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> See Pictures > Back to Main Page Homily for July 17, 2005 THE FEAST OF ST. MARY MAGDALA
"Those who are just must be kind” are the words we just heard in the reading from the Book of Wisdom. Then Paul tells his community in Rome that “we don’t know how to pray as we ought and that the Spirit comes to aid us in our weakness and intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.
Very strong language -
Matthew’s account of the 3 parables about the Kingdom of God actually is the cornerstone to put this all in perspective.
So let us reflect on the two big lead-words of today:
JUSTICE AND KINDNESS
We are gathered here, we, who are church, we, who have committed ourselves to the reform movement in our church, the movement that was started here in our San Diego area 10 years ago.
It is our vision to foster peace, justice and love among our diverse selves, in our church, and in our world. Justice and kindness not only has to be lived in one’s own life but must be proclaimed. And Mary Magdala did just that. She did not arrive at the tomb of Jesus to remain there happy, knowing that he is no longer dead. No, she ran out to the apostles to proclaim the Good News. That was a natural for her that was what drove her that was what the Spirit enabled her to do. Did she or do we have that temerity in us through our own merits? No, we know that it is the Spirit who intercedes for us with those inexpressible groanings, as Paul reminds us.
These strong words are not used lightly and we can see the immensity of the results. How do we know that all this is truly so and fits into God’s plan?
Well friends, it comes clearly through in Jesus’ stories of the parables about how all things work in the Kingdom of God. It is imperative to know that the Kingdom of God, which Jesus talks about, is not something that happened in the past or something we are anticipating in the future, but it is an experience for followers of God right here and now.
It is, another words, the new life that Jesus talks about. So, we don’t have to get hung up on the, for us, antiquated word “kingdom”, but use instead the word New Life, which is experiences and moments when God is revealed to me in epiphanies.
Mary Magdala experienced God, the apostles experienced the Kingdom of God and only that way can the Kingdom of God be truly lived and proclaimed. Hearing and learning ABOUT God and then proclaiming God is one thing, but proclaiming God through experiencing God, believe me, is the real thing, is the ONLY thing. This is what comes through loud and clear today as we celebrate Mary Magdala. She listened to and learned from Jesus, just like we do. But experiencing the risen Jesus is what set her on fire.
It might be good to reflect often how God is revealed in my life. Not only is this necessary for a vibrant and personal relationship with God, but I need this in order to go out into the world with justice and kindness and love.
We all could tell our stories and perhaps we can do so later on during our social.
But let me tell you, my life has been full of God experiences, of epiphanies; some small and some quite significant. Someone once said to me to jot down these epiphanies on a slip of paper and stick it on the bathroom mirror as a daily reminder, how God is constantly working in my life; how God is in control, if I but let God.
Many of you know that I have been battling a serious health condition since the beginning of the year. The third day of my first hospitalization back in February brought some very low and very critical hours for me, during which I truly experienced the results of those inexpressible groanings of the Spirit. I felt too weak to pray, yet my thoughts focused simply on Jesus and my holding on to his hand. All that mattered to me was walking on his hand. It did not matter where we were going; as long as I was walking with him everything was all right. I totally felt no need to know whether or not he was walking with me to a healing or walking me home to my Creator god.
I felt the complete and perfect calm and trust and peace. And that image, that picture, the experience has stayed with me in all these months. It has sustained me consequently in other challenging situations. And best of all it has enabled me and empowered me to share and proclaim this experience, this epiphany with others who face illness or other challenges. Jesus’ proximity to me, just as he was to Mary Magdala at the tomb, compels me to go out and share the good news of the Kingdom of God. I can no longer remain at the spot of the encounter and keep the soft fuzzies of peace, joy and comfort to myself. The only way for them to multiply is to give them away.
