28 July 2012

All that we need to come to Him in love. . .

17th Sunday OT
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
St. Dominic Church, NOLA

Audio File (Wow. . .my southern accent really shines in this one!)

Let's talk about divine providence. That's what our readings this morning/evening prompt us to reflect upon. Here's a definition that pretty much says it all: “Providence is God Himself considered in that act by which in His wisdom He so orders all events within the universe that the end for which it was created may be realized. That end is that all creatures should manifest the glory of God, and in particular that man should glorify Him, recognizing in nature the work of His hand, serving Him in obedience and love, and thereby attaining to the full development of his nature and to eternal happiness in God.”* Did you get all that? I hope so. There's going to be a quiz at the end of this homily. Should I repeat it for you? No? OK then. That's a complex definition for a fairly simple idea: God takes care of us so that we might come to Him in love and live with Him eternally. When it comes to providing for His people our God is never stingy, never thrifty. By nature, He is always generous, abundantly gracious, even extravagant. But here's the thing. . .He provides in copious amounts all that we need to come to Him in love. What God knows we need to thrive is not always what we think we need to survive. Our daily challenge is ask for and receive all that we truly need and not worry about the stuff that cannot bring us closer to God. 

 How do we begin to tackle this daunting challenge? How do we effectively separate what we truly need from what we desperately want? One way to do this is to think about The Basics for Survival. Ask yourself: what can I not live without? Literally, not live without. Meaning, if I didn't have this, I would die. Food and water come to mind. Some sort of shelter from the elements. Clothing would be good. For some of us, we could add this or that medication. With access to these things we could keep body and soul together. That's a good start but our goal here is not mere survival. Yes, we need to be alive in order to get closer to God in this life but just getting by isn't the same as thriving under His care. We need more than the material necessities to fulfill our goal, our end. Remember the purpose of creation is “that all creatures should manifest the glory of God” and for us in particular it is to attain “the full development of [our human] nature and to eternal happiness in God.” What do we need on a daily basis to assist us in fully developing our human nature so that we might attain eternal happiness in God? The one thing we need more than anything else is God Himself. We cannot become the men and women we were made to be w/o Him. And we certainly cannot attain eternal happiness w/o the source of that happiness working in our lives. 

If you knew this already, then you know that merely surviving as an intelligent animal is not your reason for being. If you didn't know this, then hear it again: we need God not only to exist, to survive as we are, we also need Him to thrive, to grow, and to become perfectly human, perfectly happy as Christ himself was perfectly human and perfectly happy. God's providence, His loving-care for us, comes to us as graces, gifts, freely given. The long definition I quoted to you earlier makes it clear that “Providence is God Himself,” God gives Himself to us for our spiritual provision. He gives Himself to us in our existence—that we exist at all is His gift. He gives Himself to us in our ability to love one another—that we are capable of loving is His gift. He gives Himself to us in our desire to return to Him—that we long for happiness, peace, consolation is His gift. He gives Himself to us in His sacraments, His Church, His Word—that we are one Body in Christ is His gift. He gives Himself to us in faith, hope, charity—that we are able to trust Him and His promises is a gift. All we need to flourish and grow toward happiness is provided; freely, abundantly, extravagantly given. Why then do we find ourselves so often wallowing in unhappiness? It's not for lack for divine provision. It's b/c we have yet to find a workable way of separating what we truly need from we desperately want. When we are unhappy, we are dwelling on what we do not have. We have locked ourselves in the prison of scarcity, a self-made spiritual illusion. 

Paul is in prison—a real prison—for preaching the Good News. He writes a letter to the Church in Ephesus, urging them “to live in a manner worthy of the call [they] have received. . .” What call have they received? They were called to Christ by Paul to live lives of repentance and sacrificial love. This sort of life must be lived with “all humility and gentleness, with patience. . .” There's no mention here of a new car, a better paying job, a better-looking spouse, smarter kids, the latest electronic gadget, or an off-shore tax shelter. Humility, gentleness, and patience. All divinely provided free of charge. Have you received these gifts so that you might be happy? If you have received them, do you use them? How should we live together? Paul writes that living lives worthy of our call means “bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.” No mention of liking one another; agreeing with one another politically; being thrilled to bump into one another at Wal-Mart; or going to the movies together. Bear with one another in love; strive to be one in the spirit b/c we all want peace. Also, all divinely provided. Have you received these gifts and do you use them if you have? From the prison-cell of scarcity, all we will ever see is what we do not have. Wanting is not needing. If we need it to grow in holiness, it has already been given to you. 

