Check your pacifiers at the door: Every parent owes a
special debt of gratitude to whomever it was who invented the pacifier.
That little round piece of soft plastic has saved the sanity of just about
every parent who ever changed a diaper: whenever the baby cries and
everything seems to be fine, just place the pacifier in the baby's mouth.
Instant contentment!
While we outgrow our cribs and playpens, we never seem to
outgrow our need for some kind of pacifier. Whenever we start feeling
empty inside, whenever we are disappointed or dissatisfied with the way things
are turning out, whenever we sense something missing in our lives, we stick our
pacifier in our mouths and suck on it for all we’re worth. Our pacifier
may be eating, shopping, working, blaming, or taking care of other people – our
pacifier somehow gives us at least momentary peace in the absence of love,
hope, justice and mercy in our lives. Whatever our pacifier, while it
does not nourish us, at least it plugs the hole we are feeling.
To enter the Lenten wilderness to encounter God requires
that we leave our pacifiers behind. Nothing is too small to give up –
whether a chocolate bar or a few hours of overtime – whatever we use to fill
the place in our lives that should be God’s. Christ invites to join him
in his desert experience in the depths of our hearts, to that special place
within us that belongs to God alone. Nothing on earth can fill that
place, despite our best efforts to try. Let this Lent be the time we
finally grow up and put aside our pacifiers – whatever little fixations and
wants we use to fill the place in our hearts and spirits where God alone
dwells.
****
The first reading from Genesis reminds us that Noah alone
was spared during the flood. God made a promise, a covenant that man would not
be destroyed by the floodwaters and the sign of his covenant was the rainbow.
God is faithful to his promise and each time we see a rainbow, it should remind
us of a God who is faithful to His promise. All kinds of situations test us and
there are times we may falter and fail, we may be unfaithful to God, but God
will not destroy us, He is faithful to his promise, He will save us.
Is Jesus Knocking? A paediatrician would plug his
stethoscope into his little patient’s ears to let them listen to their own
heartbeats. Their eyes would always light up in awe. He was taken aback one day
when he placed the disk over little Sylvia’s heart. “Listen” said the doctor.
“What do you suppose that is?” Sylvia listened carefully to the tap-tap- tapping
in her chest and cried, “Is that Jesus knocking?” During Lent Jesus is knocking
at my heart so that I might love like him and allow my heart to be pierced like
His. True, rendering, repenting and re-turning must come from my
heart. Only then will I understand the reassurance of rainbows and the
welcoming warmth of spring –in my heart. Francis Gonsalves
The Gospel reminded us that the spirit led Jesus to be
tempted and he was in the desert amidst wild beasts but at the same time angels
were ministering unto him. All through our life we are tempted and that in
itself is not a bad thing. It is how we deal with temptations that really
matters. We are tempted to compromise on values, to go by the popular
majority, to do the easy or more convenient thing rather than what is right and
proper. While we may be surrounded by evil forces we are also supported by
God’s help. The wild beasts and the angels will always be there in the desert
experience. We too have to go through periodic training periods of discipline
and testing called Lent. We too have to be ready to do battle with
Satan and evil in this world. We consider it criminal if a soldier is sent to
war without basic training, or to send a doctor into an operating theatre
without adequate schooling and internship. Yet we casually assume that we can
fight evil in us and around us without taking Lent seriously.
Vision Quest: A young man in his mid-twenties works
with the youth of his parish. But that was not always his goal or ambition. He
had been frittering away his life, he said, living only for the present. A few
years ago he accepted an invitation to join a group of people going to the
Virginia Mountains to make a "Vision quest." After a couple days of
training in survival tactics and the discipline of spiritual exercise, the
participants were sent out individually to spend four days by themselves in the
mountainous wilderness. The young man shared some of the events of those days
with a group of people gathered to reflect on today's Gospel. First, he said,
there was the extraordinary quiet and a lack of the usual distractions; no TV,
radio, computers, video games, phones, and the devices that have become part of
our daily hectic lives. It was, he said, so quiet. He began to hear sounds he
might ordinarily have missed: the breeze, songs of distant birds, his
footsteps, insects and his own breathing. He also began to hear his inner
voice. Questions were being put to him about his life. He found that being in
the wilderness was a chance to do some serious thinking for the first time in
his adult years. A couple things he saw in nature got him thinking. One day he
came across a dead horse rotting in a field and a few moments later he saw a
fragile new-born doe. These contrasting sights stirred questions in him about
his basic life assumptions. He realized, when he reflected on the sight of the
dead horse, that he had been investing his life in passing realities. The doe
reminded him how fragile life is, especially young life. He decided during
those four days, to turn his life around and dedicate himself to ministering to
youth. He would quit his job; accept a lower paying position to be a youth
minister in his parish. We asked if he had found being alone in the wilderness dangerous.
"No," he said, "All the while I felt as if the wilderness were
sustaining me." Maybe that's what it means when it says today that angels
ministered to Jesus in the desert. We may not be able to go off to the
mountains, but we could decide to set some extra time aside to pray and listen.
Anonymous
Radical Solutions!
There is a story of a man who had an apple tree in his garden. He loved apples
and believed he could not live without them. However, while the tree never
failed to supply him with apples, apples which tasted good, there was something
definitely lacking in their quality. One thing was missing – there was no
nourishment in them. He consulted a friend who was an expert on apple trees.
The expert looked at the tree and pointed out some obvious deficiencies in it.
It needed to be sprayed for its branches were encrusted with moss, the branches
needed pruning. It could do with having the earth around it dug up and
fertilized. The man listened and acted on the expert’s advice. Yet the following
autumn the apples, though slightly more plentiful were no more nourishing. The
quality remained unchanged. The man was disappointed and once more consulted
the expert. “What more can I do?” he asked. “You are wasting your time.” The
expert answered. “What do you mean?” “Obviously the only thing to do is to cut
the tree down and plant a new one in its place.” “But what will I do in the
meantime for apples?” “You will have to do without them, won’t you?” came the
answer. The question is: was the man ready for a radical decision, in order to
have new and wholesome fruit?
An Officer and a Gentleman: In the movie An
Officer and a Gentleman, we are taken inside a boot camp where candidates
are trained to be flight officers. In the film Richard Gere intent on being a
flight officer endures every test and challenge his tough drill sergeant throws
at him. In the end Richard emerges from the training grounds a changed
man. Upon entering the boot camp he was very selfish, but in camp he
learned how to reach out and help his classmates, he felt real pain when his
friend committed suicide, and he proved himself to be a true gentleman by
marrying his girlfriend. –Today we begin Lent, a spiritual boot camp in a
sense. Albert Cylwicki
Reform and Believe: Piri Thomas wrote a book
called Down These Mean Streets. It describes his conversion from
being a convict, a drug addict, an attempted killer, to becoming an exemplary
Christian. One night Piri was lying on his cell bunk in prison. Suddenly it
occurred to him what a mess he had made of his life. He felt an overwhelming
desire to pray. But he was sharing his cell with another prisoner called ‘the
thin kid.’ So he waited. After he thought ‘the thin kid’ was asleep, he climbed
out of his bunk, knelt down on the cold concrete, and prayed. He said: “I told
God what was in my heart… I talked to him plain…I talked to him of all my wants
and lacks, of my hopes and disappointments… I felt like I could even cry….”
