The Wisdom Of This World

This afternoon I've been playing with Matthew's beatitudes, seeking a strategy for preaching this coming weekend. Just for fun, though maybe I'll be brave enough to use it, I re-wrote them according to the unwisdom that we are encouraged to buy from the world that doesn't know God:

“Blessed are those with financial and national security,
for theirs is the kingdom of this world.

Blessed are they who feel good,
for they will be comfortable.

Blessed are the strong,
for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for success,
for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are those who are right,
for they will be shown respect.

Blessed are the smart,
for they will see how to get what they want.

Blessed are the Halliburtons and oil men,
for they will get rich from wars.

Blessed are they who can convince others of their righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of this world.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you.
Rejoice and be glad,
for they are only jealous of how well you’ve done for yourself.”

Whew

Ok! 490 posts all labeled for tag surfing.

Blogging

For a long time I've neglected the tagging of my posts. But I now realize, through tag surfing through other blogs, that I have to do it. But it's going to take a while to tag almost 500 posts.

Accountability

Every once in a while I realize that the clergy sexual abuse crisis remains the defining characteristic of the Catholic priesthood for many people. And in some ways, I'm glad.

I'm glad because it calls me to accountability. What is most heinous about the sexual abuse was not the abuse itself--as horrible as it is--but the failure of accountability on the part of pastors and bishops.

Everyone who has a public ministry in the Church, from the lector at weekdays Mass right up to the Pope, owes the people of God public accountability for the health of their vocation and their spirituality. I should be prepared for someone to come up to me and ask, "Do you remember when you were ordained deacon, and you promised to keep the daily Liturgy of the Hours for my sake and for the world? Are you faithful to it?" Or I should welcome my Capuchin brother who takes me to task for the hour of mental prayer I have promised to keep each day.

The Kingdom of God

Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!" My homily for this weekend is posted here.

Proud

All things to all people, said St. Paul, that he might save at least some of them.

Caution

Yesterday's Gospel has been sticking in my mind:

Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea. Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, "You are the Son of God." He warned them sternly not to make him known. (Mark 3:7-12)

We need to catch the irony. Despite all of the crowds following and pressing upon Jesus, it is the demons who know how to behave around him and who make the confession that he is the Son of God. It's a good caution to hear. It's good to remember in our own time of mega-churches, papal visits and World Youth Days that just because a huge group of people get together and make a lot of noise in the name of Jesus, it doesn't mean that they understand his message or what he himself means.

It's why we need to stay close to Jesus in the Scriptures, in prayer, and in holy communion.