Gospel, Homily and Coffee

SciFi and Fantasy movies and tv shows almost always have those prophets and prophecies. The one who knows what is to come, the one to fulfill. They usually form the arc of the story that is to unfold.  A Prophet, at least in the Judeo-Christian sense, is one who reveals the face of God. A Prophet is one who knows God and shares that with others; through words and actions.  The Hebrew Scriptures contain the writings of Prophets. The preeminent prophet among them was Moses. He had that very special relationship with God that no other had after him, well except for THE Prophet. Moses spoke of God to the People of Israel, to begin to form them as a people and form them in mission. He formed the arc of their history; their core identity.  The later prophets also who spoke to Israel, and also to the Kings. Prophets such as Isaiah, Amos, Nehemiah who worked to keep the people and the kings in the right relationship with God. Who worked to keep the people true to their ...

There is an axiom in Geology; the processes going on now also went on in the past. Mountain building, erosion, volcanism, et al have been going on, and will go on. One of the great shifts in thinking was the change of belief that we lived in a static world and universe, and realizing that we lived in a dynamic world and universe. Change happens. The world around us has not been the same for the past 4.5 billion years. Mountain ranges have formed and eroded away. Oceans covered lands that are now deserts. Even around our little part of the universe there used to be a huge lake, Lake Lahontan during glacial periods. We can see remnants of it if we are trained how to observe. In fact Pyramid and Walker Lakes are the last vestiges of this once huge lake. Change, evolution is built into the very fabric of the universe. From a singularity 13 billion years ago to a complex outrageously, incomprehensibly large universe we have today: Change happens.  Even physically within oursel...

There is this local legend or tale that goes like this. A well known, non-christian figure in our community took diocesan classes to learn about Catholicism. Once the series of classes were over, he then asked to teach kids in parishes. I think that very seldom do we experience anything on our own. I think there is always someone who guides us to new experiences, new interests, new ways of anything.  Maybe it was the first time we tried a different culture of food. We just didn’t think one day, “Hey, I am going to try Thai, Indian, Midwestern Chicago, Southern, etc…..” Somehow the idea got planted from elsewhere, from someone else. A Friend suggests rock climbing, skiing, etc. Our faith, our belief in Christ originates from our parents, from friends, and even witnessing strangers who live it out. As they say, we stand on the shoulders of giants.  And the deepest faith is not something that is purely academic learned from a book; it comes through a personal experience. ...

I know I have shared this story before, but it is one of those that is seared into my memory. As a seminarian I did a summer of chaplaincy at a hospital in Palo Alto. I was called to a room with a mother and daughter, the daughter was ill. The mother was crying a lot. So I asked her to share, and what eventually came out was they were relatively newly baptized, and their pastor (non catholic) assured them once baptized nothing bad would happen. January, it’s the month many say they want to get healthier, lose weight. Gym memberships are started; bow flex and other equipment is purchased. There is the resolve, for a while. Then the membership gets forgotten, the treadmill becomes a nice place to hang clothes, the resolve gone. Then we complain we are still overweight, so then comes the fast and easy things...pills, electric gadgets, all to make it as easy as possible. And the results? To say these are interesting times is an understatement. We have a political climate that man...

Such beautiful words God speaks to the people of Israel through Isaiah in our first reading. Words of hope, especially to a people who have been in exile; who thought themselves forsaken, forgotten. Words of tenderness, comfort; to life them up,  God speaks to Israel, God’s chosen people, and in these words there is also a reminder of who they are and who they are to be.  We remember that God chose Abram as we heard last week, and promised descendants more numerous than the stars of the sky. God did this not just for the sake of Abram to have heirs but that they will reveal to the world God. Thus God will be made known to all the world.  Israel will enlighten the world to the face of God. All the world could then live in the freedom, know their own inherent goodness and act on it because they knew God. All the world could transcend their selfishness, work together for the good of all. This was the mission of Israel. Jesus fulfills this mission.  In him, we can ...