After Piri finished his prayer, a small voice said “Amen.” It was ‘the thin
kid. The two young men talked a long time. Then Piri climbed back into his
bunk. “Good night, Chico,” he said. “I’m thinking that God is always with us
–it’s just that we aren’t with him.” –This story is a beautiful illustration of
what Jesus means when he says, “Reform your lives and believe in the
Gospel!” Mark Link in ‘Sunday Homilies’
I am guilty and richly deserve all that I get! One
day Frederick William I, visited a prison at Postdam and listened to a number
of pleas for pardon from prisoners who had grievances against the law’s
injustice. All said they had suffered imprisonment on account of prejudiced
judges, perjured witnesses, and unscrupulous lawyers. From cell to cell the
tale of wronged innocence continued, until the King stopped at the door of one
cell inhabited by a surly inmate who said nothing. Surprised at his silence
Frederick said jocularly, “Well I suppose you are innocent
too.” “No, your Majesty”, was the startling response; “I am guilty
and richly deserve all that I get.” On hearing this, the King shouted at the
jail authorities and asked them to set the prisoner free. The prisoner who
admitted his guilt showed certain potential for improvement. The others were
not likely to change. Francis Xavier
Temptations
A husband was struggling to make ends meet at home on one salary. Then one day
he had to confront his wife with a receipt for a $ 250.00 dress she had bought.
“How could you do this?” I was outside the store looking at the dress in the
window, and then I found myself trying it on, “she explained. “It was like
Satan whispering in my ear, “You look fabulous in that dress. Buy it!” “Well,”
the husband replied, “You know how I deal with that kind of temptation. I say,
“Get behind me Satan!” His wife replied, “I did that, but then he said, “It
look fabulous from the back too!” J. Pichappilly in ‘The Table of the Word’
Some years ago on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with a group
of others to follow in the footsteps of Christ. We visited Bethlehem, Nazareth
and Jerusalem; climbed the Mount of the Beatitudes and swam in the Sea of
Galilee and even in the Dead Sea (not a pleasant experience!). We walked from
Jerusalem to Jericho, looked into Jacob’s Well, stood on the place in Cana
where Jesus changed the water into wine and even knelt at the place where he
was crucified. Everywhere we went, we took our gospel with us and read the
appropriate passage. It was a moving experience all the way. But the strongest
impression I have retained is that of the desert where Christ spent forty days
before starting his public life. During our pilgrimage, we spent a day and a
night in the desert.
***
From Father Tony Kadavil
1: Danger of raising a tiger and an
alligator as pets: Antoine Yates lived in New York City in a
multi-storied apartment building. For some inexplicable reason he brought home
a two-month-old tiger cub and later a young alligator. It’s not clear where he
found them and how he reared them. But they were with him for two years — in
his apartment. What was a little tiger cub grew to a 500 pound Bengal tiger,
and the little alligator to a frightening monster. The police got a distress
call from Yates about a “dog” bite and when they got to the 19-story public
housing apartment building, they discovered Yates in the lobby with injuries to
his right arm and leg. Someone alerted the police to the possibility of a “wild
animal” in his apartment. A fourth-floor resident informed them that urine had
seeped through her ceiling from Yates’ apartment. The police officer peered
through a hole drilled into the wall of Yates’ apartment and saw the huge cat
prowling around in the room. To make a long story short, it took a contingent
of officers at the door, and the use of a dart gun by a veterinary doctor to
bring the tiger under control. When finally, they entered the apartment, they
found the big cat lying unconscious atop some newspapers. A big alligator was
nearby guarding his unconscious friend. Both animals were trapped and relocated
to shelters. His own wild pets tried to kill Yates. That is what happens to
those who habitually entertain temptations in the form of evil thoughts and
desires. That is why we are asked to practice prayer, fasting and sharing
during the Lenten season to resist and conquer our temptations. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
2: “Run, D.J., run!” William H.
Hinson tells about an amusing article that appeared in his local paper. Over
the past several years in Houston, Texas, there has been a rash of incidents in
which dogs have attacked small children. As a result, the newspapers have run
several stories about the attacks, some of which have been gruesome. There was
one, however, involving a little boy called D.J. that was not so tragic. A
reporter asked D.J. how he managed to come away from a recent dog attack unharmed.
You can almost picture the serious expression on the little guy’s face as he
said, “Well, right in the middle of the attack, the Lord spoke to me.” “Oh,
really,” asked the reporter, “And what did God say?” “He said, ‘Run, D.J.,
run!'” the young man reported. [William H. Hinson, Reshaping the Inner
You (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1988).] There may have been
times in your life in which God has whispered, “Run, Jim, run!” Or “Run, Sally,
Run!” Particularly is this a valuable message when we are tempted by the devil.
Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
3: “I only want to get my nose in:” An Arab fable
tells of a miller who was startled by seeing a camel’s nose thrust in at the
door of the tent where he was sleeping. “It’s very cold outside,” said the
camel, “I only want to get my nose in.” The nose was allowed in, then the neck,
finally the whole body. Soon the miller began to be inconvenienced by such an
ungainly companion in a room not large enough for both. “If you are
inconvenienced,” said the camel, “you may leave; as for myself I shall stay
where I am.” “Give but an inch,” says Lancelot Andrews, “and the devil will
take an ell; if he can get in an arm, he will makeshift to shove in his whole
body.” Today’s Gospel warns us against compromising with the devil by allowing
him to tempt us. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
4: “Jerome, you have not yet given me your sins!” Saint
Jerome, the brilliant doctor of the Church, lived for twenty-five years in the
cave where the Child Jesus was born. One time he prayed to Jesus thus: “Dear
Child, you have suffered much to save me; how can I make amends?” “What can you
give me, Jerome?” a Voice was heard. “I will spend my entire life in prayer,
and I will offer all my talents into Your hands,” Jerome replied. “You do that
to glorify Me, but what more can you give to Me?” the Voice asked again. “I
will give all my money to the poor,” Jerome exclaimed. The Voice said: “Give
your money to the poor; it would be just as if you were giving it to Me. But
what else can you give to Me?” Saint Jerome became distraught and said: “Lord,
I have given You everything! What is there left to give?” “Jerome, you have not
yet given Me your sins,” the Lord replied. “Give them to Me so I can erase
them.” With these words Jerome burst into tears and spoke, “Dear Jesus, take
all that is mine and give me all that is Yours.” Lent is the time to give our
sins to God with repentant hearts.(Fr. Benitz)
5: Devil is your dad: Two boys were walking home
from church and sharing their reflection on the lesson. They had been studying
the temptation of Christ in the wilderness. Little Peter said to his friend
John, “Do you believe that stuff about the devil? Do you think there really is
a devil?” John looked at him and said, “Naah, it’s just like Santa Claus — it’s
your dad.”
