The King's Corner

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of everyday's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death. (Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Sonnets from the Portuguese #43; 1845–1846 and published first during 1850; a collection of 44 love sonnets) While babysitting my granddaughter I heard the above poem on a “Classical Baby” episode – a series of poems brought to live by voice and images.   A mother recited this poem to her child being held in her lap.  She will love t

Halloween is fast approaching, and trick-or-treaters will soon approach our doors.    Costumes have become more elaborate and high-tech than ever before.  My costumes are very low-tech.   They always have been, and there’s no prospect for change. Imaginative costumes are more my wife’s forte.  I think she will be going as Star Wars’ heroine, Rey.  Perhaps I’ll be a Wookie.   All I need to do is collect the pounds of dog hair my pooch has shed all over the house and then paste them on.   We’ve no short supply of hair. I’ll just check under the beds. This cartoon highlights the trouble many families have trying to make ends meet.   The poor abound and struggle daily. 

"Brothers and sisters:  I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh.  The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not.  For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want.  Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. So, then, I discover the principle that when I want to do right, evil is at hand.   For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self, but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”   (First reading Rom 7:18-25a) Ah yes, temptation.   The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.   How often have we heard this (or thought it)?  Paul certainly was tormented by his inability “to do right.” 

Yesterday there was a newspaper report entitled, “Einstein’s ‘theory of happiness’ nets $1.3 million.”   At a Jerusalem auction a handwritten note written by Einstein and given to a Tokyo bellhop in 1922 was bid up from $2,000 to $1.3 million over 25 minutes.   The note said: “A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness.”   Another note read: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” (sold for $200,000). “Einstein was founder of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and left it his literary estate and personal papers,” according to the Boston Globe.  The author of the theory of relativity speaks to us from the past.   I guess money can buy happiness – in this case $1.3 million.   Of course, in the normal course of events, money doesn’t buy happiness – mostly woe, especially when not accompanied by love.  I guess it’s all relative. Deacon David Pierce

How often have we thought of ourselves as “the goat?”  We make mistakes; we drop the ball.  The other guy or gal succeeds and we fail or fall far short of our expectations.  “Heroes ride.  Goats walk,” according to Charlie Brown.  Then again, we’ve been introduced to another way of looking at “the goat.”  And we owe it all to Tom Brady – the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).  We’re surely not that type of GOAT, but at least Brady gives us a different perspective.  In contrast, Jesus was the LAMB (Less Always Means Better).  This is more in keeping with Jesus’ mantra of the first being last and the last being first.

“Brothers and sisters: through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned.  If by that one person's transgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many.  For if, by the transgression of the one, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one Jesus Christ.  In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so, through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all.  For just as through the disobedience of one man the many were made sinners, so, through the obedience of the one the many will be made righteous…” (Today’s reading Rom 5:12, 15b, 17-19, 20b-21) This reading from Paul to the Romans stresses the sin of Adam.   Whenever I hear the Adam and Eve story about God conversing w

Setting our goals high is what we’re always encouraged to do.   Set the bar high and strive to achieve.   If we fall short for whatever reason, at least we tried – and tried hard.   Success in life and relationships doesn’t come easy.   We all hope prayer, patience, and persistence will carry the day for us, along with Sunday dismissal encouragement: “Go in peace, glorifying God with your life.”   Of course, glorifying God doesn’t just happen with success.   It comes with the attempt and a “no-sour-grapes” attitude if things go wrong.   

October 22, 2017 Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Celebrant, Fr. Edward Healey Readings for today's Homily To watch Mass in its entirety click The Mass

We’ve all heard the expression: “Life’s lessons are the best teachers.”   The “hard knocks” we experience in life tend to form us, and hopefully for the better.   We learn from our mistakes, or at least we try not to repeat them. Harold Kushner, author of “When Bad Things Happen To Good People,” in his 2015 book “Nine Essential Things I’ve Learned About Life,” shares his life’s lessons such as “God does not send the problem; God sends us the strength to deal with the problem.”  He says, “I don’t find God as many people do, in the beauty and orderliness of nature, the change of seasons, autumn in New England…If I celebrate God as the source of recovery from illness, must I also recognize Him as the source of injury, disease, birth defects [hurricanes].”

I like Richard Rohr.  He’s a Franciscan priest whose works I’ve read for many years.   I recently read one his books I bought about five years ago.  Nice discovery.  Entitled “A lever and a place to stand: the contemplative stance and active prayer” and endorsed by James Martin, SJ, his book really does provide a space to stand where we can lever away obstacles for our transformation. For example, Rohr says: “Any religion that tells you differently that it can all be a learning curve of upward success – is lying to you.  That is not how transformation happens.  That’s why we don’t have transformative religion but largely religion as a belonging system; religion as a belief system that really ask almost nothing of you; or religion as a reward/punishment system, which of course, doesn’t really invite you to fall in love with God at all, but relies on conformity, along with disguised threat, shame, and fear.” Tough words for Catholics to hear to be sure, but true especially when h

"After Jesus had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.  He entered and reclined at table to eat.  The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.  The Lord said to him, "Oh you Pharisees!  Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil.  You fools!   Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?  But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you." (Luke 11:37-41) This reading from Luke needs no explanation.   It gets right to the point: external appearances can mask a nasty interior – one “filled with plunder and evil.”   These are ones that beguile and deceive while looking so very fine. “Actions speak louder than words” is another way of making the inside “clean.”  For those of us in need of an inner bath, Jesus tells us our soap is charity – alms – making us clean inside as well as out.  Jesus is our moder

