The Annunciation of Our Lord

 Is 7:10-14, 8:10

Ps 40

Hb 10:4-10

Lk 1:25-38

 

Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ,
Et concepit de Spiritu Sancto

"The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit." 

 

With rare exceptions spaced many decades apart, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord always falls during Lent.  This solemnity, this feast, is a welcome glimmer of hope during a season of penance and fasting.  

We hear the prophecy in the first reading.  We hear the fulfillment of that prophecy in Luke's Gospel.  We hear Ahaz's stubborn 'no' in the first reading.  We hear Mary's perfect 'yes' in the Gospel.

 

Isaiah narrates God's command to Ahaz that he ask for a sign.  Ahaz refused to ask.  In His frustration  God told Ahaz the sign He would give.  The Universe held its breath when the angel appeared in the house in Nazareth, a backwater town of no importance.  The angel was to carry news to a young woman living in the house.  How would she reply? Is this the time or must the waiting continue?

 

The angel's appearance in the room startled the young woman. The tension in the universe approached unbearable.  God had promised a sign, that the virgin shall bear a son.  Is this the time? Is this the woman?

 

The universe was still.  Nothing stirred.  All movement halted when it heard the angel's greeting, "Hail, full of grace!  The Lord is with you."

 

Clasping its hands in front of its heart, the universe waited for the scene to unfold. "Do not be afraid Mary, For you have found favor with God. You will conceive and bear a son and you shall name him Jesus."  The woman appeared puzzled and concerned, as if she were asking herself what the odd greeting meant.

 

The universe was stilled. Oddly, the anxious anticipation vanished

replaced by a new calm.  The look on her face was changing.  Wait . . . . 

 

"Ecce ancilla Domini, 

fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum."

 

"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, 

May it be done unto me according to your word."  

The universe changed instantly. It would never be the same.  A new calm descended.  The prophecy would be fulfilled.  The young woman's words

penetrated the very substance of the universe where they would echo forever.

The most important yes in history had just been spoken.  And the universe rejoiced.  The virgin had accepted her vocationto be the Theotokos, the God-bearer, in fulfillment of the prophecy to Ahaz.

 

Like us, Mary was endowed with free will.  She could have rejected the 

vocation the angel presented to her. It seems irreverent to suggest that Mary could have refused. Her decision, however, was not inevitable.  It was not forced by God.  She was chosen.  But she had her own choice and  she responded with yes.

 

Et Verbum caro factum est.

Et havitavit in nobis

 

"And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us."  

 

Angels rejoiced. Seraphim, Thrones, Powers, and Dominations celebrated. 

Mary's life would change.  Joseph would soon receive her into his house. 

They would soon make the arduous journey to Bethlehem where Jesus would be born of the House of David, once again in fulfillment of a prophecy.

 

On this great feast the Eastern Church will sing a hymn to the Theotokos,

a hymn to the God-bearer whose reply to the angel enabled the universe to rejoice: 

 

"Receive, O earth, 

the glad tidings of great joy.

Heavens, praise the glory of God. 

The Theotokos, the God-bearer, the living tabernacle of God

shall not be touched by an unclean hand. 

 

The lips of believers 

shall sing to her ceaselessly 

with the voice of angels crying joyfully, 

 

Hail full of grace, 

The Lord is with Thee." 

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At around noon on Friday 25 of March the Solemnity of the Annunciation, Pope Francis with representatives of the Ukrainian Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church will dedicate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. At the same time here in Boston a Mass will be offered by Cardinal O'Malley at the Cathedral

The photos are from Ljubljana, Slovenia. The Church is colloquially known as "The Franciscan Church" though formally it is the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation. Located in the center of town It is one of the most recognizeable landmarksk in Ljubljana. It is pink. Apparently red is the color associated with the Franciscan order, and it was originally painted red. Red does not do well in sunlight, as anyone with a red carpet in the living room learns. It faded to pink. People preferred the pink.

I made my retreat in the attached Franciscan friary. The church closes for cleaning between 1 and 3 or something like that. I had a key. I went in during the time. Was lying on my back in the center aisle taking shots of the ceiing. Certainly startled the woman doing the cleaning. Would have been helpful to speak more Slovenian. Fortunately I was wearing blacks and I think she figured it out.

The church sits on the Ljubljanica River that 

runs through the center of town.

The Triple Bridge comes to an intersection in front.

The main altar is quite elaborate

I'd been invited to concelebrate a Sunday Mass.  Arrived early.  The light remained like this for only ten minutes.  I had the camera with me and shot away. 

The choir loft and organ

I made my retreat at the attached Franciscan Friary during Lent.  Probably the only time I will ever be able to walk to the retreat house. 

Lying on the floor to take this while the church was closed for cleaning.  Cleaning lady was quite surprised when she zipped around the corner into the main aisle to find a man dressed in black on his back with a camera balanced on his face.  

