~~~SisterSea~~~

First Reading:   Isaiah 9:2-7 Second Reading:   Titus 2:11-14 Gospel:   Luke 2:1-17 Last year at this time, all the hype about the Mayan prophecy served to divert the attention of many people.   In our part of the world at this time of year, every year, the diversion of shopping occupies people’s attention.   Today’s first reading contains another diversion, one of omission.   The omission is of this verse:   “For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire.”   This verse is immediately precedes the announcement of the child who has been born to us, named Wonderful Counsellor, and Prince of Peace.   People of faith must address people’s fears about apocalyptic diversions like Y2K and the Mayan prophecy.   This takes time away from raising people’s awareness of very real impending catastrophes such as global warming and dwindling potable water re...

This Sunday I didn't write a homily because what Marcus Borg wrote in Thinking About Advent was something I thought the community would benefit from hearing.  See you next time, Blessed Advent.

Feast of Christ the King - 24 November 2013 First reading: 2 Samuel 5.1-3 Second reading: Colossians 1.12-20 Gospel: Luke 23.35-43 For a long time now, the Feast of Christ the King has bothered me.   I wasn’t sure why.   Then one year, I think it was part of the 2000 Jubilee celebrations, the Feast of Christ the King was celebrated by whole the diocese at the Italian Centre near the PNE.   The homilist was extolling how the kingship of Christ was so different from earthly kings.   The words of the homily spoke of seeking heavenly riches instead of earthly riches.   These words were almost comical as the sunlight beamed on the sparkling jewels of the Eparchial Bishop’s mitre.   The theme of Jubilee is to release people from bondage and to let the Earth rest.   If we contrast West Georgia Street between Granville and Denman and East Georgia Street between Columbia and Commercial Drive, we see a micro picture of our nations and our ...

27 October 2013 - Priesthood Sunday Shared Homily Starter 1 st Reading:        Sirach 35:15-17, 20-22 2 nd Reading:       2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 Gospel:                         Luke 18:9-14 Today is priesthood Sunday.   The thread that weaves through today’s readings is humility:   Humility in prayer, humility in actions and relationships.   Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to attend the liturgy for the installation of a local pastor.   During the service the Archbishop read the functions of a pastor from Canon 519, specifically “he carries out the functions of teaching, sanctifying, and governing.”   Obviously, I disagree with Canon 1024 that says, “Only a baptized man can validly receive sacred ordination” but I also disagree with the two of the three functions of a p...

Shared Homily Starter 2 Maccabees 7.1-2, 7, 9-14 2 Thessalonians 2.16 – 3.5 Luke 20.27-38 The Second Book of Maccabees describes the struggle of the Jews for religious, cultural, and political independence from the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes.   Antiochus kingdom included present day Afghanistan , Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon and more.   He was a Greek, who by violence and persecution, sought to suppress the Jewish religion in his kingdom.     But the point of this book is to convey religious ideas or principles rather than historical facts.   Today’s reading shows that the some Jews believed in the idea of resurrection.     In the New Testament, we learn that the Pharisees did but the Sadducees did not.   More importantly, the message of today’s reading is that one should remain faithful to God even in the face of torture and death.   These Jewish brothers didn’t give up their lives only because of hope in ...

Shared Homily Starter 1st reading: 2 Kings 5.14-17 Psalm 98:1,2-3ab,3cd-4 (R.2b) 2nd reading: 2 Timothy 2.8-13 Gospel: Luke 17.11-19 This Monday is Thanksgiving Day in Canada and Columbus Day in the United States.   Today’s readings relate to the act of giving thanks but could also speak indirectly to the myth of Columbus.   Today’s first reading is a continuation of the story that began with Naaman, a member of the military elite, who suffers from leprosy, and travels from Aram to Israel to seek a cure from the prophet Elisha.   Elisha sends a messenger to tell Naaman to bathe in the Jordan River seven times.   Naaman becomes irate.   Such a demeaning task is beneath him.   To top it off, Elisha doesn’t come to him ─ a man of his station─ but sends a messenger.   Naaman’s servant, having a somewhat cooler head, reminds Naaman that had the task been harder, he would have done it, why balk because it’s easy.   So Naam...

Shared Homily Starter 1 st   Reading:          Amos 6:1a,4-7 Psalm:                    146:6c-7, 8-9a, 9b-10 2 nd Reading:           1 Timothy 6:11-16 Gospel:                   Luke 16:19-31 Today’s readings invite us to think about indifference and to remind us that our actions and interactions with others are an expression of our spiritual selves.   For example, in the first reading, Amos is talking to the elite, who have acquired their wealth and all its trappings and privileges, through exploitation of their underlings, the peasants and the poor.   Even their temple life has become an ostentatious show of wealth rather than worship.   Amos tells us they “sing idle songs to the sound ...

15 September 2013 – Shared Homily Starter First Reading: Exodus 32.7-11, 13-14 Second Reading: 1 Timothy 1.12-17 Gospel: Luke 15.1-32 When I pondered this week’s readings, a theme began to emerge.   Before I delve into the theme, I’d like you to consider a quote from Thomas Berry.   He said, “[O]ne of the basic difficulties of the modern West is its division into a secular scientific community, which is concerned with creative energies, and a religious community, which is concerned with redemptive energies.   So concerned are we with redemptive healing that once healed, we look only to be more healed.   We seldom get to our functional role within the creative intentions of the universe” (Berry 1988:25). When I considered this and looked at the readings again, I saw that what we need to be is not only co-creators but co-redemptors.   For example, in our first reading, have God’s promises to Noah and to Abraham been committed to forgetfu...

Shared Homily Starter First reading: Jeremiah 38.4-6, 8-10 Second reading: Hebrews 12.1-4 Gospel: Luke 12.49-53 If we look at the first reading in terms of today, we could say that the officials are synonymous with the heads of the military-industrial complex.   They ignore the warning signs and want to silence anyone who speaks out about what should be obvious.   In Jeremiah, we hear them say, “This man ought to be put to death, because he is discouraging the soldiers and everyone left in the city, by speaking such words to them. He’s not looking our for the   people, but wishes them harm.”   We hear this echoed today in words such as, “These people don’t care about the economy, or jobs.   They are anti-progress, anti-capitalism, anti-American or anti-Canadian.   In the reading, there is one man in the king’s house, who has seen through the rhetoric and tells the king as much.   Ebed-melech has also noticed the signs, the early warni...

In Solidarity with LCWR First Reading:    2 Corinthians 4:6-10; 16-18 Gospel :      Matthew 5:13-16    Today, along with Saint Clare, we are celebrating in solidarity with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious ( LCWR ).   Right now, under the scrutiny of Vatican-appointed Archbishop Sartain, they are holding their 2013 annual meeting.   Our Roman Catholic Church might persecute and abandon their own.   But, when we are doing the will of God, as the first reading says, we may be struck down but never destroyed.   In April 2012, the LCWR was chastised and put under the supervision of Archbishop Sartain.   They were charged with not speaking out enough against abortion and gay marriage, and for their radical feminism.   God, I think, saw things differently.   The sisters were honoured not only by the overwhelming support of people in the pews, but, last November, in "recognition of ...