It is so easy to say to Jesus with Peter on Mt. Tabor:
“Let’s build some huts and just stay here”. No, we must come down from the mountain top and live and proclaim the Kingdom of God down in the valley. The apostles did not remain in Emmaus either, after they encountered the risen Jesus and had received his peace. With very clear words Jesus sent them out into the world. And what about the time they were all gathered in the upper room on Pentecost? They had to go out into the square yielding to the Spirit’s inexpressible groanings.
We were given all the gifts of God’s Spirit, but the question is: do we really put them to use?
Great women of our time and before our time can serve as role models, just like Mary Magdala does.
In the 12th century we have Hildegard of Bingen who was uncannily brilliant and formidably strong.
She brought Knowledge to good will. She studied the great ideas of the time, wrestled with the great questions of the age. She scolded kings and confronted bishops who attempted to bring her spirit under the yoke of a lesser law than the one inscribed in her heart by the God whose mind she plumbed for truth and justice.
Catherine of Siena, in the thirteen hundreds, had Wisdom to follow her own path, distinct from the forms approved by either the church or the society.
When in the midst of political turmoil and division in the church, the Pope left Italy for the protection of the French court, she argued against it publicly to convince the Pope to return. Joan of Arc is a woman with a conscience and a mission, that threatened the status quo; she was bold. Her Fortitude, her ability to pursue under stress, her commitment to do right in the midst of horrendous wrong, mark her as a woman of grace.
The gift of Understanding is found in another great woman of the church: Teresa of Avila in the fifteen hundreds. She wed the physical and the spiritual dimensions of life into one great walk with God. She made it clear that the spiritual life was normal and the normal life was spiritual. She taught, having been declared the first woman doctor of the church. What many have yet to learn: women have a place as teachers of the faith (and I don’t mean just CCD teachers) of directors of souls and models of the spiritual life.
Yes, all these women had the New Life that Jesus talks about and in deed they LIVED it.
And how about the great women of our days; prophetesses, theologians and activists.
Just to name a few like; Joan Chittister, Jeannine Gramick, Edwina Gately, Dorothy Day. Are we like they ready to take ownership of the New Life?
We know that life only exists where there is growth, where there is evolvement which, of course, brings about change. I continuously have to ask myself: Am I willing to take a risk for change? I do believe and know that I also have God’s gifts of KNOWLEDGE, of WISDOM, of FORTITUDE, and of UNDERSTANDING in me. Am I willing to step out of my comfort zone and truly live that New Life and proclaim it today in this turbulent and threatening time in our church and in our society? Each of us has a choice. The infinite and personal love of God for each of us enables, empowers, and energizes us to do so. If we are truly alive then we have to take heart like Mary Magdala and proclaim that Kingdom of God, that New Life. We are Jesus’ hands and feet and ears and voice and we boldly step up to the plate and do our part to right the wrongs that prevail today. We must particularly focus and resolve the wrongs women have suffered throughout the millennia in society, but especially in our church. We must ban together in solidarity and be the voices for the thousands of those sexually abused in our church. WE ARE CHURCH and therefore, must speak out against the lack of transparency by the hierarchy, against the silencing of people in the church, against the sins of lack of inclusiveness, and above all the hierarchy’s refusal to dialogue. And how strongly we feel that especially here in our diocese.
We must find sisterly and brotherly love by making a concerted effort to build community within our local reform groups, just as we are doing today.
I hope we all feel encouraged to do some soul searching and that some real commitment to action will result from it. Call To Action has been on our map here for 10 years and, as every year, we are doing some evaluating and visioning and planning.
But this effort has to come forth from ALL church-reform-minded people. Only that way can the movement grow and be constructive.
I take it most of you already are members, but if you are not I urge you to look at our brochure and join us. I don’t want to end up with a pitch, but rather leave you with the words of Joan Chittister: “Social turbulence is sure sign that our faith must be rethought, reinterpreted, restated in the light of present circumstance if the faith itself is to survive assault from an arena that is not real threat to faith at all”. |