6. Temptations: real or imaginary? The drunk was
floundering down the alley carrying a box with holes on the side. He bumped
into a friend who asked, “What do you have in there, pal?” “A mongoose.” “What
for?” “Well, you know how drunk I can get. When I get drunk I see snakes, and
I’m scared to death of snakes. That’s why I got this mongoose, for protection.”
“But,” the friend said, “you idiot! Those are imaginary snakes.” “That’s okay,”
said the drunk, showing his friend the interior of the box, “So is the
mongoose.”
7: Temptation to dominate: A long line of men
stood at one of Heaven’s gates, waiting to be admitted. There was a sign over
the gate which read, “For men who were dominated by their wives while on
earth.” The line extended as far as the eye could see. At another of Heaven’s
gates, only one man was standing. Over this gate there was a sign that read, “For
men who were not dominated by their wives.” St. Peter approached the lone man
standing there and asked, “What are you doing here?” The man replied, “I don’t
really know. My wife told me to stand here.”
25 Additional anecdotes
1) “Baptize the entire Ford Motor Plant,” Henry Ford: You
might have heard the story of the machinist who worked years ago at the
original Ford Motor Company plant in Detroit, Michigan. Over a period of years,
he had “borrowed” from the factory various car parts and tools which he hadn’t
bothered to return. While the management never condoned this practice, nothing
was ever done about it. In time, however the “forgetful” machinist
experienced a Christian conversion and was baptized. More importantly, the man
took his Baptism seriously and became a devout believer. The very morning
after his Baptism, the machinist arrived at work with his pickup truck loaded
with all the parts and tools he had taken from the Ford Company over the years.
He went to his foreman and explained that he never really meant to steal them
and asked to be forgiven. The foreman was so astonished and impressed by this
act that he cabled Henry Ford himself, contacting the auto magnate while he was
away visiting a European Ford plant. In his telegram the foreman described the
entire event in great detail. Ford immediately cabled back this striking
two-line response: “Dam up the Detroit River. Baptize the entire Plant!” —
Our Scripture for this First Sunday in Lent focuses on the effect our Baptism
should have on our lives especially during the Lenten season.
Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
2) “What did you miss the most?” After his
famous expedition to the South Pole, Admiral Richard E. Byrd was riding on a
train. A man came up to him and asked, “What did you miss the most down at the
South Pole?” Byrd answered that they missed a lot of things. Some of them they
didn’t mind missing, and others they did; some they were very glad to get away
from. He said he was discussing that very thing in the middle of the
six-months-long Polar night with one of the Irishmen in the camp, Jack O’Brien.
Byrd asked, “Jack, what are you missing most from civilization?” Jack answered without
any hesitation, “Temptation.” — Temptation is a very real part of life:
temptation to stray from the values we hold dear, temptation to take short
cuts, to avoid struggle, to find the easy way through. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
3) “Get behind me Satan.” Experiencing martial
problems, a Christian couple sought out the advice of a marriage counselor.
After numerous sessions, it became quite evident that their problems centered
on monetary issues. “You have to quit spending money foolishly” he said. “The
next time you feel tempted just forcefully say, “Get behind me Satan!” They
both agreed that this would work. Within a week, things were getting back to
normal in their household. The husband quit making his weekly stop at the tool
section in the local hardware store and his wife, who was chronic spendthrift
obsessed with purchasing the latest fashions, ceased buying dresses every time
she went out to the mall. For whenever they got the urge to spend money they
would both repeat the words, the counselor told them, “Get behind me Satan.”
However, by the third week the woman succumbed to her weakness and bought an
extremely expensive evening gown. Her husband was furious “Why didn’t you say,
“Get behind me Satan” “I did” replied his wife “But when I did I heard a
response” “Yah, and what was that response?” growled back her husband. “Well I
heard him say, “It looks better from the back than it does from the front!”
(Sent by Deacon Gary)
4) Conversion of Piri Thomas: Piri Thomas wrote
a book called Down These Mean Streets. It describes his conversion
from being a convict, a drug addict, and an attempted killer, to becoming an
exemplary Christian. One-night Piri was lying on his cell bunk in prison.
Suddenly it occurred to him what a mess he had made of his life. He felt an overwhelming
desire to pray. But he was sharing his cell with another prisoner called ‘the
thin kid.’ So he waited. After he thought ‘the thin kid’ was asleep, he climbed
out of his bunk, knelt down on the cold concrete, and prayed. He said: “I told
God what was in my heart… I talked to him plain…I talked to him of all my wants
and lacks, of my hopes and disappointments… I felt like I could even cry….”
After Piri finished his prayer, a small voice said “Amen.” It was ‘the thin
kid.’ The two young men talked a long time. Then Piri climbed back into his
bunk. “Good night, Chico,” he said. “I’m thinking that God is always with us
-it’s just that we aren’t with Him.” — This story is a beautiful illustration
of what Jesus means when he says, “Reform your lives and believe in the
Gospel!” Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
5) A box of enchanted Turkish Delight. In C. S.
Lewis’ book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the wicked queen
entices the boy, Edmund, with a box of enchanted Turkish Delight. Each piece is
sweet and delicious, and Edmund has never tasted anything better. There is only
one problem. The more he eats of this enchanted Turkish Delight, the more he
wants. He doesn’t know that this is the wicked queen’s plan. The more he eats,
the more he will want, and thus he will eat and eat until it kills him. It
would never satisfy his hunger; it would never fill him up…it would simply kill
him. (Rev. John Lestock) — Lewis is giving us a metaphor for temptations to
sin. Sin never satisfies, it only enslaves.
Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
6) “You knew what I was when you picked me up:” An
old Indian legend sums up our situation: Many years ago, Indian braves would go
away in solitude to prepare for manhood. One hiked into a beautiful valley,
green with trees, bright with flowers. There, as he looked up at the surrounding
mountains, he noticed one rugged peak, capped with dazzling snow. “I will test
myself against that mountain,” he thought. He put on his buffalo hide shirt,
threw his blanket over his shoulders and set off to climb the pinnacle. When he
reached the top, he stood on the rim of the world. He could see forever, and
his heart swelled with pride. Then he heard a rustle at his feet. Looking down,
he saw a snake. Before he could move, the snake spoke. ”I am about to die,”
said the snake. “It is too cold for me up here, and there is no food. Put me
under your shirt and take me down to the valley” “No,” said the youth. “I know
your kind. You are a rattlesnake. If I pick you up, you will bite, and your
bite will kill me.” “Not so,” said the snake. “I will treat you differently. If
you do this for me, I will not harm you.” The youth resisted awhile, but this
was a very persuasive snake. At last the youth tucked it under his shirt and
carried it down to the valley. There he laid it down gently. Suddenly the snake
coiled, rattled and leaped, biting him on the leg. “But you promised,” cried
the youth.” “You knew what I was when you picked me up,” said the snake as it
slithered away. [Guideposts (July, 1988).] — That is a powerful
little parable. The snake could be drugs or alcohol or extramarital sex or
greed or a host of other attractions forbidden by God and our good sense. The
best protection we have is in avoidance. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
7) “Then I can go live with my sister.” A
married couple had lived together for twenty-five years in what outwardly
seemed like a reasonably good union. The husband was a good provider. The wife
was a good housekeeper. They went to Church together every Sunday and prayed
together every night before they retired. But they did have one problem that
seemed insurmountable. They could not have a conversation that didn’t end up in
an argument. Finally, the wife decided she’d had enough, but because of her
religious scruples, divorce was out of the question. She had a better idea,
however. One night as the couple settled down for their nightly prayers, she
said to her husband, “We must put an end to this terrible situation we’re in.
We can’t go on like this anymore. Since today is the first day of Lent, why
don’t we pray that things will change. Let’s pray that the Lord will call one
of us home to Him. Then I can go live with my sister.” Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
8) Satan is Making a Comeback! Within recent
years, Satan has been featured in several best-selling novels and block-buster
movies. He fathered Rosemary’s Baby. He turned on movie audiences
as he did battle with The Exorcist (twice)-and many people
declared him the winner. In the film called The Exorcist and Its Sequel,
he successfully resisted all human efforts to destroy him. He now has his own
section in most of the big bookstores under the heading, Occult. A few years
ago, Satan’s comeback was the subject of a book by Arthur Lyons, called The
Second Coming: Satanism in America. The author’s research revealed
that the number of satanic cults in America had been rapidly rising. In his
words, “…the United States probably harbors the fastest growing and most highly
organized body of Satanists in the world.” Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
9) Carnivorous plant – Sundew: In the Australian
bush country grows a little plant called the “sundew.” It has a slender stem
and tiny, round leaves fringed with hairs that glisten with bright drops of
liquid as delicate as fine dew. Woe to the insect, however, that dares to dance
on it. Although its attractive clusters of red, white, and pink blossoms are
harmless, the leaves are deadly. The shiny moisture on each leaf is sticky and
will imprison any bug that touches it. As an insect struggles to free itself,
the vibration causes the leaves to close tightly around it. This
innocent-looking plant then feeds on its victim. — Temptations do the
same. [Our Daily Bread, (December 11, 1992).] Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
10) “So no one will know.” In China’s later Han
era, there lived a politician called Yang Zhen, a man known for his upright
character. After Yang Zhen was made a provincial governor, one of his earlier
patrons, Wang Mi, paid him an unexpected visit. As they talked over old times,
Wang Mi brought out a large gold cup and presented it to Yang Zhen. Yang Zhen
refused to accept it, but Wang Mi persisted, saying, “There’s no one here
tonight but you and me, so no one will know.” “You say that no one will know,”
Yang Zhen replied, “but that is not true. Heaven will know, and you and I will
know, too.” Wang Mi was ashamed and backed down. Subsequently, Yang Zhen’s
integrity won increasing recognition, and he rose to a high post in the central
government. — Human nature is weak, and we tend to yield to temptation when we
think nobody can see us.
Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
11) “Are you trying to break this bridge?” As
the Union Pacific Railroad was being constructed, an elaborate trestle bridge
was built across a large canyon in the West. Wanting to test the bridge,
the builder loaded a train with enough extra cars and equipment to double its
normal payload. The train was then driven to the middle of the bridge, where it
stayed an entire day. One worker asked, “Are you trying to break this bridge?”
“No,” the builder replied, “I’m trying to prove that the bridge won’t break.” —
In the same way, the temptations Jesus faced weren’t designed to see if He
would sin, but to prove that He wouldn’t. [Today in the Word (March
14, 1991).]
Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
12) Trapping ring-tailed monkeys: Men who trap
animals in Africa for zoos in America say that one of the hardest animals to
catch is the ring-tailed monkey. For the Zulus of that continent, however, it’s
simple. They’ve been catching this agile little animal with ease for years. The
method the Zulus use is based on knowledge of the animal. Their trap is nothing
more than a melon growing on a vine. The seeds of this melon are a favorite of
the monkey. Knowing this, the Zulus simply cut a hole in the melon, just large
enough for the monkey to insert his hand to reach the seeds inside. The monkey
will stick his hand in, grab as many seeds as he can, then start to withdraw
it. This he cannot do. His fist is now larger than the hole. The monkey will
pull and tug, screech and fight the melon for hours. But he can’t get free of
the trap unless he gives up the seeds, which he refuses to do. Meanwhile, the
Zulus sneak up and nab him. — The devil uses the same trick on human beings by
exploiting our weaknesses. Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
13) “Don’t swim in that canal.” Some people
fall into temptation, but a great many make plans for disaster ahead of time.
“Son,” ordered a father, “Don’t swim in that canal.” “OK, Dad,” he
answered. But he came home carrying a wet bathing suit that evening.
“Where have you been?” demanded the father. “Swimming in the canal,”
answered the boy. “Didn’t I tell you not to swim there?” asked the
father. “Yes, Sir,” answered the boy. “Why did you?” he
asked. “Well, Dad,” he explained, “I had my bathing suit with me and I
couldn’t resist the temptation.” “Why did you take your bathing suit with
you?” he questioned. “So I’d be prepared to swim, in case I was tempted,”
he replied. — Too many of us expect to sin and do sin. The remedy for
such dangerous action is found in Romans 13:14, “But put ye on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”
Whenever we play with temptation, it is easy to drift into great danger.
Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
14) Open for a Left Hook: On May 21, 2005,
Andrew Golota fought Lamon Brewster for the WBO heavyweight boxing
title. Golota, a strong fighter with a powerful punch, had 38 wins,
5 loses, and 31 knockouts. In preparation for the fight,
Brewster studied tape of Golota’s boxing, looking for an opening. He
noticed that the way Golota held his hands left him open for a left hook.
