed until 1877. Our sister Theresa Doyle, whose life we honor and remember today, went to that school as a youngster. She must have absorbed some of the fiery spirit of the women who taught her there.
   Given all that we know about Terry it could very well be that her passion for teaching, her desire to end injustices, and her unrelenting commitment to the gospel truth took root in the hallowed halls of Loreto Abbey. Nurtured by her parents and informed by her teachers, Terry grew into a loving and kind human being — daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, educator, and a fierce advocate for human rights.
   After Terry died many comments about her were shared by volunteers at Coxsackie Correctional Facility, her friends from this St. Vincent de Paul parish, and, even, her students from Albany public schools. They all remembered her fondly.
   One former student wrote: “You could tell at first sight that she was a force to be reckoned with.” Another mentioned: “Terry was a rebel, but she was usually right.” Some who volunteered with her at bible studies for incarcerated persons noted how the men were always touched by Terry’s prayers and thoughts and how eager they were to read out loud the meditations she wrote for them.
   No matter what topic she tackled, Terry, firm in her convictions and often with a faint smile on her lips, revealed a Christ like social grace. Her moral fiber coupled with her Irish wit would be not be shaken by anything or anyone who tried to distract her from her mission.
   Terry identified with the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. His mission and message continued to transform her and fuel her desire to share her faith and hope with others — young children, teenagers, adults, and, yes, those incarcerated persons in prison. Her no-nonsense message revealed how the presence of God is found everywhere in both the joys and sorrows of life.
   The first reading (Wisdom 3:1-9) this morning was an exhortation to Jewish leaders to pursue wisdom and justice. It encouraged them to take pride in their faith at a time when tensions between Jews and non-Jews incited anger, hate, murder. Filled with wisdom, Terry fearlessly embraced that message as she proudly shared her faith with others by doing good works for them. She believed that “grace and mercy are always with God’s holy ones.” She was that amazing grace.
   The messenger St. Paul saw that some members of the Corinthian congregations were departing from the moral lessons of the gospels. (1 Corinthians 2:6-10) He reawakened them to the reality that none of the tyrants of an earthly age or political rulers who are hostile to humanity, understand the wisdom of God expressed in the gospel texts. Paul claimed they overlooked how that wisdom can help resolve local, regional, and global conflicts.
   Terry took that teaching seriously. The Irish poet and philosopher, John O’Donohue, wrote about it this way: “We, who have been given much, whose voices can be heard, have a great duty and responsibility to make our voices heard with absolute integrity for those who are powerless.” And, that’s what Terry did.
   Fittingly the gospel (Matthew 25:31-40) we just heard sums up the dedication Terry possessed for the sake of the gospel and human beings. It is the Evangelist Matthew’s most powerful ethical statement regarding performing works of mercy for those in great need in the present world:
   “When I was a stranger you welcomed me.” And Terry did so by participating, for one example, in the Albany Tula Alliance inaugurated in the Capital District in 1991. She helped a Russian family from Tula, an industrial city south of Moscow. With others, she provided mutual support and inspiration to immigrants seeking to improve their lives.
   “When I was in prison you visited me.” And Terry did so by encouraging others to join her in prison programs such as Residents Encounter Christ and weekly bible study sessions. She insisted that the incarcerated persons sitting in the pews, who so appreciated her candor, should pay attention to what she had to say. She often told them without mincing words: “Listen to me. God loves you and don’t you dare forget it.”
   That explains perhaps why Terry also believed the line in the hymn we will sing later while sharing communion — “For You are My God.” She was convinced that God would not leave her for dead and that her happiness would be at God’s right hand forever. Yes, the Terry Doyle we knew is gone now but in so many ways … she will not be forgotten.

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Diana K. Bangert-Drowns

9/16/2023

Homily delivered at the funeral liturgy for Diana K. Bangert Drowns
St. Vincent de Paul Church, Albany, New York

“All artists operate out of a faith in abundance and the experience of hope, despite the propensity of our egos,” wrote novelist Makoto Fujimura. [1] Fujimura also mused that without beauty and mercy, the gospels will not change the world; for beauty and mercy are the avenues of imagination that transfigure us into what God intends for us.

