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The inner word

24 Jun 2012 - Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, Cycle B

Where does God or your faith “amaze” you? The neighbors and relatives of Elizabeth were amazed not only at the fact that the new baby was going to have a name different from his ancestors but also that Zechariah confirmed it by being released from his muteness—and the first thing Zechariah did was to burst forth blessing God. So, again: Where has God amazed you? Helped you to say something? What do you bless God for today?

zechariah elizabeth amaze

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Exploring the word

27 Mar 2011 - Third Sunday of Lent, Cycle A

AN INTERESTING CONTRAST presents itself in our two big Bible stories this week. On the one hand we’ve got the grumbling nation behind Moses: reasonably thirsty, yet decidedly unpleasant about it. These are the same folks who’ve been recently delivered from a generation of slavery, miraculously led across a divided sea, and granted the unlikely gifts of quail and manna from heaven, right there in the Sinai wilderness. You’d expect a little show of faith from these people, an air of courtesy mixed into their request for water. But all we see is an ugly, snarling mob of ingrates. On the other hand we meet the woman from Samaria, obviously thirsty, too, or she wouldn’t be visiting the well at this difficult, sun-drenched midday hour. She also has reasons to be unpleasant: It’s hot, there’s a strange man hovering over her destination, and what’s worse he’s a traditional enemy to her community. Yet this woman chooses to keep the dialogue civil, calling the stranger “sir” and demonstrating, once more, a delightful spunk that is the signature characteristic of a biblical hero. Whereas the nasty mob around Moses repels us—we don’t want to be in the midst of these people more than necessary and are grateful they remain an anonymous sea of hostility—we find ourselves befriending the woman of Samaria. We want to know her name. We’d like to follow her home and find out what happens to her after her privileged encounter with Jesus. We know in general terms that the fates of the participants in these two stories couldn’t be more distinct. The nation behind Moses, ever wielding a blade of mistrust that could wind up in their leader’s back, gets their spring of water and miraculous rescue once more. But does it change anything? Won’t they be just as angry, aggrieved, and thirsty again tomorrow? The rock at Horeb provides them with water for a day, or a week. Still the place remains defined by the spirit of the people: Massah and Meribah, quarreling and testing. In the deepest and most real sense, the community remains parched and unsatisfied. By contrast watch what happens to our heroine of Samaria. She leaves her bucket unfilled by the well, no longer in need of the kind of water that lasts a day. She leaves her grievances by the well, too, running back to the community that has judged her behavior in the past with news too good to withhold. Living water has changed her, turning a notorious woman into a reliable witness. Once defined by a wearyingly eminent marriageability, she’s redefined in a sterling new relationship as the first apostle to the Samaritans. Thirst is not a bad thing, we realize. It can lead straight to our heart’s desire. Related scripture links God as El Shaddai, "The One of the Mountain": Gen. 17:1, 28:3, 35:11, 43:14, 48:3; Exod. 6:3; Num. 24:4, 16; Pss. 68:15, 91:1; Ezek. 1:24, 10:5 Places associated with God: Bethel: Gen. 12:8, 13:3, 28:10-11, 35:1-13; Horeb/Sinai: Exod. 3; Deut. 4:10, 15, 5:2, 9:8, 28:69; 1 Kings 8:9, 19:8; Shiloh: Josh. 18:1, 8-10, 19:51, 21:2, 22:9, 12; Judg. 18:31, 21:19-21; 1 Sam.1-4 Samaritans elsewhere in the Bible: 2 Kings 17; Ezra 4:1-24; Neh. 4, 6:1-13; 1 Macc. 3:10, 10:30, 38, 11:28, 34; Luke 9:52-56, 10:33-37, 17:16; Matt. 10:5-6 Catechism links Woman at the well: CCC 439; 544; 586; 606; 728; 1137; 1179; 2560; 2652 Waters of Meribah: CCC 694; 2119 Resurrection: CCC 988-101