Within seconds after the first round began, Brewster found the opening and
threw a left hook. Golota went down to the mat and got up. Brewster
threw another left hook and Golota went down again. He stood
up and the fight resumed. Brewster threw another left hook to the
same opening, and Golota went down for the 3rd time, which counted as a
knockout. Lamon Brewster won the fight in the first round because he was
the smarter fighter. All he had to do pound on his opponent’s weakness. —
In a similar way, Satan is looking to pound on our weakest areas. When we
leave an opening by yielding to temptation, he’ll take advantage and throw a
left hook. But if we’ll not yield to temptation, we’ll close off the area
and cut off his opportunity. www.kentcrockett.com
Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
15) The real temptation: The popular
picture we have of Mother Teresa is either carrying a tiny, undernourished
child or applying medicines on the wounds of a leper. We have identified her
with social works. One day, when Mother Teresa was talking to Father Le Joly, a
Jesuit priest, who had written few books on Mother and her congregation, she
said to him, “Father, when you write a book about me, tell everybody we are not
here for work, we are here for Jesus. We are religious, not social workers, or
nurses, or teachers; we are religious Sisters. All we do, our prayer, our work,
our suffering, is for Jesus. Without Jesus our life would be meaningless….
Incomprehensible….”
(John Rose in John’s Sunday Homilies; quoted by Fr.
Botelho).
16) Spiritual Boot camp: In the movie An
Officer and a Gentleman, we are taken inside a boot camp, where candidates are
trained to be naval flight officers. Actor Richard Gere plays the lead role of
a candidate, who is so intent on being a flight officer that he endures, every
test and challenge his tough drill sergeant, played by Lou Gossett, can throw
at him. In the end Richard Gere emerges from the training grounds a
changed man. Upon entering boot camp he was selfish; he cared only about his
own success and comforts. Before he left he learned how to reach out and help
his batch mates, he felt real pain when his close friend committed suicide, and
he proved a true gentleman by marrying his girlfriend, played by Debra Winger.
— Lent is like a spiritual boot camp in a sense. Its theme of spiritual
training is set forth in the Gospel. [Internet Notes; quoted by
Fr. Botelho).
17) Selling our soul: It was 11.00 P.M. and
when the clock struck. Terror engulfed Dr. Faustus. He had one more hour to
live, and then he had to surrender his soul to Satan. He helplessly cried out
in terror: “Stand still, you ever moving spheres of heaven,/ That time may
cease, and midnight never come;/ Fair Nature’s eye, rise, rise again and make
/Perpetual day; or let this hour be but/ A year, a month, a week, a natural
day,/That Faustus may repent and save his soul.” [Christopher Marlowe. The
Tragedy of Dr. Faustus, Scene xiv, ll. 74-79 (NY: Folger Library,
1975) p. 76]. But the clock struck 12:00 at midnight; the devil came and took
his soul. This is the tragic story of Dr. Faustus. He got into an agreement
with Lucifer, the chief lord of perpetual darkness. In return for bequeathing
his soul to Lucifer, he demanded a life of voluptuousness for 24 years, and
then attendance of Mephistopheles to grant whatever he demanded either to aid
his friends or slay his enemies. He cut his arm, and with the blood when he
wrote the deed of agreement, the blood congealed. Later, Faustus finished the
deed and sold his soul. — In life, we always confront situations wherein we
sell out. We sell out for good or for bad causes. We sell out to the Devil or
to God. Jesus, too, confronted such a situation. Today we heard in the Gospel
about Jesus’ temptation. (John Rose in John’s Sunday Homilies;
quoted by Fr. Botelho).
18) “What more can I do?” – Radical Solution: There
is a story of a man who had an apple tree in his garden. He loved apples and
believed he could not live without them. However, while the tree never failed
to supply him with apples, apples which tasted good, there was something
definitely lacking in their quality. One thing was missing – there was no
nourishment in them. He consulted a friend who was an expert on apple trees.
The expert looked at the tree and pointed out some obvious deficiencies in it.
It needed to be sprayed for its branches were encrusted with moss, the branches
needed pruning. It could do with having the earth around it dug up and
fertilized. The man listened and acted on the expert’s advice. Yet the
following autumn the apples, though slightly more plentiful were no more
nourishing. The quality remained unchanged. The man was disappointed and once
more consulted the expert. “What more can I do?” he asked. “You are wasting
your time.” The expert answered. “What do you mean?” “Obviously the only thing
to do is to cut the tree down and plant a new one in its place.” “But what will
I do in the meantime for apples?” “You will have to do without them, won’t
you?” came the answer. — The question is: was the man ready for a radical
decision, in order to have new and wholesome fruit? Are we ready for a radical
change of heart? (Anonymous; quoted by Fr. Botelho).
19) Crumpled $50 bill: A well-known speaker
started off his seminar by holding up a $50 bill. he asked the 200 participants
in the seminar, “Who would like this $50 bill?” Hands started going up. He
proceeded to crumple up the fifty-dollar bill. He then asked, “Who still wants it?”
The hands went up again. Then he dropped it on the ground and ground it into
the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, crumpled and dirty, and said. “Now
who still wants it?” The hands went up. He said, “You have all learned a
valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because
it didn’t decrease in value. It was still worth $50.” — Many times in our
lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by our own decisions
or those of other people. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter
what has happened or what will happen, we will never lose our value: dirty,
clean, crumpled or finely creased, we are still priceless to the One Who knows
us through and through, and values us so much that He wants to live in friendship
with us forever. If you still find it hard to believe, look closely at the
crucifix. That is the real message of Lent. Christ wants us with him
forever in Heaven, so much so that he was willing to be torn and crumpled and
stomped on and humiliated just as much as we have been, to show each of us how
much he loves us. (E- Priest).
20) “I am guilty and richly deserve all that I
get!” One day, Frederick William I visited a prison at Potsdam and
listened to a number of pleas for pardon from prisoners who had grievances
against the law’s injustice. All said they had suffered imprisonment on account
of prejudiced judges, perjured witnesses, and unscrupulous lawyers. From cell
to cell the tale of wronged innocence continued, until the King stopped at the
door of one cell inhabited by a surly inmate who said nothing. Surprised at his
silence Frederick said jocularly, “Well I suppose you are innocent
too.” “No, your Majesty”, was the startling response; “I am guilty
and richly deserve all that I get.” On hearing this, the King shouted at the
jail authorities and asked them to set the prisoner free. — The prisoner who
admitted his guilt showed certain potential for improvement. The others were
not likely to change. (Francis Xavier in Inspiring Stories for Successful
Living; quoted by Fr. Botelho).
21) Temptations: A husband was struggling
to make ends meet at home on one salary. Then one day he had to confront his
wife with a receipt for a $ 250.00 dress she had bought. “How could you do
this?” “I was outside the store looking at the dress in the window, and then I
found myself trying it on,“ she explained. “It was like Satan whispering in my
ear, “You look fabulous in that dress. Buy it!” “Well,” the husband replied,
“You know how I deal with that kind of temptation. I say, ‘Get behind me
Satan!’ His wife replied, “I did that, but then he said, ‘It look fabulous from
the back too!’” (J. Pichappilly in The Table of the Word; quoted by Fr.
Botelho).