   As we gather today to bless the creator of an unfinished cosmic enterprise we remember Diana, who lived and worked in this environment by making beauty and advocating for loving kindness. Known for her humility and generosity, her sense of collaborative justice and truth, Diana was a maker of art. She gave expression to the gifts of creation, she revealed the love of the creator God … in her music, her art, her cooking, her marriage, her motherhood, her friendships.

   Like many artists we know, Diana also experienced times of transition where self doubt clashed with confidence, where mental fatigue bumped up against clarity, where physical inabilities stifled creative ingenuity. But because her life flowed on in endless song, no storm could shake her inmost calm … through all the tumult and the strife she heard that music ringing, sounding, echoing in her soul, hailing a new creation. Diana trusted God was always at her side.

   What kept Diana going? We know Diana because of her loyal and loving presence to Bob, Chris and Mike. And, her passion for ministering in the church was apparent. Before she got sick she biked briskly to worship. Determined not to give up she soon shuffled slowly with a walker back to the piano bench. She organized members of this community to create a monumental mobile of 1,000 cranes. Making art with symbols of peace and longevity. Was it resilience that kept her going? Her love of making art?

   In her final hours of sickness Diana asked questions that are often set aside until shades are drawn down in life. She wondered about the word “meaning.” It was not so much about probing why her illness was happening as much as it was about her purpose, her role in God’s creative process. What meaning would her life’s portfolio have now?

   The scriptures we heard this morning give us a glimpse of what made Diana a maker of art, a lover of Christ and humanity, a spirited explorer, a holy and wise woman. The passage from Isaiah (Is 25: 6a, 7-9) suggests a new level of communion and intimacy between God and God’s family. Did Diana believe that God actually “swallows up death?” Is that why she eventually wanted to transition from life to death to an alternate reality, an after life?

   Diana lived on earth in a communion of saints … in the presence of God. (Ps 116 sung this morning) She perhaps also reflected on the apostle Paul’s letter (Romans 8: 31b-35, 37-39) about the meaning of God’s justice and holiness and that “nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.” Is that what hastened her desire to let go, to move forward, to fully embrace the love of Christ? Her body said “Go, Diana! Go!” But her mind said “No! Not yet.”

   Maybe Diana saw herself as Martha did in this gospel text (John 11:17-27). As illogical as it sounded in this story, Jesus brings the future promise of resurrection and eternal life into the present. The artist Makoto Fujimura wrote that Martha perceived what no one else could understand at that time, that Jesus is the resurrection and life; something to be fully embraced now. Maybe Diana sensed that her life was not ending but that she would transition somehow into someone wholly new, somewhere else in a vast borderless extraterrestrial realm.

   So, we ask, how does Diana live on? Another word she wrestled with was “God.” It is normal for a believer to question God, to doubt God, to reject God’s words when suffering and dying, poverty and hate overwhelm us. For Diana’s inquiring mind she wanted something else. The contemporary understanding of God as “More” gave Diana something to ponder. In fact, the idea energized her as she began to imagine that God is always something more than what is known to us.

   In her art making Diana gave us a sense of beauty and mercy that is essential for giving life new meaning. She was transfigured by her art making. Those who knew Diana were also transfigured to make a difference in the world. Her life’s work contributed to an understanding of the love of God, revealed in Jesus of Nazareth, expressed in a Holy Spirit. Diana, made in the image and likeness of God, gave us “More.”