Look at the 5,000 who gather around Jesus to hear him preach and watch him heal. When Jesus sees the crowd, he wants to feed them. He turns to his disciples and asks a perfectly reasonable question: can we afford to feed this many with what we have? Philip, avoiding the question, anxiously notes that even if they spent the wages earned over 200 days, they wouldn’t have enough food. Andrew pushes forward a boy who has some food, but gloomily notes that the little he has won’t be enough for the crowd. Can’t you hear and see Jesus sigh and roll of the eyes!? At this late date, these two still don’t get it! Philip and Andrew see only scarcity; they see only what they don't have or how little they have. Jesus doesn’t berate them. He teaches them: “Have the people recline.” Have the people prepare to feast. And they do. And afterward Jesus tells his disciples to pay attention to the excesses of the feast, what’s leftover, the abundant remainder of what they could only see at first as scarcity. Is this a lesson about how to stretch a meal on a budget? No. Jesus feeds us with the bread of eternal life—all that we need to attain perfect happiness. Philip and Andrew do not see the possibilities packed into the bread Christ offers the crowd. Not only is there enough for everyone, there's an abundance of leftovers. In other words, there is mercy and love and trust enough for everyone to attain their happiness and leftovers besides. God provides in copious amounts all that we need to come to Him in love. What He knows we need to thrive is not always what we think we need to survive. Our daily challenge is ask for and receive all that we truly need and not worry about the stuff that cannot bring us closer to God. We are free from the prison of sin; do not lock yourself up in the prison-cell of scarcity. Receive what God has given you—all that you truly need—and thrive onto eternal happiness in Him! 

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Coffee Cup Browsing

Heh. Boston's Dem mayor:  Chick-fil-A BAD. . .Nation of Islam GOOD

Well, OK then. . .as long as your Christian beliefs are deeply held.

The lesson here?  Ban knives and require everyone to carry a handgun.

Why we can't trust the Left when it comes to the 2nd Amendment. . .

First legal win for Christians against ObamaCare condom mandate! 

In the absence of Reason & Truth, only Power matters. . ."Tolerance" is all about Power.

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27 July 2012

3 seeds, 3 soils

16th Week OT (F)
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
St. Dominic Church, NOLA

Our Lord says that the seed of his Word falls on various kinds of soil. Each kind of soil presents it own difficulties in the nurture and growth of his Word. Like all of Jesus' parables, this one lends itself to multiple interpretations, depending on how you choose to identify the different elements. We could say, for example, that the various kinds of soil represent different sorts of people; or, different sorts of situations; or even, different stages in just one person's growth in holiness. Regardless of how we choose to interpret these elements, the difficulties remain the same. Let's focus on what prevents the seed of the Word from doing its job and think about how these difficulties might be overcome. 

The first seed fails to take root b/c it is sown on a path. Jesus tells us that this means that the hearer of his Word fails to understand what he is teaching. Because he fails to understand, the Evil One comes along and steals it away. This tells us that one way to prevent the devil from stealing what Christ sows in us is to make sure that we understand what Christ is teaching. As baptized Christians who are vowed to a life of holiness and charity, we are morally obligated to know and understand all that Jesus taught and all that the Church teaches. Yes, all of it. This means time and energy spent actually learning all that we claim to believe as Christians. Not just memorizing the Creed, the Mass responses, and devotional prayers, but coming to “stand under” Christ's teachings and allowing them to filter to us everyday, all day our waking experiences and moral choices. Get a Bible; get a copy of the Catechism; and learn all that you can about the faith you profess! 

The second seed is joyfully received but quickly lost at the first sign of trial or tribulation. We're told here that joy alone is not sufficiently deep to grow strong roots. Of course, there's joy in receiving the Word! But receiving the Word while living in the world almost always brings trouble. Is your initial joy deep enough to grow strong roots? Roots strong enough to endure persecution? It can be if your joy is strengthened over time with knowledge and tempered by wisdom. However, if your joy remains nothing more than a purely emotional response, then you will likely find yourself searching for thrilling religious experiences—the churchy version of going to see an action movie or riding a roller-coaster. A joy deep enough to allow the Word to take root is achieved only by the commission of radical acts of charity. 

The third seed is choked by the thorns of worldly anxieties and the lure of riches. Though Jesus doesn't show us a link btw anxiety and riches, there is one that will choke the seed of his Word. The more attached we are to the world, the more concerned we are about losing what we have. This isn't a warning about having too much stuff. It's about the strength of our spiritual attachment to the stuff we have. Think of it this way: the more attached you are to the things of this world, the more thorns you have to avoid to seize Christ's Word. Can you lose everything you have and everyone you love and still find a deep joy in being an adopted child of the Father? If not, here's a warning for you: you will become what you love most. If you love temporary things, you yourself will become a temporary thing. 

So, how do we cultivate a soil—a heart and mind—deep enough, rich enough to receive, nurture, and grow Christ's teachings in our lives? First, we must understand what it is that we profess to believe. We don't have to be another Augustine or Aquinas or BXVI. But we do have to understand to the limit of our ability to understand. Second, our joy in being Christians must be deepened by radical acts of charity—acts of sacrificial love that give witness to God's mercy. Third, we must love God first and foremost so that we might become Him Whom we love. 
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Ecclesial earthquake in SanFran

B.O.O.M!

The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Salvatore Cordileone as the new archbishop of San Francisco.  I can hear the wailing and gnashing of Prog teeth here in Nawlins'!

From Whispers in the Loggia:

After a half-century of occupants accused by conservatives of soft-pedaling church teaching in favor of a more conciliatory approach toward constituencies ranging from gays and lesbians to Nancy Pelosi -- a group of prelates among which even the recently-retired lead guardian of church doctrine, Cardinal William Levada, was not exempt from stinging criticism -- the move delivers the long-desired "Holy Grail" of the American Catholic Right firmly into the faction's hands, in the form of a prelate already known widely both for his forcefulness and a stringent doctrinal cred almost unequaled among his confreres on the national bench. 

