Faith

Mk. 4:35-41 

Today’s scripture tells us that faith is not a matter of feelings, It is a matter of trust, memory and logic  St. Theresa of Lisieux had had this experience most of her life, she said “Jesus was a sleep in my little boat.” It did not dismay her, she trusted, and she said with humor “I think he comes to me to rest, some people give him no rest at all.”. In the same way it is with my work–I see no results 99. 9 per cent of the time, but it is not the high moments I count on, it is faith, even when I do not have it, that God is at work. I asked for very little in my prayers because I sense that God is hounded by people all the time, so I simply trust him to be here, when he can.  And I know he is always present. That is what counts. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

Being Effective

When we won’t let ourselves be held in the midst of our messes by God who loves us and made us, we miss the unspeakable joy of knowing that we are truly His beloved.
  – Deborah Newman

2 Sam. 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17, Mk. 4:36-34  Saint Angela Merci and Virgin

David certain made messes of his life–as we read here of him having Uriah killed, but  God held him in the midst of that mess, and he grew in faith, and accountability. In my former denomination we were told to be “effective”, such a modern term, and I think of how “effective” I am these days–we fed 80 people last night, to day I will be giving people clean needles, food, condoms and pastoral care–how “effectrive” is that–for you see “effectiveness” is in the eye of the beholder, like Jesus I prefer to plan “mustard seeds”, and God will grow them in his due time. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!”

Gift

I Tim. 1:1-8 Timothy and Titus

. .”i remind you to sitir into flame the gift of God. . .”   The older I get the more I realize that my call is to proclaim with my life–spoken, written, and lived, that Jesus offers each of us meaning and hope, and promise–he is the Word in whom we find our meaning. That is the “flame” that has been stirred in me,and through ordination commissioned to proclaim. It has nothing to do with a career, money, but simply a vocation. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

St. Paul

Acts 9:1-22 Conversion of St. Paul

Paul was a difficult man–but in him I find a role model–for the essence of his theology is found in his writing when he tells us in “Christ we are a new creation. .” He made no differences in people–gay, straight, black white–he did not argue about differences–rather in Christ all differences were brought into one being.  Last night as I served the meal to eighty people, I saw no differnces in them from me or anyone else–we are simply human beings, all on the same journey. In Christ there is a new creation. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

The Ark of the Covenant

2 Sam 6:12-15, 17-19, Mk. 3:31-35

David danced when he brought the ark of the Lord into Jerusalem.  The ark contained the ten commandments and momentoes of the Exodus.  Our churches contain the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and people–but how broken we are–for most of Christendom does not accept queers, women, and are separated by race, economic wealth.  Rather then speak out those of us are inclusive keep our mouth shut–the call of Christ is for us to become his “mother, brothers and sisters, ” and change that inclusivity. Deo Gratis! Thanks be to God!

Following Jesus

Mk. 1:14-20 

In God’s unending creativity, God calls us to know him and to serve him in a way that is unique to each one of us.  Tonight I fed sixty or so young people, gave them blankets, needles, socks, talked to them, and I thought of how this is my calling, my priestly calling.  My life is in continued transformation–not always enjoyable,but fruitful. If we are faithful in little things God askes of us, we will be changed over time. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

Madness

 

Mk, 3:20-21 “He is out of his mind.” Jesus was “out of his mind”, he was “mad”. What is madness, but a definition by some group who are mad themselves? In the fourth century Abba Anthony, the founder of monastism said: “A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they wee someone who is not mad, they will attack him saying, “You are mad, you are not like us.:

I have been accused of being “m…ad” when I was younger because of my sexulaity, and in some parts of the country am still “mad”; I am accused of “mad” by some because of my support of needle exchange, same sex marriage, equality for all–In otherwords when we disagree with some aspect of life those who do not understand will call us “mad”, “insane.” I have learned to meet people where they are-to see them as a child of God, simply a child of the Eternal One, and love them with their differences. And this is being “mad” as well. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God

Love Instead of Revenge

I Sam 24:3-22

David could have taken revenge on Saul–instead he showed love, a desire for reconciliation. I was asked yesterday by “David” who when he is high can be vindicitive, cruel, why I never took revenge on him–and I simply said, “I never think about it–for I love you.” Love for me is not about “feeling”, but about an action of well being, so I love many people,even though I may have negative feelings. We are called to love our neighbors, as ourselves. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

Jealously

I Sam 18:6-9; 19:1-7

Saul let jealousloy destroy him.  Through the years I have let jealously destroy relationships and satisfaction, in the parish being jealous of fellow pastors; here in San Francisco being jealous of people who got more recognition.  For me recognizing jealously means recognizing my own fears, insecuritities and understanding we are all equal  in the eyes of God. I think of a 22 year old, Kris, who has been homeless since he was 14, a punk kid, and and how he enjoys life, and how ultimately that is all we have, the moment. Jealously destroys–live life. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God

Legalism

Mk. 3:1-6

In today’s Gospel, Jesus, standing in front of the synagogue’s Sabbath congregation, cures a man with a withered hand. Among the witnesses were Pharisees, religious leaders. They did not marvel at the clearly wonderful, miraculous cure; Mark relates that they “went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against [Jesus] to put him to death” (Mark 3:6).
How deathly it is when leaders invoke inauthentic laws and rules in order to dominate people!
Things are no different in our day. Think of Prohibition and today’s War on Drugs, slavery or current legislation and enforcement concerning undocumented workers. Consider the hollow, false teaching of the Catholic Church that only males may be called to priesthood and that gays and lesbian partners should be denied legal protection, and that sex between same sex people is ”immoral”. Each day I see people who are broken because of the teaching of the religious leaders of our day, when  Christ, our high priest, offers through his compassionate healing a life that, in contrast, is obviously divine, eternal, and superior.