22) Christ’s head – a composite of
scores of smaller faces. At a point in his life when the painter
William Zdinak had become frustrated with the seeming emptiness of his success
as an artist, he was commissioned to produce a picture for a religious art
show. For weeks he stared at the empty canvas, unable to formulate an idea and
unwilling to resort to the sentimentality that too often characterizes
religious art. He was haunted by the words of Thomas Merton who said, “If there
were no other proof of the infinite patience of God with men, a very good one
could be found in God’s toleration of the pictures that are painted. . . under
the pretext of being in God’s honor.” With a prayer to the God of patience,
Zdinak turned his attention away from himself toward God and began to paint.
When he finished, he had created a likeness of Christ in ruddy skin tones, with
kind eyes and handsome Mediterranean features. While his work was well done, it
was not unlike so many others which were hung on display for the art show.
However, when viewers drew nearer to the painting, they were surprised to find
that Christ’s head was actually a composite of scores of smaller faces.
Represented were men, women and children of every ethnic background, of all
races and walks of life. Included among the myriad faces were notables like
Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, and John F. Kennedy. When
viewers drew back from the painting, the mosaic of human faces blended once
again to reflect the image of Christ. — At the beginning of a yet another
Lenten season, William Zdinak’s painting reminds me that this is a time for
directing my eyes and my energies away from myself toward the person and
mission of Jesus Christ and to find therein, the faces of all my sisters and
brothers, whose needs I am called to recognize and serve. (Patricia Sanchez)
Fr. Tony (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
22) “Is that Jesus knocking?” A
paediatrician would plug his stethoscope into his little patients’ ears to let
them listen to their own heartbeats. Their eyes would always light up in awe.
He was taken aback one day when he placed the disk over little Sylvia’s heart.
“Listen” said the doctor. “What do you suppose that is?” Sylvia listened
carefully to the tap-tap-tapping in her chest and cried, “Is that Jesus
knocking?” — During Lent Jesus is knocking at my heart so that I might love
like him and allow my heart to be opened to His. True, rendering, repenting,
and re-turning must come from my heart. Only then will I understand the
reassurance of rainbows and the welcoming warmth of spring –in my heart.
(Francis Gonsalves in Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds; quoted by Fr. Botelho).
24 What profound Humility! I read recently that
Copernicus, the great astronomer, wrote a masterpiece entitled The
Revolution of the Heavenly Bodies. When he was dying, we are told that a
copy of that scholarly masterpiece was placed in his hands, so that he could
treasure his finest achievement in his last moments and enjoy both solace and
pride. Much as he valued that outstanding work, Copernicus had other things on
his mind. Calling a friend, he requested that the following epitaph be placed
on his grave at Frauenberg: “O Lord, the Faith thou didst give to St. Paul, I
cannot ask; the mercy thou didst show to St. Peter, I dare not ask; but, Lord,
the grace thou didst show unto the repentant thief, that Lord, show to me!” —
What profound humility! What amazing faith! What sense of repentance! These are
the virtues we need to practice, especially during Lenten season. (James
Valladares in Your Words O Lord Are Spirit, and They Are Life; quoted by Fr.
Botelho).
25) “I’m already working on a murder case!” The local
sheriff was looking for a deputy, and one of the applicants – who was not known
to be the brightest academically, was called in for an interview. “Okay,” began
the sheriff, “What is 1 and 1?” “Eleven,” came the reply. The sheriff thought
to himself, “That’s not what I meant, but he’s right.” Then the sheriff asked,
“What two days of the week start with the letter ‘T’?” “Today & tomorrow,”
replied the applicant. The sheriff was again surprised over the answer, one
that he had never thought of himself. “Now, listen carefully, who killed
Abraham Lincoln?” asked the sheriff. The jobseeker seemed a little surprised,
then thought really hard for a minute and finally admitted, “I don’t know.” The
sheriff replied, “Well, why don’t you go home and work on that one for a
while?” The applicant left and wandered over to his pals who were waiting to
hear the results of the interview. He greeted them with a cheery smile, “The
job is mine! The interview went great! First day on the job and I’m already
working on a murder case!” — In our Gospel reading this morning, in Mark 1, it
is Jesus’ first day on the job. Immediately he is confronted with three major
temptations. And he is confronted with this basic question: Would he take the
crown without the cross? (Sermons.com)
***********
Fr. Tommy Lane
Once when I was on retreat in a monastery in Ireland I
greeted one of the monks, “How are you, Father?” He replied, “There is still a
bit of the devil in me!” It sounds funny but it expresses a truth about all of
us, “there is still a bit of the devil in us” because we have not yet fully
overcome sin. Jesus spent forty days in the desert overcoming the devil, and
Lent is a time for us to get rid of whatever bit of the devil remains in us by
overcoming sin in our lives.
Whenever we sin we have forgotten who we are and what
God has done for us. Remembering who we are and what God has done for us helps
us to keep away from sin. The first reading today contains a creed in which the
Old Testament Jews remembered who they were and what God had done for them by bringing
them out of Egypt to Canaan:
My father was a wandering Aramean who went down to
Egypt…there he became a nation great, strong and numerous…When the Egyptians
maltreated and oppressed us, we cried to the Lord…He brought us out of
Egypt…bringing us into this country, he gave us this land flowing with milk and
honey. (Deut 26:5-9)
The Israelites sinned when they forgot what God had done for
them. In fact, we could say that the great sin of the Old Testament was
forgetting the greatest miracle of the Old Testament - the Exodus - and as a
result falling into sin. Whenever we sin we forget the central belief of our
creed, that Jesus died and rose for us. Lent is a time when we reflect on the
passion and death of Jesus so that by remembering we may overcome sin, and when
we celebrate the central belief of our creed – the resurrection of Jesus during
the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night- we will have died to sin and risen to
new life with Jesus. Just as Jesus overcame Satan during the forty days in the
desert we want to overcome Satan in our lives.
We overcome Satan by putting God first in our lives in every way. The three
quotations from Deuteronomy cited by Jesus when talking with Satan in the
Gospel (Luke 4:1-13) remind us of putting God first in everything.
“One does not live by bread alone.” (The full quotation is
“…not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that comes forth from the
mouth of the Lord.”)
“You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall
you serve.”
“You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”
**************
Sermons.com: MK 1:9-15
The local sheriff was looking for a deputy, and one of the
applicants - who was not known to be the brightest academically, was called in
for an interview. "Okay," began the sheriff, "What is 1 and
1?" "Eleven," came the reply. The sheriff thought to himself,
"That's not what I meant, but he's right."
Then the sheriff asked, "What two days of the week start with the letter
'T'?" "Today & tomorrow." Replied the applicant. The sheriff
was again surprised over the answer, one that he had never thought of
himself.
"Now, listen carefully, who killed Abraham
Lincoln?", asked the sheriff. The job seeker seemed a little surprised,
then thought really hard for a minute and finally admitted, "I don't
know." The sheriff replied, "Well, why don't you go home and work on
that one for a while?" The applicant left and wandered over to his pals
who were waiting to hear the results of the interview. He greeted them with a
cheery smile, "The job is mine! The interview went great! First day on the
job and I'm already working on a murder case!"
