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Homily of the Day

Title:	Surviving the Etceteras of Life
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Wednesday, February 2, 2005

Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-32

In ancient Rome in the days of Nero some poor Christian was being chased around the coliseum by a ferocious lion. The faster he ran, the faster the lion ran. Eventually, it was obvious that the end was near, so the poor fellow fell to his knees and prayed aloud, "Dear Lord, make this lion a Christian!"

With that, the lion fell to his knees and began to pray, "Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive..." The end WAS near!

* * *

Recently there appeared in the newspaper a cartoon depicting a prophet of doom with a long beard and flowing robes and a sign that read: "The end is NOT near. You'll have to learn to cope!"

+ + +

Sometimes the lions really are chasing us. But most of the time what we face are not lions but the numbing etceteras of life, the little things that have to be done, and done well, over and over. Lawns don't stay mowed. Taxes don't stay paid. Perfect roofs don't stay perfect. And as every child knows, homework doesn't stay done.

"A mother's work is never done," goes the old saying. Quite true, but neither is anyone else's work ever done! And after a while, when the novelty has worn off and year follows upon year, we can get worn down. We can lose heart and be tempted to give up or run away.

So how do we keep going — not just surviving, putting one foot in front of the other? How do we keep moving forward with spirit, glad that we're alive? The old man Simeon in Sunday's Gospel gives us a clue. When Mary and Joseph showed up at the temple to present their new baby to the Lord, Simeon took little Jesus tenderly in his arms and whispered, "I knew you'd come! I knew it!"

It was that knowing that kept Simeon alive on the inside across those many years. It was that knowing that gave every day of his life joy and energy. And how had he known? The Gospel says the Holy Spirit had been with him from the beginning. He'd never walked alone, and so he knew from the inside that God could never abandon his people — not even one of them.

The Spirit is knocking softly at our inner door, offering us the same energy, the same quiet joy that carried Simeon all the way to the end of his good life.

The Spirit is knocking. Open the door, and walk alone no more!

The Word Among Us

Wednesday, February 02, 2005

Meditation
Mark 5:21-43

The Presentation of the Lord

Luke 2:22-40

Recognizing the infant Jesus in the Temple, Simeon described him as a sign that would be spoken against by many. He also told Mary that a sword would pierce her own soul (Luke 2:34-35). Jesus remains that “sign of contradiction” even today, as his life and teachings often stand in stark contrast to the philosophies and ways of this world.

Take the whole subject of forgiveness. When someone wrongs us, a wide range of emotions wells up inside us, from anger, to hurt, to resentment, to a desire for revenge. Most today would tell us that these feelings are completely justified, but that’s not how Mary reacted when she saw her son dying an unjust death.

Whenever we feel as if our souls are being pierced, we should try to measure our response against Jesus’ teaching that we must forgive seventy times seven times, that we must turn the other cheek, and that we must pray for our persecutors. Mary’s forgiveness was boundless, and ours can become boundless as well.

Or take as another example the world’s approach to peace and happiness. The world tells us that security lies in being strong, wealthy, good-looking, and smart. It makes little provision for our spiritual needs. It sees Jesus as good, but not as essential; nice, but not vital; one way, but not the only way.

How easy it can be to replace the call to forgive with another interpretation! How easy it can be to minimize Jesus and maximize worldly philosophies! And yet Jesus still tells us that it is the lowly and the humble who will inherit the highest place in his kingdom.

Today, let’s “present” ourselves to God in two ways. First, let’s try to forgive everyone who has hurt us. If that seems too hard, we can at least take one step closer to forgiveness. Second, let’s put Jesus first in our lives, above everything else. Even if we find ourselves unable to let go of some sinful area in our lives, we can still ask Jesus to give us more of his grace and more of his power. He knows where our hearts are, and he wants to encourage us to keep trying.

“Holy Spirit, transform the way I think and act and speak. Remove all the thoughts and beliefs that stand in contradiction to Jesus and replace them with the desire to put Jesus first."