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Exploring the word

06 Jul 2014 - Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

That word is getting bandied about all the time these days: quantum. Unless you're a scientist who's studied mechanical theory, you probably only sort of know that it's a principle of uncertainty or multiple reality. Here's quantum mechanics made easy. Imagine walking a rocky path in pitch darkness. At every step there's a 50 percent chance your foot will fall on uneven ground. There's also the same chance that it will fall on firm ground. But until your foot actually makes contact with the ground, it literally could go either way. Now consider this: The most important moment isn't the one in which your foot touches the path and the die is cast. It's the moment of possibility in which you might step on level ground, or not. So long as you remain in the realm of possibility, literally anything could happen. Both outcomes are equally true and real. This is the realm of quantum theory, which dares to suggest that both are true until one is definitively chosen. Holding two mutually exclusive realities as true can seem plain dumb. Yet people of faith do it all the time. The mother is also the virgin. The dead man lives. The Trinity is One. The lame walk, and the blind see. The last is first, and those who mourn also have reason to laugh. Christianity is the most blatantly quantum system of belief there is. You routinely profess two mutually exclusive things, which puts believers squarely in the realm of ultimate possibility at all times. Nothing is written. Sinners can be redeemed by grace at any moment, just as saints can be lost in the next round of decisions. When Saint Paul talks about flesh and spirit, he's touching on quantum ideas. He says you're not in the flesh; well, you're obviously in the flesh. You are each a certain age, gender, ethnicity, race. You stand so tall and no taller. You have a list of abilities and disabilities, achievements and failures, a resumé of absolutes that follows you around everywhere you go. And yet. And yet: In the spirit none of that matters or captures or confines you at all. While everything in the flesh may be a given, everything in the spirit is up for grabs because it still exists in the realm of the possible. The footstep has yet to meet the path. So Paul says: Live from the possibility of the spirit and not from the futility of the flesh! Cast your future on Jesus, who makes servitude into freedom and burdens into joys. The kingdom Jesus reveals turns obstacles into opportunities and crosses into crowns. Even the impossible is made possible. If all seems lost, think again. All is redeemed for those who believe. Related scripture links Prophet as seer: 1 Sam. 9:9, 11, 18, 19; 2 Sam. 24:11; Amos 7:12 Zechariah’s vision: Matt. 21:5; Mark 11:1-7; Luke 19:30-38; John 12:15 Catechism links Revelation and seeing: CCC 151-153; 240; 443; 473-474; 544; 1658; 2603; 2779-2785 Zechariah’s vision: CCC 559-560

Authors Alice Camille

kingdom Freedom

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In other words

06 Jul 2014 - Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.” Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen. “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (from Matthew 11). From New Message 4 Next Week (actapublications.com/newmessage4nextweek) based on The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition by Eugene Peterson (ACTA Publications, 2014).

Rest Renewal Freedom

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Sign & sacrament

06 Jul 2014 - Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

What does it mean to be free? For some it’s a matter of not being trapped in oppressive circumstances, like an unsatisfying job, a difficult relationship, or an illness. For others it’s the ability to find ways to live creatively within those situations. Some say freedom is about having choices. And there are those who think it’s simply being able to do whatever they want. Christians believe Christ has freed them to discern what is truly important: to be generous rather than selfish, caring and kind instead of indifferent and cruel, truthful, not false. Use your freedom to choose what is good.

Freedom

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Homily themes

06 Jul 2014 - Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

The “burden” the gospel speaks of is the law the scribes and Pharisees, the “wise and the learned,” have put on the people. Not exactly our problem today perhaps, but we might ask to what are we bowed down? Are we the childlike who accept the message of freedom from sin and death from Jesus who, like his true hearers, is “meek and humble of heart”? Take the yoke of this gracious and compassionate king, this mighty but humble bringer of peace, and “you will live.”

sacrifice Humility Freedom

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The inner word

29 Jun 2014 - Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles, Cycle A

Put on your cloak and follow me,” the angel said to Saint Peter. Peter, the rock, was in chains—but freed! “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith”: inspirational words from Saint Paul. Who is your rock in life, your foundation? Who inspires you? Jesus is your protection, your strength, your guide. Build his church.

Freedom strength inspiration

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Sign & sacrament

04 Aug 2013 - Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

What does it mean to be free? For some it’s a matter of not being trapped in oppressive circumstances, like an unsatisfying job, a difficult relationship, or an illness. For others it’s the ability to find ways to live creatively within those situations. Some say freedom is about having choices. And there are those who think it’s simply being able to do whatever they want. Christians believe Christ has freed them to discern what is truly important: to be generous rather than selfish, caring and kind instead of indifferent and cruel, truthful, not false. Use your freedom to choose what is good. For more “Sign & sacrament” material, search the Prepare the Word database by today’s scripture reading, a particular theme, or a special occasion.