   Wanting to make art in the midst of dying troubled Diana. Tired but not despondent, troubled but not angry, breathless but not silent, Diana uttered, “I am spent.” Like many artists who have completed the most important work of art in their lifetime — a concert, a sculpture, a painting, a poem — there was nothing more Diana could give. Ever eager to explore something new, she said, “I think I will now try to find out what it is like to die.” And she did. Gone now, but not forgotten.
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1. Fujimura, Makoto. Art + Faith: A Theology of Making (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2020)

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Do Not Stop Telling Your Story

4/7/2023

Tintoretto’s The Last Supper (1592-4)

Holy Thursday 2023
Homily presented at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Albany, New York

For many years I had a place at the family Seder meal led by my friend Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman. Each year he would write a contemporary Haggadah (narrative) to mark the feast of Passover. Jews keep Passover so as not to forget what it means to be freed from bondage.
   The main story is the Exodus — a passover from slavery to liberation. For the Israelites the narrative became a memorial feast, a time of remembrance, which all generations shall celebrate. (Ex 12:1-8, 11-14)
   For Jews the powerful memory (zikkaron) of the Passover makes it possible for them to identify with that event in their own lives. It is not just a story about their ancestors. It is their own story. Each year it takes on new meanings always including the story of the Holocaust and this year, rising anti-semitism and the slow eradication of liberty and justice in Israel and Palestine.
   Why is that Jewish story important for us to hear tonight? Why do we tell it? Why should we not forget it? Jesus of Nazareth was Jewish. He was born a Jew, he lived as a Jew, and he died as a Jew. During the time of Passover in Jerusalem he wanted to have a last meal with his followers before his execution. [1]
   At that “last supper” Jesus did not start a Christian religion to replace Judaism. Scholars continue to probe if he himself actually intended to create a Christian liturgy of the eucharist or to institute an all male priesthood. Knowing that it was the custom at that time, women, children, and strangers would have been present in the room as shown in the 16th century painting by Tintoretto. [2] They were all there — women, children, men. Perhaps Jesus called all of them to a priestly ministry of service!
   For the Jews gathered with Jesus at that supper the bread on the table reminded them of the bread of affliction carried by their ancestors who hastily fled Egyptian captivity. (Deut 16:3) Jesus, remembering the Exodus, held the bread in his hand and identified with it in such an emotional way that he called it his body! Not the bread carried by his ancestors but his own body.
   At the end of the meal he raised the cup of blessing. It reminded the Jews of the sprinkling of the blood of young bulls on the people to confirm their covenant with God (Ex 24:8) and the forgiveness of their sins. (Lev 5:9-10)
   Today, we think of all the broken covenants with God: blood spilled in Ukraine, school shootings, migrants reaching across their own Red Sea in search of a promised land, our failure to act when injustice prevails. Jesus identified with that cup of wine and called it his blood shed for all! But then he said something most important for us to think about tonight: “Do THIS in memory of me.” What’s the THIS?
   John’s gospel is the only one that describes the washing of the feet. (John 13:1-15) In this familiar story Jesus once again turned the status quo upside down. In all humility, by washing dirty feet of everyone in the room — children, women, and men — he modeled what it would be like if every person on this planet were respected and not be shunned because of who they are. Gay, straight, trans, male, female, young, old, able, not so able. Imagine if every person were respected because they are human beings.
   This is the THIS Jesus spoke of: Feed the hungry. Refresh one another’s being. Visit incarcerated persons. Comfort the sick. Console one another in times of trouble. Lend a hand to outcasts living on life’s edges. Open doors of possibility for those who are vulnerable. Teach children to know the difference between right and wrong. Practice loving kindness to all. Acts of social justice and mercy cannot be separated from our worship of God. One action cannot be done without the other action.
   Scholar Hal Taussig commented on tonight’s second reading: The apostle "Paul presents ‘the body of Christ’ to the Corinthian assemblies as a concept and as an image of social and spiritual connection.” (1 Cor 11:23-26) [3]
   Washing one another’s feet here tonight is an expression of our communion and our responsibilities for one another. It is a practice session for what we must do to repair the world (Tikkun Olam) and to stop any authority from depriving us of our human rights. It is a responsibility that we cannot ignore.
   Jesus, who never forgot the Exodus experience of his ancestors, identified with it. He was going through it like his ancestors went through. His entire life was all about passing over from grief to joy, from anxiety to hope. In this sense, Christians have come to know Jesus as a passover. He is the blessing cup (Psalm 116). He is the bread of life. (John 6:35)
   Whenever we enact the liturgy of the eucharist as a priestly people (and we do it together) it is not only a remembrance (anamnesis) of who Jesus was and what he did. It is now our story. We are called by our baptism to identify with that paschal mystery as our own. We are his body. We are his blood. [4] Jesus said: “For now I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do for one another.” (John 13:15)
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1. Note that John’s gospel says that the meal took place before the Feast of Passover.
2.Tintoretto’s The Last Supper (1592-4), which hangs in the Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, depicts women, beggars, and others in the same room with the apostles.
3. Taussig, Hal. A New New Testament. (New York: HarperOne, 2015), 263.
4. Augustine of Hippo said in a 5th century homily quoting Paul in his letter to the Corinthians.“You are the body of Christ, member for member." (1 Cor. 12:27)