+Fr. Jack, SJ, MD

Flaming Foliage: Homily for the 3rd Sunday in Lent

Ex 3:1-8a, 13-15

Ps 1031-4, 1-8, 11

1 Cor 10:1-6, 10-12

Lk 13:1-9

 

The narrative of Moses and the burning bush is familiar.  On first reading it seems odd that Moses had to ask God's name.  However, the Jewish Study Bible explains that Moses was not raised with his people.  He knew nothing of their religion.  Kind of like too many children today whose parents fail to give them any religious instruction so as to "empower" them to choose on their own when they are older.  Ignorance is not always bliss, sometimes it is pathetic. 

 

Moses had to undergo a conversion, he had to learn, if he were to become the leader of the people.  When he asked to whom he was speaking he was told: I AM.  The Jewish Study Bible translates the Hebrew as "I Will Be What I Will Be."    It goes on to explain that this means  "My nature will become evident from My action." That nature did, indeed, become evident.  Alas, the people didn't always get or appreciate that nature.   

 

The gospel narrative is unique to Luke's gospel.  What are we to make of it?  

 

We have to ask the questions: why do bad things happen to good people? why do good things happen to bad people?  The problem is that of theodicy, There is breathtaking arrogance inherent in the assumption that one can explain the problem of "theodicy," that one can explain why or how a loving God permits or allows evil, disaster, death and suffering. The angry "WHY?" the desperate WHY?  have circled the globe since God created it.   It will continue to circle the globe until the world ends.

 

One can hear Eve screaming WHY? after Cain murdered Abel.  

 

One can imagine Noah shrieking WHY? when he surveyed the damage after the flood.  

 

If we listen closely we can hear ourselves groaning WHY?  at the illness or death of a loved one, the loss of home and possessions through fire or flood, or the confrontation with mortality  upon realizing: I am dying.  WHY? is perhaps the most frequently recited prayer in all of Ukraine at present. 

 

Jesus' examples of bad things happening to good people are challenging because there is no historical record for them.  Yes, Herod was a crazed megalomaniac who did evil sadistic things so as to maintain absolute control of his kingdom.  The parallel with Putin is hard to miss.   True, towers did collapse and kill people.  Lust for money and construction collapses because contractors cut corners, continue today, as evidenced in Miami and the recent bridge collapse in PIttsburgh. 

 

But, scholars cannot agree what the Tower of Siloam was.  There is no historical record of a sacrifice of Galileans at worship--though today there are too many examples of Christians martyred at worship, and, based on recent history, there will be others. Jesus' examples were used to illustrate that evil, disaster, suffering, and death happen to both the bad and the good, the just and the unjust.  The saying "only the good die young" is as appalling, inappropriate, and inaccurate a statement as was ever invented.  Appalling is also applicable to the Billy Joel song of the same title but that will be the topic for a different homily. 

 

Jesus repeats: "If you do not repent " twice in this short passage.  That demand implies conversion of heart as well.  Repentance and conversion are two sides of the same coin.  Repentance is an interior act.  Conversion is evidenced by a change of observable behavior emerging from the act of repentance.   In His call to repentance Jesus is echoing the words of the prophets: Amos, Isaiah, Micah, and Ezekiel, each of whom preached repentance for sin and conversion of heart.  

 

Their message was reinforced and amplified by John the Baptist whose baptism was not meant to be a simple cleansing. As detailed by Josephus, John's baptism  was to be accompanied by conversion of life.  Thus Jesus calls us to repent and open ourselves to the conversion that follows.  Will bad things still happen in the world if we repent?   Without a doubt.  Will we still suffer?  Of course, it is part of being human. Will we still experience pain, despite conversion of heart?  Absolutely.  The problem is not that bad things will happen to good people. The problem is the temptation to defiance toward God when bad things, pain, and suffering do happen.  The problem is the attitude,  "God, if you don't shape up I'm shipping out." 

 

The reading from Paul's Letter to the Corinthians is a challenge on at least two levels.  

 

First, it is edited.  Chapter ten, verses one to six and ten to twelve.  The four missing verses are important. They describe the kind of sin that called down punishment: idolatry, immorality, testing God.  Sounds like twenty-first century American life marked by the idolatry of celebrity worship, the immorality of sex-change surgery and abortion. The testing of God through greed, and lethal materialism.

 

Second, there is no accounting for the fact  that both those who are good and those who are evil undergo the same tests: suffering, death, and pain.  I'm not sure Job would, or could, have taken much comfort from Paul.  

 

We will never know why bad things happen to good people. 

We will never know why good things happen to bad people.  