Authors Alice Camille

living water Moses samaritan woman

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The inner word

27 Mar 2011 - Third Sunday of Lent, Cycle A

Aren't the readings this week about the journey of faith? The Israelites in the desert, with some stubbornness, come to trust in the God who really is with them and saves them. Saint Paul speaks of the power of faith to bring believers to the grace of hope and salvation. And in the long gospel story, the Samaritan woman moves from unbelief to faith to testifying in the Christ who brings living water. What has been your personal "exodus"? When have you felt as if you were traveling through the desert? Where did you find "water," the living presence of God? The Samaritan woman came to faith through a direct experience of Jesus. What are your most personal encounters with the Lord? She also testified to her neighbors about Jesus. Where do you make your most effective testimony to your faith?

faith journey Samaritan Exodus christ

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Exploring the word

15 Aug 2010 - Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Cycle C

IT'S A HAPPY coincidence when the Solemnity of the Assumption falls on a Sunday. We get to share this delightful hour together in a way that's not possible mid-week, weary after work or on a hurried lunch break. The gospel reading is a rare one: Have you noticed there are no men in it? The focus is entirely on two women, pregnant women, an elderly lady and a girl. Their coming together is joyful, and the news, for a change, is all good. It's noted that the house Mary enters belongs to Zechariah. And the promises made to Abraham and "the fathers" become the source of celebration. The babies to be born, it's true, are both boys, but in this special hour we've entered a male-free zone in the Bible. The action involves women, the dialogue is entirely theirs, and the prenatal scene is deeply charged with estrogen! By the way, I want to hear from every preacher who uses the word estrogen in the assembly. But even if you don't, the unusually feminine energy in the visitation between Mary and Elizabeth is palpable. It reminds us that when it comes to salvation history, women are there. And not only "there" waiting to clear the dishes, but engaged, decisive, leading the prayer and the charge toward God's will being done "on earth as it is in heaven." We rarely get behind the curtain to the Bible's ladies room. We don't often enter the "Red Tent," as Anita Diamant says in her retelling of the patriarchal stories from the perspective of their wives. If you read the books concerning Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi, or Judith and her unnamed but trusty maidservant, you get another glimpse into the headstrong, powerful women who weren't content to sit on the sidelines of scripture but earned top billing in their generations. And you know, we don't have to retreat into biblical times to find such women. Look around every parish assembly. How many administrators, religious educators, parish council members, Eucharistic ministers, lectors, acolytes, music ministers, and contributors to the financial bottom line are women? If there were ever a Sunday when the women didn't show up, I think it would be obvious how crucial a role they play in "salvation present." If every mother stopped teaching her children their prayers at night, there would be no church in a generation's time. Saint Paul knew his churches across the Gentile world depended on his collaboration with women. That's why he insisted on making them heads of churches, like Lydia near Philippi, and partners in his own ministry of proclamation, like Prisca in Corinth. Women are not afterthoughts in the story of salvation. Even God assumed the essential nature of their cooperation. Related scripture links Creation story: Gen. 1:1-31 In the beginning was the Word: John 1:1-5, 14 King David dancing: 2 Sam. 6:14-15 The ark of rescue: Gen. 6-9, also 1 Pet. 3:20-22