In our Gospel reading this morning in Mark 1 it is Jesus'
first day on the job. Immediately he is confronted with three major
temptations. And he is confronted with this basic question: Would he take the
crown without the cross?
These are basic temptations in life. These three temptations form the
foundation for all other temptations. And I would propose that when temptations
come our way; if we will pause and classify the temptations, identify them with
one of the three temptations Jesus faced; we will be equipped to answer Satan
with the words and obedience of Christ.
Let's look at the three temptations:
1. Stone into Bread: The temptation to use power for the
wrong purposes.
2. Jump on the Rocks: The Temptation to gain popularity by performance.
3. Serve The Wrong Master: The temptation to idolatry.
At your baptism, you are given an identity as a follower of Jesus. For the past
thirty years or more, the church has tried to find its identity, not in
baptism, but in leadership. Leadership is a function. Being a disciple is an
identity. Let's explore this morning why this confusion of categories is so
important, and so debilitating to the body of Christ.
"What's in your wallet"? That is the
take-away line for a credit card company that wants their card to be front and
center in your wallet. Forget the advertising pitch. It's a good philosophical
question. "What IS in your wallet" is a reflection of who you are,
where you are, and where you are headed in your journey of life.
Remember getting your first nice leather wallet as a kid? I know my first
wallet made me feel more "grown up." But what could you actually put
in it? Your student ID. A few bucks. Your driver's permit and then later,
hopefully, thankfully, your driver's license. Maybe a few of those "wallet
sized" school photos of your best friends. But it still all made for a
pretty flat fold.
Now look at your "grown up" wallet. That's right. Take out your
wallet. Take a good look at it, because your kids won't know what a
"wallet" is, at least a leather wallet. They'll know a digital
wallet.
Do you have out your wallets? Women, you have wallets too. Come on. Dig in that
purse and you'll find your leather wallet. Look at it. Now look around you at
each other's wallets...
______________________________
The Road to Holiness: Recently I was looking at some of my many files
under the "quotes" folder. One such quote is called, "The Road
to Holiness."
A seeker after truth came to a saint for guidance.
"Tell me, wise one, how did you become holy?"
"Two words."
"And what are they, please?"
"Right choices."
The seeker was fascinated. "How does one learn to
choose rightly?"
"One word."
"One word! May I have it, please?" the seeker
asked.
"Growth."
The seeker was thrilled. "How does one grow?"
"Two words."
"What are they, pray tell?"
"Wrong choices."
I believe that this is God's purpose in times of testing, to
help us grow and to show us that we have the faith and ability to stand up to
the testing so that we will trust God in difficult times -- to strengthen our
faith and Christian character. At the same time, Satan has his own purpose --
to turn those being tested away from God -- to "tempt" them to sin.
Brian Stoffregen, Exegetical Notes
____________________________
It Might Have Been
In the 1800s, poet John Greenleaf Whittier wrote one of his
most quoted poems in the English language. The poem was titled, "Maud
Muller." You've never heard of it? Actually, not many people remember this
sorrowful poem, but generations of people have quoted two famous lines from its
final stanza.
"Maud Muller" is about a young maiden who, while
working the fields one day, sees a handsome young Judge riding by on horseback.
She offers him a drink of cool water. Their encounter lasts only a few moments,
but it makes a deep impression on both of them. Maud is greatly attracted to
the Judge, and she dreams of marrying someone of his gentleness and integrity.
She could leave the fields behind and live as the wife of a wealthy and
powerful man.
At the same time, the Judge is attracted to Maud. He is
tired of his career, and he dreams of marrying a warm, compassionate woman like
Maud and settling into a simpler life in the country. But neither Maud nor the
Judge acknowledges their attraction to one another. They are from different
social classes -- they cannot risk breaking the bonds of social
conformity.
Maud later marries a man who brings her much pain and
hardship. The Judge also enters into a loveless marriage. In the final stanza
of the poem, Whittier offers us this warning: "For of all sad words of
tongue or pen, The saddest are these: 'It might have been!'"
King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com
_________________________________________________
Counting Down: Jesus' time in the wilderness for forty days is, in fact,
our model for Lent. Like Jesus, we seek to spend a special time - a span of
forty days - preparing, reflecting, praying, readying ourselves, knowing the
hard path that comes and anticipating the joyous Easter celebration that
follows. In our hurried world, I don't want us to rush through these forty
days. We are always rushing through things as it is - we're already always
counting down to something else, counting the days until birthdays (mine is 8
weeks from today, for example), or until Christmas, or until payday or until
school is out, or until vacation - we're always biding our time until something
else happens. I hate to do that with Lent too - just count down until Easter,
and waste the time we have, miss the opportunity for digging deeper
spiritually, skipping over the process of looking inside of ourselves, trying to
remake ourselves, letting ourselves be remade by God. I don't want our Lent
experience to be worth only two sentences - I don't want everything we
experience in the next several weeks to impact us only enough to be worth a
passing comment. I want more from Lent, for all of us, and I want more from
Mark on this time in Jesus' life, this time where we can see the human Jesus,
struggling to make right choices, just like we do. Beth Quick, Getting on
with It
___________________________
Lent: A Time to Re-think: This is Lent 2015, and if ever there was a
year in which to re-think, re-imagine and re-do our Lenten disciplines, this
surely is it. Our beloved Lenten disciplines work for us privately, personally,
individually. But they tempt us, even as so many of our favorite Lenten hymns
and gospel songs tempt us, to remain captured and captivated by the personal
and individual dimensions of our faith in Christ. Mark's is a Gospel of few
words. He tells us very little of his vision of God's new Kingdom and new Covenant
that has come to be in Christ. But all through his Gospel, Mark shows Jesus
resisting the political and religious authorities of the day, just as he
resists Satan here in today's reading. And by the same token, Mark's Gospel
shows Jesus standing in solidarity with those who are outside and beyond the
normative social structures: the poor, women, the sick and the possessed --
just as he stood in Jordan's waters with the repentant sinners of the Baptist's
movement. Angela V. Askew
__________________________
Lent: Giving Up: Self Denial is about making a sacrifice that makes a
difference, focusing on the Cross and reminding ourselves what Christ gave up
for us. Rev. Craig Gates of Jackson Mississippi has a great list of
suggestions. He says we should:
GIVE UP grumbling! Instead, "In everything give thanks." Constructive
criticism is OK, but "moaning, groaning, and complaining" are not
Christian disciplines.
GIVE UP 10 to 15 minutes in bed! Instead, use that time in
prayer, Bible study and personal devotion. A few minutes in prayer WILL keep
you focused.
GIVE UP looking at other people's worst attributes. Instead
concentrate on their best points. We all have faults. It is a lot easier to
have people overlook our shortcomings when we overlook theirs first.