Freedom choice

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Sign & sacrament

07 Jul 2013 - Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

In early July of 1776, at the time of the Declaration of Independence, John Adams wrote of the importance of the moment to his wife Abigail: “It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.” Despite our problems and challenges as a nation, we can give thanks this week for the many blessings we enjoy. And we can commit ourselves to doing our part so that all who reside in our land can share in those blessings. For more “Sign & sacrament” material, search the Prepare the Word database by today’s scripture reading, a particular theme, or a special occasion.

thanksgiving Freedom

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Exploring the word

26 Aug 2012 - Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

The theologian Rudolf Bultmann didn’t start it, but he was the one who stated it most memorably. Everything Jesus says or does is intended to lead us to the moment of decision where we throw in our lot with him or refuse. Surely we have choices to make every step along the discipleship road. Come follow or stay behind. Seek peace or take up the sword. Serve God or money. Build on rock that lasts or on sand that slips away. Tend to the dead or choose the way of life. Open your eyes or remain blind. Get up and walk or stay where you are. Go up to Jerusalem or return to Galilee. Seek the Kingdom or settle for the world. Either we are for Christ or against him. Jesus doesn’t allow a shift into neutral or a response of “no comment.” And let’s be clear: Any decision we make has consequences. Joshua offers the people a similar clarifying decision at the start of their new life in the land of promise. Their last choice was 40 years ago and it wasn’t much of a decision: slavery over freedom. On the other side of the desert experience, however, they’re now a liberated people, which means they're free to choose. Do they want and intend to be the people of God? If not, they can go another way right now. The only unacceptable answer is to say yes and do no. This hypocrisy, of course, is what the tribes wind up attempting, and that explains the rest of the Hebrew story: war, destruction, exile, and national ruin. After Babylon comes the moment of decision once more. Do you want to join the faithful remnant and return to the land as God’s people, or stay away? The cycle begins again. The decisive question continues to be posed because each new generation has to address it. We can be baptized and still say no. We can receive our First Communion and have our faith ratified at Confirmation and still retreat. We can journey with Jesus as members of his church and determine one day that we’ll go no further. We can be faithful churchgoers all our lives yet at the critical hour, when our testimony is called upon, we may waffle and stammer and look away, making a lie of it all. Are you with me or do you want to leave? Jesus asks. Saint Peter’s answer remains the best, but we can only repeat it if we mean it. Life is here. Love is here. Challenge is here. The cross is here. Forgiveness is here. The choice is ours. Related Scripture links Moses lays down the choice: Deut. 30:19-20 Other wives and husbands: Col. 3:12-21 Other moments of decision: Ruth 1:11-18; Jdth. 9:1-14; Esth. 4:12-16 Passion predictions toward Jerusalem: Luke 9:22-27, 43-45; 18:31-34 Jerusalem as prophet’s destiny: Luke 13:33-35 Peter is led, not always willingly: John 21:18-19 Catechism links Moment of decision: CCC 1696 Human freedom: CCC 1730-1742 Peter and Jesus: CCC 440; 1336

Authors Alice Camille

choice decision Freedom Rudolf Bultmann

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Exploring the word

27 Feb 2011 - Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

FIRST, THE DISCLOSURE: I’m an anxiety queen. I worry about what I’ve done and what I’ve failed to do—more than you do. Trust me. I worry about the workload piling up behind me, the people depending on me, the burden of responsibilities that are uniquely mine. I worry about personal failings that botch up my relationships: the short word to a tender soul or the unanswered phone call that prolongs the heartache. I worry about dumber things, too, like unpaid bills, unreceived checks. That weird thing the computer does that I don’t have a clue about. Aging gets me going: Why are my eyes blurry after hours of reading? Is that the beginning of blindness? In other words, I’m on the bell curve of normal anxiety, only a bit to the north. But the things that should concern me more, I think about less. For instance: Am I too complacent in my life? Am I a moral couch potato, lounging when I should be moving? Is my prayer earnest, or am I pretending? Do I keep too much for myself? What percentage of my resources should stay in my pocket and how much should be shared? I should worry more when Jesus says things like: No one can serve two masters. Two, huh? I wonder how many I serve. God, mammon, my ego, various ideologies, the black hole of my fear—I couldn’t begin to count them all. Yet Jesus doesn’t offer this teaching to make us anxious. In fact it’s meant to do the opposite: It’s a lesson in trust. Don’t worry about life, food, clothes, health, and stuff! Leave that to the pagans who don’t know any better, Jesus says. The antidote to fear is faith. If worry is a problem, then the solution is to fix our attention elsewhere. Seek the Kingdom. These three words could save your soul and mine a lot of heartache: Seek the Kingdom. Tomorrow’s in God’s hands. So is yesterday. What needs to be forgiven is already forgiven. What needs to be healed will be healed. All that belongs to us is today. All we have to do today is seek the Kingdom. It’s a simple thing but no small thing. It’s quite grand, as Saint Paul puts it, to be the stewards of God’s mysteries. We move through the miracle that is today, full of authority to recreate the world around us. Free to make choices, to effect changes. Free to be kind, to forgive, to bear joy within us and to give others a reason to share it. If we seek the Kingdom, we find that everything we need is already within us. Catechism links Catechism links Anxiety: CCC 2088; 2547 Kingdom of God: CCC 541-556 Money: CCC2424

Authors Alice Camille

kingdom of god worry Anxiety Freedom

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Homily stories

06 Jul 2014 - Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

THE FOURTH OF JULY is my favorite holiday. I like it even more than Christmas. In fact so does my whole family. It’s the biggest celebration we throw. No matter where my siblings and I might be living, we always make it home for the Fourth. Far-flung in-laws have no claim on us for this holiday, as they do with others—this one belongs entirely to my mom. Every year she gets all her kids for a weekend, or more, depending on when it falls. And she goes all out with food and decorations. My parents live on the beach in a small town on Lake Michigan on the Michigan side, so we have a pretty great setting for our party—stretches of sand, hot sun, and cool water as far as you see. There are no burdens on this holiday—no pressure, no expectations, no big spending. Just simple pleasures—like sparklers and sunsets, tan skin and burgers on the grill, a parade down Main Street. I’m never more relaxed than I am in this place, on this day. The yoke of work is never so completely thrown off. I feel like a kid again. I feel free.

Authors Jennifer Tomshack

holiday Freedom

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