Authors Alice Camille

Mary elizabeth anita diamant Assumption

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Exploring the word

11 Jul 2010 - Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

MERCY IS IN danger of becoming an antique word. We live in a tough world where cynicism is the protective wrapping around many hearts. Hostility toward the enemy and suspicion of the stranger are the norm. Our bitterly partisan culture encourages us to be vitriolic toward competing ideas and those who hold them. It's acceptable and even fashionable to be rude, self-promoting, and other-denying. The more hysterical the public rhetoric is, the farther it travels and the more popular it becomes. We must oppose this trend. Christians can't afford to toss their hats in the ring with intolerance, arrogance, and downright cruelty. When hysteria rules, we must remain good stewards of our words and emotions and where they lead us. Spraying unbridled passion about self-indulgently is incompatible with the baptismal vocation. We're called to surrender our lives for others, not trample them underfoot if they oppose our point of view. Why is that important? Because demonstrating mercy toward the neighbor is an imperative of our faith. Eternal life hangs in the balance when we choose to exercise or deny compassion. The great commandment obliges us to love God and neighbor. And if we want to quibble about the definition of neighbor, we only have to listen to the parable of the Good Samaritan again. Good Samaritan has become a metaphor for do-gooding; that's unfortunate. The Good Samaritan is not a philanthropist spreading money around on his favorite causes. No, the Samaritan is not a charitable guy in the traditional sense. He's a brave man who crosses clear social lines to rescue the wrong person: his enemy. A man who hates him. A man to whom he owes nothing, neither kindness nor sustenance. Chances are the fellow in the gutter would have let the Samaritan bleed to death had the roles been reversed. The Samaritan doesn't weigh that probability very heavily when making the decision to help. Most of us can't get our minds around what the Samaritan does because we can't even offer an ideological opponent common courtesy, never mind spending time, money, and genuine compassion on the suffering of a perceived foe. We have little practice with sympathy, much less empathy. The modern model is to be sarcastic, distant, and unconcerned. "Not my problem, not my job" is the mantra. Many of us don't even want to hear about the plight of undocumented immigrants, or gay bashing, or the intimidation of American Muslims, or the continued effect of racism and sexism, even when it operates in our church assemblies. The Good Samaritan remains a rather lonely fellow. Yet the advice of Jesus is plain: "Go and do likewise." Related scripture links Written on hearts of flesh: Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 11:19-2, 36:26-27 We are God's letter: 2 Cor. 3:2-3 The word dwells in us: Phil. 3:16 You shall love the Lord and your neighbor: Lev. 19:18; Deut. 6:5, 10:12 Catechism links Mercy: CCC 1822; 1825; 1829; 2083; 2447; 2822

Authors Alice Camille

great commandment love your neighbor Good Samaritan

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The inner word

11 Jul 2010 - Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

If only you would heed the voice of the Lord . . . .” It sounds so simple and it is—in theory. What keeps me from listening intently and carrying out the Word of God? In what ways do I recognize that the Word of God is “something very near” to me? It is in Jesus that “all things hold together.” Think of the crucifix in which the vertical and the horizontal meet and where Jesus’ outstretched arms encompass all that is. When I am tempted to resist doing what I know I ought, do I turn to Jesus as the way through resistance to transformation? When, recently, have I run into a “Good Samaritan”? When have I felt someone “pass on by the other side of the road” when I needed help?

word of god Crucifix Good Samaritan

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Homily stories

14 Jul 2013 - Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

EACH MORNING when we scan or listen to the news, we expect to hear something sad. Suffering and crisis take prominence in our news stories, while stories that talk about heroism or share a personal story of compassion are rare. There was a recent story of a bicyclist who was struck by a car and later died from the injuries he had suffered. Initially the headline caught my eye because it was a tragic death on the city’s streets and the story also included a few lines about the nurse who saw the accident and tried to help. She jumped out of her car with a towel and sweatshirt to care for his wounds and try and save him. Others also tried to assist. The tragedy of course is that a human life was lost that evening, but strangers gathered to save a person they did not know. They were the good Samaritans that evening among all the others who may have passed up the bicyclist. The nurse later reached out to the cyclist’s family and friends to let them know that in his final hours he was not alone.

Authors Clarissa Aljentera

Suffering Compassion Samaritan

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Go forth and do likewise

Funeral, Sacrament-based, Holy Day, Holiday, Special Occasion - Sample homilies to be adapted for your use

