~~~SisterSea~~~

Shared Homily Starter 1 st Reading:     Sirach ( Ecclesiasticus ) 15:15-20 2 nd Reading:    1 Corinthians 2:6-10 Gospel:            Matthew 5:17-37 Some of you may be unfamiliar with the source of the First Reading.   It is from Sirach, is also called the Wisdom of Sirach and also known as the Book of Ecclesiasticus.   This is one of the biblical books in the Orthodox, Anglican and Roman Catholic Bibles that is not found in Protestant Bibles. In today’s first reading, we hear that keeping the commandments and acting faithfully are choices we make.   When Jesus says in today’s Gospel that he has not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it, Jesus is talking about teaching us the right attitude and disposition in how we keep the commandments and act faithfully.   Jesus is not calling us to a new law but to a new way of life by teaching that the commandments must be percei...

Shared Homily Starter First Reading:             Malachi 3:1-4 Second Reading:        Hebrews 2:10-18 Gospel:                        Luke 2:22-40 One could look at today’s Gospel as suggesting that only a favoured few can perceive Jesus’ true nature and mission.   You might be tempted to think that only people who are able to perceive Jesus as a light for God’s revelation to the world are those who are righteous and devout like Simeon and those who fast and pray night and day like Anna.   Looking at the Gospel that way is limiting in several respects.   It limits Jesus experience as a human being; it limits his mission as God’s messenger; and it limits our ability to see the depths of God’s love for us.   As a human being, we can infer from the Gospel t...

Ecumenical Celebration of the Word Friday January 24, 2014   First Reading:   Isaiah 57:14-19 Second Reading:   1 Corinthians 1:1-17 Gospel Reading: Mark 9:33-41 This year’s theme “Is God Divided?” is really not the question but rather, “Are We Divided?”   In light of this, when I reflected on the today’s readings, the immediate phrase that came to mind is, “the devil is in the details”.   But I don’t think that’s quite right either.   The devil is not in the details but in which details take precedence.   The problems are in the details that divert us from the ability to work together for justice, to work together in loving kindness, and from walking humbly together with God. When we think of Christian Unity, many of us immediately envision the obstacles caused by the diversity and details in the doctrinal or confessional documents of our churches.   Perhaps, as the reading from Isaiah is suggesting, if God dwell...

First Reading:   Isaiah 60:1-6 Second Reading:   Ephesians 3:2-6 Gospel Reading:   Matthew 2:1-12 The first reading from what Biblical scholars call, Third Isaiah, was written at a time when God has fulfilled his promise and the Israelites were released from Babylon.   They were granted permission to rebuild the temple, which they started to do… but then they got caught up in rivalry and questionable activities for personal gain.   Their crops began to fail and there was drought and thing were generally not going very well.   Today’s reading opens with the announcement of light breaking forth in darkness as an image portraying God’s saving entry into the brokenness of human bondage and suffering. Arise, shine; for your light has come! the glory of Yahweh is rising upon you! Isaiah’s words are an affirmation that light will ultimately prevail even in situations so bleak as to threaten to extinguish the human spirit.   Such a ...

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...