“While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, ‘This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.  At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here.  At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here." I learned something today: the sign of Jonah..   According to Wikipedia, “In the New Testament, Jonah is mentioned in Matthew 12:38–41 and 16:4 and in Luke 11:29–32 (above). In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus makes a reference to Jonah when he is asked for a sign by some of the scribes and the Pharise

In our first reading from Isaiah we hear him speak of a veil that veils all peoples and a web that is woven over all nations. This veil and this web are to be destroyed by God who will wipe away tears from every face.  Let’s focus on that veil and on that web, then on tears. First: the veil. When we say we are veiled, it means we hide ourselves from something or someone. For example, brides wear veils on their wedding days.  The veil is a symbol of the bride’s modesty and purity as well as her reverence for God. When the bridal veil is removed, the couple has full access to each other; there is no barrier.   When Isaiah says God destroys the veil, it means we have full access to God – no barrier. A New Testament example would be the Temple veil being torn in two when Christ died on the cross.  By tearing or removing the veil, the separation between us and God and is gone.  That’s wonderful biblical symbolism for God reaching out to us. 

"Then shall you know that I, the LORD, am your God, dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain; Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall pass through her no more. And then, on that day, the mountains shall drip new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk; and the channels of Judah shall flow with water:  A fountain shall issue from the house of the LORD, to water the Valley of Shittim.  Egypt shall be a waste, and Edom a desert waste, because of violence done to the people of Judah, because they shed innocent blood in their land.  But Judah shall abide forever, and Jerusalem for all generations. I will avenge their blood, and not leave it unpunished. The LORD dwells in Zion." [Jl 4:12-21 The LORD’s Case Against The Nations] In light of today’s world events, our Old Testament reading from Joel is a bit scary.  The LORD bestows favor for a nation [Israel] with wine, milk, and water.  Strangers [immigrants?] are no longer allowed to pass.   In contrast, other nations [Egypt

"Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house…Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (today's Gospel from Luke 11:15-26)  These are fighting words, and they remind me of the controversy about kneeling when our anthem is played at NFL games.  The kingdom of football is divided against itself because players have been forced to choose one or the other – stand or kneel. The question of loyalty to our nation has been pitted against support for social justice.   Players are compelled to choose: whoever is not with me (those standing) is against me (those kneeling), and vice versa.   And the public watches and then judges. 

"How long must we wait Lord?" Lucy interprets the 6th Chapter of Isaiah for Charlie Brown, and perhaps for us, although I prefer not to accept the "finality of the Lord's judgment." In fact, the Lord is not Lucy-like waiting to pull the ball away as a form of judgment.  The Lord always holds the ball straight and steady. The problem is us when we blow the kick and whiff. We fall down when we take our eyes off the ball and the Lord who urges us, "Steady, the time is now, so start living.  The answer to your question, 'How long?' is 'now." Deacon David Pierce 

October 8, 2017 Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Celebrant, Fr. Edward Healey Readings for today's Homily  To watch Mass in its entirety click The Mass

Today is our Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary.  We are to focus on what is in our hearts, and it should include love for Mary – the woman who said “yes” to God and gave birth to Jesus. I’m reminded of a story.  While he was living in Paris, poet Philippe Rousseau every afternoon used to take a walk in the park near his apartment.  Each day he passed by an old lady begging along a footpath.  Sitting on a bench, the elderly lady had no expression on her face.  She was always silent and showed no signs of gratitude for the money given to her by those that passed by.

“Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you….” (Luke 10:1-12) Going out among the wolves and with no money, bag, or sandals seems pretty daunting.   Can we carry a club?   Then again if we’re lambs, we’d probably suffer the consequences of being docile and helpless.  The expression “lambs to the slaughter” seems applicable here.  

Archery is a fun sport.  Many of us used to make bows and arrows of sticks when we were young(er).  There was nothing better than hitting the center, although most of the time the target wasn’t even hit.  We missed the mark most of the time. The New Testament word “sin” means literally “to miss the mark.”   “Missing the mark,” is all about the archer.   We fail to be on center often because we don’t take the proper aim.   What is the cause of that failure?   Sin. We sin when we miss the mark through sins of the spirit that are many more times deadlier than sins of the flesh.   Moral darkness causes sins of the spirit.   This darkness is caused when love is eclipsed by fear, jealousy, hate, and ambivalence.   It’s caused when we don’t hold Jesus front-and-center in our daily lives.   We tend to focus too much on sins of the flesh instead of what Jesus taught about the spirit and following his way.

As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." And to another he said, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father." But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God." And another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home." Jesus answered him, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God." (Luke 9:57-62) Being one who plowed the fields on my grandparents’ farm when I was a teenager, I can appreciate this Gospel’s reference to the plow.   There’s a need to keep those furrows straight for the planting of seeds.   Look behind, and the line curv

When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?" Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village. (Luke 9:51-56) How often do we ask the Lord “to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”  Anger or jealousy can lead us to make that request.    Jesus rebukes us. The irony is that the “them” is us when we let anger and jealousy consume us.  Those fires burn us from inside out.  Those fires can be doused through forgiveness.

The disciples approached Jesus and said, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?" He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father." Today is the Memorial of the Guardian Angels.    The above reading (Matt 18:1-5, 10) makes it clear that children have guardian angels in heaven.  That’s all well and good, but sometimes I fear those angels spend their time “always looking at the face of my [Jesus] heavenly Father” and forget about their children. 

October 1, 2017 Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Celebrant, Fr. Edward Healey Readings for today's Homily   To watch Mass in its entirety click The Mass