That not knowing, and the frustration it causes, is part of the human condition.  We've seen that frustration and anger playing out over the past two years of covid.  Faith will temper pain and sorrow somewhat.  Prayer will soothe the soul a bit.  But in the end we will never be able to articulate the answers.   Despite that uncertainty, despite the lack of answers,  we are called to sing with the psalmist in faith and hope, 

 

"The Lord is kind and merciful,

He pardons iniquities, heals all ills,

redeems lives from destruction,

secures justice,"

 

There is nothing to add to that. 

_____________________________________________

The photos are from an interesting drive along Rt 45 W in Central Pennsylvania on the way between my hometown and Penn State.  Hairy John State park is along the way.  When possible I stop just to wander a bit, look about, and maybe have some lunch at one of the picnic tables.  This particular day was a cool dry one after a couple of days of rain.  There were a few large puddles about.  One of them was jammed with hundreds of butterflies wallowing and "splashing" in the water.  Apparently muddy water is a way to get nutrients.  Never saw anything like it before or since.  

+ Fr. Jack, SJ, MD

 

Temptation Eyes: Homily for the 1st Sunday of Lent 6 March 2022

Lk 4:1-13

 

“Come let us worship the Lord  

who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.”   

 

Every morning during Lent the liturgy of the hours begins with this antiphon:  It reminds us that Jesus was like us in all things but sin. He knew hunger and thirst, grief, sorrow, and profound fatigue. He knew temptation and suffering.  Temptation and suffering are part of what it means to be human, they are part of the human condition.  Were our lives free of temptation and suffering we would be incapable of experiencing joy.

 

The use of tempted in Luke's gospel presents a challenge for English-speakers.  Many automatically define temptation  as negative, illicit, and synonymous with sin. But, the Latin, Hebrew, and Greek  roots of the word translated as temptation are neutral.  Those roots include “trying,” “testing,” or “proving.”  Indeed, some versions of the Our Father pray 'do not put us to the test' rather than the more familiar, 'lead us not into temptation.'

 

Unlike Adam, Jesus, the New Adam, was obedient to the Father in all things, even to accepting death on the cross.  Satan offered those temptations when Jesus was hungry from fasting, tired from prayer, and disoriented by the harshness of the desert.  

 

The Evil One tests us when we are in a similar states of hunger, fatigue and confusion.  We are tested when disoriented by the unfamiliar geography of the personal deserts in which we find ourselves: newly widowed, diagnosed with a disease that will end in death, the confusion when abandoned by others.  We confront these temptations when we are dissatisfied with the status quo, when we are frightened or angry, when preoccupied or overwhelmed with things of the world.

 

The challenge to create bread from stones was not simply to relieve hunger.  It was the temptation to arrogant self-sufficiency, and illusory freedom, the temptation of taking care of oneself to the exclusion of all else.  That temptation to radical self-sufficiency looms large in our lives in ways that are unique to each of us.   

 

Putting God to the test is one of humankind's all-time favorites.  God is not a divine puppet master  who pulls our strings so as to make us dance.  Nor is he a marionette we can control.  God does not "cause" things to happen for the entertainment value  of watching us struggle.  And yet we ask . . . 

 

"Why did God give me cancer?"   

"Why is God allowing the war in Ukraine?"

"Why did God take my child?"

"Why?  Why?  Why?"  

 

We cannot control God with strings made of prayer. “If my prayer isn't answered in the way I demand, I am through with God.”  Those understandings of God are appropriate only to a child. How often do we test God in this way?  How often do we demand that God answer our prayers in very specific ways, according to highly detailed scripts of which we hold the only copy? 

 

Dostoevsky wrote in  'The Grand Inquisitor' section of The Brothers Karamazov:  “. . . man seeks not so much God as the miraculous.  And as man cannot bear to be without the miraculous, he will create new miracles of his own for himself and will worship deeds of sorcery and witchcraft.”  The late Jesuit Father Stanley Marrow,  accurately observed that, '. . . our appetite for signs is insatiable.  We are forever testing to see if God is still there, to check whether our prayers are getting through.'

 

The Faustian bargain, “Sell your soul."  I will give you great power.” was the final temptation. Power. Prestige.  Money.  Control.  Being a celebrity.  These idols have replaced God in many lives.  The lust for power drives both major political parties in this country and most of the world.   The false idols of power and prestige, money and control have contributed to diminishing the quality of our lives in many dimensions.  Today as we watch a megalomaniac's desire for power playing  out  in Ukraine, many of us pray that Taiwan is not the next country in line for a violent power grab by a country that refuses to recognize Taiwan's sovereignty.

 

Despite the attractive temptations offered him, Jesus freely chose to obey the will of God the Father. In so doing, he made it possible for us to imitate Him in our own exercise of freedom and free will, the gifts that, along with speech, set humans far above all lower animals at a distance that will never be lessened.  