Readings: Luke 10:25-37 "Go and do likewise." If we do not celebrate a person's life's work when they die, we make the same mistake as when we do not celebrate their work during their life. The story of the Good Samaritan is a story about N. Jesus was asked outright what we must do to inherit eternal life, and his answer was to tell the story of the Good Samaritan. Who was the Good Samaritan? We don't know for sure, but it is clear that he was a layperson, not a religious professional. In fact, it is probable that he was some sort of businessperson—for why else would he be on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho early in the morning, and just happen to have oil and wine with him, and be able to pay the innkeeper to take care of the victim, and promise to return on his "way back"? In other words, the Good Samaritan was in the midst of doing his job when he was asked to be a good neighbor. N. was like the Good Samaritan. S/he was a layperson who did most of her "Good Samaritaning" in the midst of the hustle and bustle of her busy life. N. was the kind of person who just did what needed to be done in her daily work on her job, with her family and friends, in her community, and here in the church. She didn't make a big deal out of it, didn't expect accolades or recognition, didn't hold herself up as some sort of saint. She just went about her work without complaint, always looking for opportunities to help others in need, without any thought about whether or not people would notice or thank her properly for her effort. What N. was really doing was helping to build the kingdom of God "on earth as it is in heaven," as Jesus taught us to pray in the Our Father. And in so doing, N. inherited eternal life: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." Do this, Jesus said, and you will live. N. did this, and in so doing she lived a full life [even though it may have been shortened in years] and has now inherited eternal life. The Good Samaritan was in the midst of doing his job when he was asked to be a good neighbor." "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus was asked, and he told the story of the Good Samaritan. He might have told any number of stories from the life of N. [Tell two or three stories about how the deceased was a Good Samaritan, if you know or have been told about the person's work.] N. was a good neighbor. She was a good neighbor for many years at her work at [name of workplace]. She was a good neighbor to those of us who live in [name the community]. She was a good neighbor to those of us in this church. And she was certainly a good neighbor to her family [name specific family members]. What N. did in her life was perhaps not considered heroic. Maybe it did not generate many headlines or garner numerous awards. What she did in her lifetime was to be a good neighbor. She saw someone in need; she stopped and did what she could—it wasn't rocket science, but it was what the Lord asks us to do. For N., acting like the Good Samaritan was what you do if you are a follower of Jesus. And Jesus told the rest of us to "go and do likewise." So let us take our cue from N. Let us go back into our own jobs and families and neighborhoods and do what needs to be done. That is how N. demonstrated that she loved God and loved her neighbor, that is how N. helped build the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven, that is how N. inherited eternal life. Let us go forth and do likewise.

Authors Nate Pierce

funeral all manner of death Good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37

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Unfavorable political news

14 Dec 2008 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Sunday's first reading speaks of a "year of favor from the Lord." But in Illinois political history it's been more like an era of favors. Governor Rod Blagojevich, arrested Tuesday on charges of corruption, is only the latest in a long line of corrupt politicians. "Government in Illinois isn't about political ideology or helping people," said Christopher Mooney, who teaches political science at the University of Illinois-Springfield. "It's about which idiot brother-in-law are you going to get a job on a road crew because he helped you get into office." Blagojevich, a Democrat, was charged yesterday with trying to sell Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat, according to a criminal complaint filed by federal prosecutors. Three previous Illinois governors have been jailed: Otto Kerner, governor from 1961 to 1968; Dan Walker, who held the job from 1973 to 1977; and George Ryan, who served from 1999 to 2003. Two other 20th-century Illinois governors were tried for crimes but not convicted: Len Small, in office from 1921 to 1929 and indicted while governor for embezzlement and money-laundering when he was state treasurer, was acquitted. William Stratton, governor from 1953 to 1961, was acquitted of tax evasion charges in 1965. In 2006 a Chicago federal court jury found Robert Sorich, who led Mayor Richard M. Daley's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, and three other men guilty of illegal hiring. State politicians being carted off to jail reflects a local indifference to wrongdoing that needs to be changed, said Dick Simpson, a political science professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a former city alderman. "We have a culture of machine politics and it lends itself to corruption," said Simpson. "We are the capital of corruption in the U.S." "This is a sad day for government and it's a very sad day for Illinois government," said U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald in announcing the charges against Blagojevich. "Governor Blagojevich has taken us to a new low." Source: Articles by Tony C. Dreibus for the Chicago Tribune and Joe Carroll for Bloomberg News

rod blagojevich corruption illinois christopher mooney barack obama dick simpson patrick fitzgerald

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