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Keep Striking the Rock

3/12/2023

Third Sunday of Lent Year A
Homily presented at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Albany, NY

We’ve often heard the expression “you can’t get water out of a stone.” It usually means we are up against enormous odds to get something done. Well, apparently Moses knew how to do so. In the first reading he was told to “strike that rock and water will flow.” And, the water did flow and it kept the Israelites hydrated on their arduous, dangerous journey to the promised land.
   According to legend a wellspring was beneath the rock that Moses struck and is known as Jacob’s Well. It is mentioned only once in the Bible, in today’s gospel, where Jesus and the Samaritan woman had a forbidden but life changing conversation. Eastern Orthodox Christians call her Photina which means “luminous one.”
   The Jews and Samaritans were old enemies even though they shared borders and Torah teachings. The two groups argued over what was the exact cultic location for the worship of God and they never came to peace, never reconciled. So, it was dangerous for Jesus and his team to travel through Samaria back to Galilee.
   But, Jesus was thirsty and stopped for a drink of water in Sychar. The woman he met there apparently was worn down, troubled and perhaps wondering what to do with her confused life. To dwell on Photine as an immoral woman is to miss the point of this gospel. She had no idea of what to expect when she found Jesus waiting for her. Often, when we wonder what to do next in our lives, Jesus shows up to give us advice, to get us back on track, to take us to new places.
   Then, two unusual things happened to Jesus and Photine. First, she prompted Jesus to identify himself as the messiah and he did. Scholar Jennifer Garcia Bashaw wrote: “it is the only time that Jesus reveals this truth to another person. That the person he trusts himself to is a Samaritan and a woman is deeply significant.” [1]
   During this rendezvous the woman Photine also learned something life-changing about herself, something that made her feel alive again and that she mattered. She becomes an influential evangelist, a leader among disciples. Biblical scholar John Pilch wrote: clearly, a cultural subversion took place at the well. "Modern social scientists would probably call this interaction [between Jesus and the woman] a cultural innovation.” [2]
   The clear message in this gospel is that Jesus brings about a new way of living for all peoples. Anyone or anything today that prevents living water from nourishing lives and helping people to grow and change, must be removed.
   Maybe that scene in Samaria could be considered the very first International Women’s Day. Now an annual event this year focuses on “embracing equity.” We owe thanks to the evangelist John for pointing to the importance of women in a community.
   The story about Moses reminds us, too, about those times when we strike the rock and no water comes out? How often has a synodal church called for “embracing equity” so women can experience what Photine did? How often have the global cries for women’s rights been ignored by patriarchal hierarchies who want to keep their power?
   Recently, African philosopher Françoise Diarra wrote: “Women have been the backbone of the church when it comes to the hard work … but when it comes to giving the reins to women, it is not so easy. Men are in charge of everything that happens in the Church, and women take a back seat.” Diarra called for a special Synod to address women’s roles in the church.
   Jesus was a spirited advocate for equal rights for all people. Photine and other women found new life because of Jesus’s radical action and courage to break boundaries. Each of us is called by our baptism to do the same, to erase barriers that prevent all people from being nourished at the font of living water. We cannot harden our hearts once we hear the voice of Jesus.
   Today’s readings about water are important to us at this time of year. Lent is a season for transformations. It calls us to think anew about our baptismal identities as Christians in a secular world.
   If we ourselves thirst for life giving water, if we want others to drink the same water of life, we must be proactive. We just have to keep striking the rock!
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1. Garcia Bashaw is associate professor of New Testament, Campbell University <www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-commonlectionary/third-sunday-in-lent/commentary-on-john-45-42-6
2. https://liturgy.slu.edu/3LentA031223/theword_cultural.html
3. Diarra is professor of philosophy in the Archdiocese of Bamako, Mali. https://international.la-croix.com/news/religion/the-church-needs-a-synod-on-women-says-african-professor/17417