 

Freedom is a wildly misunderstood concept.  It is not a release from restrictions, rules, or responsibility, freedom as frequently understood by a college student away from home for the first time.  Freedom is notthe opportunity to choose anything whatsoever, whenever, to make those choices without consequence or criticism. Dogs and monkeys do that because low animals have no free will and, as they are driven by instincts they bear no responsibility for their actions.  Freedom is not the ability to adopt individual or idiosyncratic attitudes toward life or morality.  Human freedom is not the right to decide who shall live and who shall die, at the beginning of life, the end of life, and anywhere in between. Rather than being freedom from, human freedom is freedom for.  It allows us confront the temptations the evil one, the world,  throws in our way.  Free will allows us to say yes or no. It allows us to decide for or against ourselves. It allows us to maintain our integrity.  Only humankind can decide for or against God in freedom.  Only we have sufficient understanding to choose to reject sin. 

 

When describing her adolescence, St. Edith Stein wrote: "I consciously and deliberately stopped praying so as to rely exclusively on myself; so as to make all decisions about my life in freedom."  Years later, now a Carmelite nun, she described how she had been  released from the self-imposed shackles of atheistic pseudo-freedom to find radical freedom in the science and shadow of the cross.

 

“Come let us worship the Lord  

who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.”   

____________________________________________

The photos below are from Slovenia in 2016.  As I transfer photos from a few slunky USBdrives to a muk h smaller and faster solid state drive I am revisiting memories, reprocessing, and so on.  All of the shots were taken within a 1/2 mile radius.  

Tivoli Park and Tivoli Castle

This is the kind of display that screams  TAKE A PHOTO

In a wheel chair in the melting snow

Golden arches are everywhere

Lent Is Not About Weight Loss: Homily for Ash Wednesday

Fasting, ashes, and sackcloth have signified sorrow, mourning, penitence, atonement, and humility since the Book of Genesis.   We read in this opening book how, when Jacob was told that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal he "tore his garments, put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned his son for many days."  In Jonah we learn how, when the prophet proclaimed that which was to befall Nineveh, the people . . . proclaimed a fast  "and all of them, great and small,  put on sackcloth . . . and the king sat in ashes."  And, as we will hear in Sunday's gospel, Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness. Only at the end of that time did  the evil spirit tempt him. 

 

We are not called to fasting and penance for the sake of fasting and penance.  Fasting is not meant to be its own goal.  If undertaken without the desire for interior conversion it is nothing more than Weight Watchers without the points or Oprah's exhortations.  We read in Isaiah:  "This is the fast I desire . . . to unlock the chains of wickedness . . .to let the oppressed go free . . . to share your bread with the hungry . . .  and not to ignore your own kin."  Thus the triple prescription for Lent: fasting, prayer, and alms giving must be accompanied by inner conversion. 

 

In his book God or Nothing  Robert Cardinal Sarah of Guinea wrote: "The relief we must bring to the poor and to afflicted people is not just material but spiritual."  He goes on to quote Pope Francis' exhortation Evangelii Gaudium "I want to say, with regret, that the worst discrimination which the poor suffer is the lack of spiritual care."

 

One sees proof of that discrimination in the sins committed by hospital administrators, nursing home administrators, public health officials, and many others  who forced the critically ill and the dying elderly to die alone, bereft, oftentimes terrified, uncomforted by the presence of even one family member at the bedside, and deprived of confession, absolution, and last rites for no good reason.  Hysteria and health care do not mix well.

 

As was true of the prophets before Him,  Jesus' call to conversion and penance is not to be manifest solely in outward signs such as ashes, sackcloth, and fasting.  Fasting, prayer, and almsgiving are hypocritical when divorced from interior conversion and used only as a form of virtue signaling.  Lent is not meant to be a season of 'give ups.' It is equally important, perhaps more so,  that it be a time for taking on; taking on extra time for prayer, reading of sacred texts, particularly the gospel, or contemplation.  The time required need not be dramatic.  Ten or fifteen extra minutes are perfectly adequate in the context of overly busy lives.

 

Our ability and desire to care for others, our willingness to attend to the needs of others, can only grow from prayer and meditation on scripture.  As the late Jesuit Father Stanley Marrow wrote in his commentary on John's Gospel: ". . . loving with utmost generosity and utter selflessness, even to laying down of one’s life, is not uniquely Christian.  What distinguishes, or must distinguish, Christians is:  when they love, they love asChrist loved them and because he loved them."  

 

Before washing your face tonight look in the mirror at that smudge of ashes, no matter how faint it has become. Ask what it means to you.  What does it mean for the next forty days. And then pray the words the responsorial psalm, the great Miserere.

 

"A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.  

Cast me not out from your presence 

and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

 

O Lord, open my lips
and my mouth shall declare your praise."

________________________________________________________

Recall that you are dust and to dust you shall return.

+Fr. Jack, SJ, MD