FRIDAY POTPOURRI: THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

Dei Verbum Chapter III paragraph 11

 

Have you ever been in a situation to give someone advice and in the middle of it came up with some brilliant insight after which you thought, “Where the get out did THAT come from?”  Maybe it was what God wanted that person to hear and you were the instrument.

 

In a somewhat similar way (only much more dramatically so) we affirm that, although humans put hand to pen and paper and went through the action of doing the actual writing, it was the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that caused to be written what was written as Scripture.  Not so much that they were simply enlightened but that the Holy Spirit flowed through them and on to the paper so to speak far beyond simply being a muse.  Therefore we emphatically state that the author of the Scriptures was ultimately God Who caused to be written what is needed, no more and no less.

 

As such we recognize the entire canon of Scripture which was brought together (ironically for Protestants) by the Catholic Church using Sacred Tradition.  There was no single canon of the Old Testament at the time of Jesus.  The Christian Old Testament canon came to form in the fourth century and the New Testament canon after that.  It remains unchanged in the Catholic Church to this day though 500 years ago certain books were removed from the Old Testament by Martin Luther for Protestant Catholics.  It should also be noted that he wished to remove some of the New Testament books also (such as James) but was persuaded against such action.

 

Interestingly there are some things in your Bible that are NOT considered inspired.  Some of the more obvious ones are the verse numbers and such.  There are other things, however, that are less obvious.  For example, the titles of the books are not necessarily inspired.  Who the authors are of the Gospels or the Acts of the Apostles is not inspired and in some circles debated.  In another twist of irony, it is Catholic Tradition that states the actual authors of the Gospels to be Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

 

To be steeped in history is to cease being Protestant.

MONDAY DIARY: BUT ULTIMATELY IT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT

People often ask the question, "How long does it take you to write a homily?"  It is more difficult to answer that question than one might imagine.  It really depends on the readings, what has been going on the world lately, what is coming up (Christmas is a difficult one - there will be people there you've never or rarely seen and you want to speak to them as well as the usuals and be inspiring to both) and a host of other factors.  Another factor is how inspired I feel.  Sometimes there are so many ideas floating around that one is virtually drowned in the them.

In such cases it is more of an effort to decided what you are NOT going to preach on.  Only so many messages can be given at any one homily. 

 

And of course the converse is also true:

Trying to come up with an idea can be like trying to squeeze orange juice out of a baked brick covered in sand in the desert after a drought. 

 

Though I often say that the true test of a good homily only makes itself known weeks after it has been given, I still like to see what the initial reaction is after Mass.

So, sometimes the ideas come fast an furious and it really does not take that much time before you know what you are preaching on and how it will all come together.

And other times it is more painful, unfruitful, and time consuming.

MAYBE AFTER I HAVE MY COFFEE

“Will you rejoice with me this day?”

This line was quoted from Fr. Paul Clines whose funeral mass was held yesterday morning. The homilist said, “If Father Clines were able to speak to us today from the pulpit I am sure he would say, ‘Will you rejoice with me this day?’” I believe it. Far from a tragedy he would see his going forth from us an absolute blessing. That is not to say that the trip might have been one fraught with tense and scary moments, but through it all there was an underlying joy.

Some people are like that. They have a reserve of joy that shines through even during terribly trying moments. They always have hope amid tears, joy amid sadness, and a concern for others even as their own world seems to be collapsing.

Other people seem to be happiest being miserable. If it’s winter they curse the cold. If its summer, they curse the heat. When they are short on cash life is too hard, when they are flush, the cares that money thrusts upon them make the burden of having it too much. They cling to victimhood and wail most loudly at every incident of discomfort or slight, which they diligently seek out at every moment.

Christians have a certain obligation to be joyful. Not happy, but even when in tears there must be that underlying hope, that understanding that God can use anything for His glory and our benefit even if at the moment we do not understand it or see it. That is what the gifts of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge that you received at your confirmation are all about.

Have your cultivated these gifts given to you? Do you have that underlying sense of joy, hope, and trust in God? Here is a little test. It is not scientific but might at least make give you pause to contemplate and explore your spirituality a bit better.