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Super Sunday Sermon

2/12/2023

JESUS GETS US, BUT DO WE GET HIM?
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A
Presented at Our Lady of Grace Parish, Ballston Lake, NY

   Millions will watch the Super Bowl tonight and millions will not. Still, surveys tell us Americans are obsessed with football. It seems that the sport is a metaphor for American rugged individualism and the fighting spirit that gave us revolutionary independence. Some suggest, even for those who do not like football, that it is the most popular cultural and social event of the year. Others think we are only interested in the pageantry, the halftime show and the clever commercials.
   One commercial tonight deserves our attention. Maybe you’ve seen the ads on social media, TV, the Internet and billboards. “He Gets Us” is a movement created to reintroduce America to Jesus of Nazareth and his radical way of living by loving and forgiving. Tonight’s two Super Bowl commercials will cost about 20 million dollars.
   Theologians, pastors and others are suspicious of the movement. Some say it portrays an incomplete and simplistic view about who Jesus was and what he did, that it focuses on his human but not his divine mission. Others are critical of it as a subtle effort to promote Christian nationalism in this country disdaining other faith groups and minority races that have emerged in the course of American history.
   In the meantime, last week Pope Francis, with a bad knee and a broken heart, challenged corrupt civic leaders and corporations to stop pillaging the natural resources of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Pope Francis called upon them to stop child abuse in the cobalt mining industries, to treat women as equals in cultures that breed exaggerated masculinity, patriarchy, and dictatorship.
   The pope’s African journey to South Sudan had many agendas. His speeches were powerful reflections that Jesus himself may have delivered if he were alive today. The pope reminded all of us, who often live far away from the injustices in other countries or our own, that the cultural caste systems in the world that divide people in haves and have-nots are driven by prejudice, ignorance, power and greed.
   The first reading this morning is from Sirach, a book of wisdom. Originally, it was used as instructions for Jews whose cultural system and values were threatened by dominant foreign leaders and internal conflicts. This passage urged the Israelites to remain faithful to the guidance, the commandments, given to them by God.
   Today, many sociologists and historians claim that cultural systems that promote the common good and a decent way of living for all people are slowly being thwarted by powerful and privileged members of society whether in Ukraine or here in the United States.
   Is religion helping to heal the wounds? The polarization that exists within our church and other faith groups is also discouraging and troubling for many. Different generations, especially younger ones, are feeling disenfranchised. They are moving away from religious institutions in search of spiritual direction.
   The gospel this morning is a section from Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount. It offers ethical guides that are relevant today. They summon us to practice loving kindness toward one another rather than hate and anger.            Biblical scholar Melanie Howard, wrote that these are teachings that Jesus endorsed and “can be understood under a larger paradigm of upholding trust and compassion within [the] human community.”
   Taking action to end divisions, social inequities, and other injustices that tear us apart can lead to experiences of peace and harmony. This is true not only in our own lives but also in our relationships with others.
   The psalmist proclaimed that we will be blessed for doing so. Much later in the Bible, after Jesus died, Paul urged the Corinthians to live by the wisdom of God and not the dictates or empty promises of rulers who come and go. Such good advice for us these days.
   These biblical texts are challenging. Whether or not the religious movement “He Gets Us” is the right path toward spiritual harmony, peace and justice in this country remains to be seen. Right now it is an eye-catching commercial designed to invite Christians to refashion their lives after the life of Christ. Maybe Jesus “gets us” but do we get the message that Jesus left us?

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