Friday, September 16, 2022

 

Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, and martyrs

(I Corinthians 15:15:12-20; Luke 8:1-3)

Sometimes there is posted on a church door the sign, “Alcoholics Anonymous meets here.  There couldn’t be a more appropriate place for this kind of group to meet.  Alcoholics Anonymous harbors people from whom a kind of demon has gone out.  To be sure, one attending an AA meeting would not claim to be cured of alcoholism, but the person no longer acts out in ways that “before caused so much damage.  In today’s gospel we find another one who was possessed of a demon but now finds relief in church company.

Mary Magdalene is often said to have been a prostitute because she is assumed to be the “sinful woman” who appears in the gospel episode preceding today’s passage.  There is no real basis for the claim.  In fact, Luke, the evangelist, probably lays the stories of the two women side by side to indicate that all kinds of women find peace with Jesus.  Well thought of women as well as former sinners come to him.  He rejects no one although, of course, seeks a new righteousness from everyone.

We too are a motley lot wherever we go to church.  Some of us have sullied histories.  Others have been able to avoid serious sin.  We all can rejoice to be with the Lord.  He not only forgives our sins but assures us of his eternal peace.

Friday, February 23, 2018

Friday of the First Week of Lent

(Ezekiel 18:21-28; Matthew 5:20-26)

At a male spirituality retreat many of the participants were recovering alcoholics.  They had decided previously to give their lives to a “Higher Power” as Alcoholics Anonymous prefers to call God.  Now the participants were deepening their commitment to that Power.  Although alcoholism is as much a medical as a moral condition, AA at least does not deny that alcoholics have some responsibility for the problems in which they find themselves. They must recognize that they have hurt others by feeding their condition and take responsibility for not falling into the habit again.  Today’s readings portray such people as on the road to sanctity.

Ezekiel announces that the Lord wills to save, and not condemn, sinners.  God is not going to free them from responsibility of their sins but will urge them to reform.  Their reward, the oracle says, will be “life.”  In the gospel Jesus teaches his disciples that they must seek forgiveness from those they have offended if their sin offering is to be worthy.  It is a lesson that resonates with that of the Our Father:  “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

It is often hard to recognize our sins and even harder to seek the forgiveness of others.  Yet both tasks are at the heart of Christian faith.  If we are going to walk with Jesus, we must humble ourselves by recognizing our need for his reconciling company.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Friday of the First Week of Lent

(Ezekiel 18:21-28; Matthew 5:20-26)

At a recently held male spirituality retreat many of the participants were recovering alcoholics.  They had decided previously to give their lives to a “Higher Power” as Alcoholics Anonymous prefers to call God and now were deepening their commitment.  Although alcoholism is evidently as much a physical as a moral condition, AA at least does not deny some responsibility on the part of alcoholics. They must recognize that they have hurt others by their habit and take responsibility for not falling into the condition again.  Today’s readings portray such people as saints.

Ezekiel announces the Lord’s will as the salvation of sinners.  It does not free them from responsibility but urges them to reform.  Their reward, it says, will be “life.”  In the gospel Jesus teaches his disciples that they must seek forgiveness from those they have offended for their altar sacrifice to be worthy.

It is not easy to recognize our sins and even harder to seek the forgiveness of others.  Yet both chores are at the heart of Christian faith.  If we are going to walk with Jesus, we must act so that our sins are forgiven.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Amos 8:4-6.9-12; Matthew 9:9-13)

The famous psychiatrist Dr. Scott Peck once began a presentation by speaking about one of the most important events of the twentieth century taking place in Akron, Ohio, during the 1930s. The audience wondered if they heard the man correctly. “What famous event ever took place in Akron, Ohio?” they thought. Soon Dr. Peck explained. He was referring to the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization that has enabled millions of people to overcome their lethal disease.

People attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings have a distinct advantage over most of the population. They know that they are sick and therefore seek the necessary help to overcome their debility. Unfortunately, most of us are in denial regarding our sickness. Of course, not everyone is an alcoholic, but each of us has some inclination toward sin. Jesus tells us as much the Pharisees in the gospel today. Unless we acknowledge ourselves as sinners, he warns, we will not share in the Kingdom that he is bringing about.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Amos 8:4-6.9-12; Matthew 9:9-13)

The famous psychiatrist-writer Scott Peck once began a presentation by speaking about one of the most important events of the twentieth century occurring in Akron, Ohio, during the 1930s. The audience wondered if they heard the man correctly. They thought, “What famous event ever took place in Akron, Ohio?” Soon Dr. Peck explained. He was referring to the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization that has enabled millions of people to overcome a killing disease.

People attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings have a distinct advantage over most of the population. They know that they are sick; therefore, they seek the help they need to overcome their debility. Unfortunately, most people are in denial about their sickness. Of course, not everyone is an alcoholic, but each of us has some sickness, some inclination toward sin. Jesus tells us just as much the Pharisees in the gospel today that unless we acknowledge ourselves as sinners, we cannot share in the Kingdom of God that he is bringing about.

Homilette for Monday, December 10, 2007

Monday, II Week of Advent

(Isaiah 35:1-10; Luke 5:17-26)

Once I went to a party where no liquor was served. I felt a little disappointed because I was looking forward to relaxing with a glass of wine or bottle of beer. Then I was told the motive of celebration. My friend Bill, as gracious a man and loving a father as one could find, was celebrating his sobriety. Fifteen years to the day, Bill gave up drinking and never looked back.

Of course, drinking in itself is not bad. Nor can alcoholics be accused of sin for every drink they take. As Alcoholics Anonymous teaches, compulsive drinking is a disease that diminishes moral responsibility. But at some point alcoholics must take responsibility for their actions under intoxication. When alcoholics repeatedly become careless on the job and abusive at home after drinking, they must stop committing what for them has become a serious sin. Then their refraining from sin becomes the source of their total healing.

In the gospel Jesus forgives the sin of the paralytic as the first step to his total healing. As Jesus hints, his saving of the man’s soul is an even greater claim to his being the Messiah than his healing of the man’s lameness. But to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah as well, Jesus makes the lame man “leap like a stag.”

Jesus comes to save all of us from our sins. He brings forgiveness when we repent and confess our wrongdoing. As we turn away from our vices – whether obvious ones like drinking too much or more subtle ones like looking at others as objects of desire – Jesus will provide us the grace to live, like my friend Bill, gracious and loving lives.

Homilette for Friday, July 6, 2007

Friday, XIII Week of Ordinary Time

(Matthew 9)

The famous psychiatrist-writer Scott Peck once began a presentation by speaking about one of the most important events of the twentieth century occurring in Akron, Ohio, during the 1930s. The audience wondered if they heard the man correctly. They thought, “What famous event ever took place in Akron, Ohio?” Soon Peck explained. He was referring to the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization that has enabled millions of people to overcome a killing disease.

People attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings have a distinct advantage over most of the population. They know that they are sick; therefore, they seek the help they need to overcome their debility. Unfortunately most people are in denial about sickness. Of course, not everyone is an alcoholic, but each of us has some sickness, some inclination toward sin. Jesus tells the Pharisees in the gospel today that unless we can acknowledge ourselves as sinners, we cannot share in the Kingdom of God that he is bringing about.

Being alcoholic threatens one’s physical as well as spiritual life. Sometimes we downplay its seriousness by speaking of work-a-holism and even chocla-holism as comparable weaknesses. However, alcoholics have the blessing of a recognizable illness that they might treat by, as they say, “giving themselves over to a higher power.” We do well if everyday we give ourselves to God by similarly living disciplined, prayerful lives that seek the support of others.

Homilette for Monday, December 11

(Isaiah 35; Luke 5)

One day I went to a party. When I arrived, I felt a little upset that no one offered a glass of wine or a bottle of beer. I didn’t realize at the moment the purpose of the party. It was meant to celebrate the anniversary of a very fine man’s sobriety. Fifteen years to the day my friend gave up drinking and never looked back.

It is not that drinking in itself is bad. Nor is it the case that an alcoholic’s every drink is a sin. As Alcoholics Anonymous teaches, compulsive drinking is a disease that diminishes moral responsibility, at least to a point. But an alcoholic’s drinking can be the root of much sinfulness, including irresponsibility at work and abuse at home.

In the gospel, Jesus forgives the sin of the paralytic as the first step in the process of his total healing. As he indicates, this healing of soul is an even greater claim to Jesus’ being the Messiah than his healing the man’s lameness. But Jesus also fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah as well. He makes the lame man “leap like a stag.”

Jesus again proves himself worthy of our trust. He tells us that he will come to bestow salvation on his faithful. We can count of his word as we prepare ourselves for that coming during Advent.