GIVE UP speaking unkindly. Instead, let your speech be
generous and understanding. It costs so little to say something kind and
uplifting or to offer a smile. Why not check that sharp tongue at the door?
GIVE UP your hatred of anyone or anything! Instead, learn
the discipline of love. "Love covers a multitude of sins."
GIVE UP your worries and anxieties! They're too heavy for you to carry anyway.
Instead, trust God with them. Anxiety is spending emotional energy on something
we can do nothing about: like tomorrow! Live today and let God's grace be
sufficient.
GIVE UP TV one evening a week! Instead, visit someone who's lonely or sick.
There are those who are isolated by illness or age. Why isolate yourself in
front of the "tube?" Give someone a precious gift: your time!
GIVE UP buying anything but essentials for yourself!
Instead, give the money to God. The money you would spend on the luxuries could
help someone meet basic needs. We're called to be stewards of God's riches, not
consumers.
GIVE UP judging others by appearances and by the standard of
the world! Instead, learn to give up yourself to God. There is only one who has
the right to judge, Jesus Christ.
Billy D. Strayhorn, Cross Eyed: Focus
_________________________________
We Haven't Been Up To Bat Yet: Temptation tries to blind us to
other possibilities. A business man driving home from work one day, saw a
little league baseball game in progress. He decided to stop and watch. He sat
down in the bleachers and asked a kid what the score was. "We're behind 14
to nothing," he answered with a smile.
"Really," he responded. "I have to say you
don't look very discouraged."
"Discouraged?" the boy asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"Why should we be discouraged? We haven't been up to bat yet."
Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com
_________________________
Lent: Spring Training For Christians: When I was a boy, I was
told, "Baptists don't do Lent." No one knew why. I suspect that it
was an anti-Catholic thing which I pray we are over. It was the old argument,
"whatever they do, we don't!" - a curiously convoluted, twisted and
unhealthy way to decide on religious practices.
Whatever the reason for "not doing Lent," I think
it is a great loss for any Christian not to prepare for Good Friday and Easter.
Every spring the baseball players prepare for the season with spring training;
every spring ordinary people prepare for summer by doing "spring
cleaning." So why shouldn't Christians prepare for the most important
events in Jesus' ministry - what he did for us on Good Friday and Easter
Sunday, what he did for us on Golgotha's cross and at the empty tomb?
If it helps you, think of Lent as a kind of Christian spring training and
spring cleaning. John Ewing Roberts,
__________________________
How Can a Christian Become a Christian? Soren Kierkegaard once
asked how a person who is already a Christian can become a Christian. Think
about that for a moment. How can a person who already is a Christian become a
Christian? Kierkegaard was directing his thoughts toward those of us who have grown
up in the church. He was saying that second-hand faith is not enough. It is
easy to take the faith we have grown up in for granted, isn't it? After all, it
is like the air we breathe. It's always been there. We need something more than
that. Baptism reminds us that a fresh experience of God's grace and God's love
is always available to us if we seek it. King Duncan,
__________________________
The Clock Is Turned Back: My dog, Copper - an Irish Setter - will
probably be dead by the time this is published; he is over fourteen years old,
nearly blind, partially deaf, has arthritis, and a chronic infection that
flares up every now and then. Only his nose seems to work well; it still takes
over when I turn him loose in our backyard. But frequently I remember the first
time I turned him out into the backyard of another home; he had never been off
a leash during the first six months of his life. He gingerly stepped off our
back step into the first snow of a Minnesota winter. He took a few tentative
steps in the snow and then, suddenly, he discovered that he was not on a leash
this time. He began to run wildly, in circles, and he dashed around the large,
fenced-in backyard, leaping into the air, twisting and turning in a glorious
dance of freedom and joy. He was meant to have this kind of life - free from
ropes and leashes, free from people who would not let him run as he was meant
to. (He wasn't even bothered by the four-foot-high fence that he would later
attempt to leap over.) The next morning, when I put him out again, I discovered
that his paw prints, and body prints where he had rolled over in the snow,
seemed to be everywhere. Hardly a spot in the backyard failed to show the marks
of his previous night's jubilant romp in the snow. How I would love to see him
do that again. But I know it is not to be, he can't turn his physical
time-clock back fourteen years.
You and I are different, because Christ turned the clock
back to the very beginning, to the Garden that God created, and has renewed our
broken relationship with his Father and ours so that we really have new life in
and through him, our Lord.
George M. Bass, The Tree, The Tomb, And The Trumpet, CSS Publishing Co., Inc.
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Life Is a Test: One of my favorite posters says, "Life is a test.
It is only a test. Had this been a real life you would have been instructed
where to go and what to do." Whenever I think of this humorous bit of
wisdom, it reminds me to not take my life so seriously.
As an experiment, see if you can apply this idea to something you are forced to
deal with. Perhaps you have a difficult teenager or a demanding boss. See if
you can redefine the issue you face from being a "problem" to being a
test. Rather than struggling with your issue, see if there is something you can
learn from it. Ask yourself, "Why is this issue in my life? What would it
mean and what would be involved to rise above it? Could I possibly look at this
issue any differently? Can I see it as a test of some kind?"
If you give this strategy a try you may be surprised at your changed responses.
For example, I used to struggle a great deal over the issue of my perception of
not having enough time. I would rush around trying to get everything done. I
blamed my schedule, my family, my circumstances, and anything else I could
think of for my plight. Then it dawned on me. If I wanted to be happy, my goal
didn't necessarily have to be to organize my life perfectly so that I had more
time, but rather to see whether I could get to the point where I felt it was
okay that I couldn't get everything done that I felt I must. In other words, my
real challenge was to see my struggle as a test.
Seeing this issue as a test ultimately helped me to cope with one of my biggest
personal frustrations. I still struggle now and then about my perceived lack of
time, but less than I used to. It has become far more acceptable to me to
accept things as they are.
Richard Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... and It's All Small Stuff, New
York, 1997
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Sermon Closer: God Has Called Your Name: Harry Emerson Fosdick was
one of the greatest American preachers of this century. He described his
preaching as counseling on a large scale. Few people knew that as a young
seminary student he reached the breaking point after working one summer in a
New York Bowery mission. He went home and was overcome by deep depression. One
day he stood in the bathroom with a straight razor to his throat. He thought
about taking his own life. And then -- and then he heard his father in the
other room calling his name, "Harry! Harry!" It called him back. He
never forgot it. It was like the voice of God calling him.
So I want to remind you today that in those times when you are in the wilderness, trying to find your way through, and when temptation comes and offers you the wrong answer, the wrong choice -- the wrong use of power, the way to popularity, the wrong kind of partnership -- then you remember that God has called your name: "This is my beloved son, my beloved daughter, in whom I am well pleased." And, you remember that because God has called your name He will see you through.