For liberal Catholics, meanwhile, the appointment is likely to be received as something akin to the city's Great Earthquake of 1906, or even more apocalyptic events. In a nutshell, an appointment of this dramatic, potentially explosive nature is enough to make even last year's blockbuster move in the States -- likewise a final US move of the Curia's annual work-cycle -- appear almost mild by comparison. 

It's time to start praying and fasting for Bishop Cordileone!  
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26 July 2012

Report: Boxes O'Books

Been busy unpacking boxes o'books. . .just four more to go. . .but no room left for them.  

Seeing all these books again reminds me that I need to say. . .

THANK YOU!

. . .to all my Book Benefactors.  Please know:  I pray for all my benefactors daily. . .at Office and at Mass.  You are all well-prayed-for.

I'd say 90% of my library comes from the Wish List and other contributions from you guys.

The sweetest box o'books opened this morning:  about 10 vols. on the history and practice of Catholic preaching from the Church Fathers to post-Vatican Two.  Sweet. . .indeed.
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25 July 2012

My boxes and me. . .

Just got back into New Orleans and unloaded my boxes. . .all 22 of them!!!

I remember storing around 12 boxes.  Do boxes of books reproduce? 

Thanks for the prayers. . .everything went off without a hitch.

Fr. Philip
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23 July 2012

Fr. INTJ, or not all astrologers see stars

In what seems like a life-time ago, I took a personality test.  Yes, I have a personality.  And it has been tested.  In fact, it's been tested quite often.  One of my grad school roommates was a psych doctoral student, and he used me as practice for his Measures and Diagnosis seminar.  I've also been through two psych evals during the application process for religious life.

Anyway, this personality test--the Myers-Briggs--indicated that my personality is best described by the initials INTJ.  That stands for something or another that I'm authoritatively told is an unusual type.  

Never paid it much attention until someone recently asked me if I had ever taken the Myers-Briggs.  She wanted to know my type.  I told her.  She giggled (yes, giggled!) and said that she could've won a bet b/c she would've guessed that I am an INTJ.

Needless to say, I had to find out what was so giggle-worthy about INTJ's.  So, to Google I went!

And found among the detritus of the intertubes lots of info on INTJ's.  Apparently, we are a rare breed of arrogant jerks who spend most of our time wandering around inside our heads entertaining ourselves and mostly ignoring social norms.  

My take on all this info is that it's much like a Zodiac sign, though spruced up with psycho-babble and the "astrologers" have Ph.D.'s.  Though I have to say that most of what I found applies to me: loves ideas, books, the Big Picture, averse to displays of emotion, aloof, introverted, low tolerance for B.S., etc.  The negative stuff is pretty true too: blunt, argumentative, hyper-critical, sarcastic, bordering on cynical, etc.  The one thing that doesn't fit me at all:  INTJ's are supposed to be obsessively orderly.  Not me, bubba.

This post really made me laugh b/c so much of it is true for me!  Of course, being a priest, I've learned to temper a lot of the more publicly negative aspects of my personality.  Thank you, Jesus. If I was called into the student master's office it was almost always b/c I had spouted off at table in some ridiculously pompous fashion and one of the sensitive friars took me seriously.  Yes, it was his fault for not having a sense of humor.  (See.  That's how a real INTJ works!).  :-)

BTW, I'm a Gemini in the western Zodiac and a Dragon in the Chinese Zodiac, which means I'm a schizophrenic big mouth who breathes fire.  HA!

BTW2, yes, I'm procrastinating b/c there's packing/unpacking to be done.  Blech.
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Audio file for St. Bridget (homily)

Tried preaching w/o a text this evening.

Meh.

I prefer preaching from a text.  There were several points I wanted to make but didn't b/c I was too busy trying to remember them.
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An unexpected surprise. . .

I'm one of the Kool Kids now!

All last week, Catholics bloggers were taunting the rest of us poor schmucks with the fact that they'd received a review copy of Sherry A. Weddell's new book, Forming Intentional Disciples.  I'm looking at you and your ginormous facial hair, Mark Shea!

I'll confess. . .yes, I was just a tiny bit envious.  But, I reasoned, even though Sherry works with Dominican friars and I'd met her once in Irving, TX. . .that was no reason for her to send me a copy of her book.  

Besides, it's only $12. . .

THEN! In the mail today. . .neatly wrapped. . .and lovingly signed by Sherry Herself. . .a copy of the very book I'd been coveting!


So, now that I'm one of the Kool Kids. . .I can suggest that you join Our Cadre by getting a copy of the book that's got everyone who's anyone in the Catholic blogosphere talking.  :-)

Oh, and thanks, Sherry!
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Road trip!

Taking a two day roadtrip to Irving, TX tomorrow and Wed.  Going to get the boxes that I stored there before going to Rome in 2008.  

Lots of books, clothes, and other useless but sentimental junk!

Pray for a safe trip, please.
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