You are in a restaurant where you are to meet a person. It is twenty minutes past the time he is supposed to be there. What runs through your mind?

a) I hope he is Okay.
b) I am so embarrassed sitting here alone. I wish he would hurry up and get here.
c) What a jerk! I can’t believe he is so inconsiderate as to leave me here by myself and be late like this!

Someone might argue that they would pick b or c if there was baggage with the person being either chronically late or having control issues. But even then, that fact that the person is like that is known and you should expect nothing else from them. Being upset is exactly what gives them power and dampens your spirit. Only (a) permits you to find any possible joy in the moment.

The world is full of wonder and most of it is missed because when things are not going exactly as a person wishes them, they ignore the opportunities the situation provides for all of their efforts are in trying to reorganize the world back to the course they wish it to be. Fr. Clines said, “Even the snow is full of wonder.” The billions of flakes that we have crushed unthinking under our feet have all been masterpieces of art, no two of which are alike. If only we would take time to appreciate what is before us.

We win nobody to Christ when they see the same worldly weariness in us as they do everyone else, when they see the same pessimism. If your faith is making you sour, there is something wrong and it isn’t with Christ or His Church.

That is not to say that we won’t be sad, that we won’t be down, that we won’t have low periods in our lives that there are not times when it becomes necessary to change situations. But even from the bottom of the pit we look up at the light and know that even if we must wait until death, there is still hope and love and light.

Much of joy is choosing joy. Happiness is rarely within our power but joy is. It takes a certain amount of discipline. It can be excruciatingly hard for some, natural for others, possible for all. But for it to be real, it must be in Him. And to be in Christ means to share in His joy.

Will you rejoice with me this day?

NO PASSING IN THE PASSIVE LANE

This makes me so sad.

A friend of mine has had his life course set over the weekend. Actually I could write this about any number of people I know. They are talented, spookily intelligent, well spoken, healthy, good looking, have engaging personalities, have many opportunities available to them, but they did not engage life and take advantage of their outrageous assets. Afraid to commit to anything, they pee (I so wanted to use a harsher word) away their treasure like a gambler who thinks there will always be more money to replace that which he has lost.

Perhaps you try to say something. If you say too much you are a nag. If you say anything less you are not heard. This must be part of the frustration of being a parent; seeing one that you love making horrible decisions and not being able to do a darn thing about it.

This friend fell prey to the unfaithful promises of the condom. Continually leaving all of his life’s options open, life chose for him. And it is a sad and difficult situation. But it is his now for better or for worse. Thank God that when push comes to shove he is a stand up guy.

Another friend was engaging in a different sort of risky behavior and almost lost health, job, wife, and kids. He was lucky and escaped his train wreck with only relatively minor scrapes and bruises. This time.

I don’t believe there is a Catholic vocation crisis. There is a crisis of nerve. A crisis in commitment. If it were only about Catholic vocations, other denominations would not be feeling the pinch either. Marriages would not fail at a 50% rate. Young people would not be choosing to just skip exchanging vows altogether.

We were not put here to watch T.V. reruns and wait till life comes and slaps us in the face. We were given gifts and talents to take life by the reigns and do something with it. You might get bucked, but if you get bucked at least it will be while trying to do something great, not sitting on the couch eating chips or engaging is some activity that causes people to wonder about your lack of common sense.

To have an idea about that which you believe, to have something to strive for, to have direction, to give your capacities use, to give your potential meaning, this is why you are here. You have a soul, a mind, and a body. You have been freed from sin and death, endowed with gifts of the Holy Spirit. Don’t let them rot away.

And if you have already found yourself in the middle of train-wreck, make it the most spectacular train-wreck ever. Do not be content to lay on the tracks thinking, “Oh well,” but climb to the top of the destruction and drag along as many survivors as you can. Make people look at you in awe and dare them not to know that you accomplished this with the gifts that God gave you.

“Who dares nothing need hope for nothing.” Schiller Don Carlos

“He who dares magnificently can expect magnificent rewards.”