Silencio Per Favore | November 20, 2015

 November 20, 2015

Today’s gospel takes place on the Monday before Christ’s passion and death. Needless to say human Jesus might have been just a little tense, I know I would be. The Luke account of Jesus in the temple is much more gentle than Matthew and Mark where he actually flipped over table and threw things. Have you ever been so mad that you just started throwing things? It feels pretty good; I’m not going to lie. There used to be this place called Sarah’s Smash Shack where you could bring in breakable things like old dishes and mugs and pay to throw them against the wall for fun, or to release tension. I never went there but it seemed like it would be very therapeutic.  Anyway, back to Jesus, he might have had some unwanted stress in his life, but his anger in this situation was completely justified. A mockery was being made out of the place reserved for and by God to be kept sacred. We have all probably experienced a sacred moment ruined by an annoying cell phone right? It completely destroys the moment and some people just can’t recover their focus once the mood is disrupted. Well imagine a freaking flea market, swap meet, or carnies at the Del Mar Fair heckling you for a sale as you walked into church. I know that I avoid salespeople at the mall like the plague and I would totally avoid church like the plague if I was being hit up for a new cell phone plan, or a miraculous hair straightener, or a cat calendar as I went in.

If you have ever been to St. Peter’s Basilica you may have experienced a bit of this kind of sentiment. While it is one of the most sacred spaces in the world, it is also a tourist trap whereupon people of all walks of life, faith traditions or not, come to see the beauty of the architecture, sculptures, magnificent altars, etc. It can get a little loud and crazy for sure with dozens of guided tours taking place, cameras everywhere, and the environment can easily become irreverent. The Sistine Chapel has a bit of a different feel because there are Swiss Guards there announcing every so often when the room fills with talking, “Silencio, per favore” and there is absolutely no photography allowed. The place is almost completely quiet and everyone’s eyes are looking up at the magnificent piece of art on the most famous ceiling in the world. The environment is sacred even though all the same people from St. Peter’s are there. One word, one act, SILENCE, changes everything. I feel like this captures Jesus’ spirit in today’s gospel.

Jesus had been dealing with a lot of scrutiny from the Pharisees and ignorance in general for quite some time and I think this as just the last straw for him. My patience for teens and middle schoolers is unusually high, except when they decide to mess around during prayer time…I just can’t tolerate them stealing the moment set aside for God. Today’s gospel calls us to check our own reverence and also to understand that one of the only things that made Jesus truly angry was when his Father’s house was being dishonored. We need to get our priorities in line, with God at the very top so that everything else flows from and under that umbrella of grace and that means keeping sacred places holy. With Advent around the corner, we can start anew and reclaim a sanctified space reserved only for God, where SILENCE changes the environment from chaos to peace so that awe and wonder can lift our eyes and hearts toward the one who made us.

Here is a poem that I wrote specifically about the Sistine Chapel on my last trip to Rome. God bless your day.

The Chapel

By Jen Bedison

Silencio, per favore.

Quiet please.

No fotos.

No photos necessary when viewing glory.

      One can never forget. Necks strained and heads almost dizzy with wonder and awe.

The colors, the colors, the colors.

Shapes, shadows, perspective, scale.

The masterpiece and genius of a man living out his call.

      Reluctant but faithful.

      Stubborn but pliable.

      Oppressed and yet somehow free.

What have you done Michelangelo?

      You have caused millions of people to look to the heavens with hope.

I only wish I could have such an impact on this world.

You would never have imagined the gift that you were creating

                                                                                                         while lying on your back, bitter and longing for something more.

I thank you for changing the world and for giving us all a glimpse into the glory of God.

If these walls, if this ceiling could speak, they would proclaim, “well done good and faithful servant.”

Reading 1 1 MC 4:36-37, 52-59

Judas and his brothers said,
“Now that our enemies have been crushed,
let us go up to purify the sanctuary and rededicate it.”
So the whole army assembled, and went up to Mount Zion.

Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month,
that is, the month of Chislev,
in the year one hundred and forty-eight,
they arose and offered sacrifice according to the law
on the new altar of burnt offerings that they had made. 
On the anniversary of the day on which the Gentiles had defiled it,
on that very day it was reconsecrated
with songs, harps, flutes, and cymbals.
All the people prostrated themselves and adored and praised Heaven,
who had given them success.

For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar
and joyfully offered burnt offerings and sacrifices
of deliverance and praise.
They ornamented the facade of the temple with gold crowns and shields;
they repaired the gates and the priests’ chambers
and furnished them with doors.
There was great joy among the people
now that the disgrace of the Gentiles was removed.
Then Judas and his brothers and the entire congregation of Israel
decreed that the days of the dedication of the altar
should be observed with joy and gladness
on the anniversary every year for eight days,
from the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev.

Responsorial Psalm 1 CHRONICLES 29:10BCD, 11ABC, 11D-12A, 12BCD

R. (13b) We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.
“Blessed may you be, O LORD,
God of Israel our father,
from eternity to eternity.”
R. We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.
“Yours, O LORD, are grandeur and power,
majesty, splendor, and glory.
For all in heaven and on earth is yours.”
R. We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.
“Yours, O LORD, is the sovereignty;
you are exalted as head over all.
Riches and honor are from you.”
R. We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.
“You have dominion over all,
In your hand are power and might;
it is yours to give grandeur and strength to all.”
R. We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.

Alleluia JN 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 19:45-48

Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out
those who were selling things, saying to them,
“It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer,
but you have made it a den of thieves.”
And every day he was teaching in the temple area.
The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile,
were seeking to put him to death,
but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose
because all the people were hanging on his words.

God Cried | November 19, 2015

November 19, 2015

One of my favorite places to pray is on the top of a mountain or a cliff overlooking a spectacular view. I love the perspective I get when I am high up looking down. For some reason it humbles me in such a way to see just how small things are if seen from a distance. Somehow my problems decrease as my awe and wonder increase. The air feels different on a ledge as well. The wind is more prominent, more present, more vibrant. The Spirit is more prominent, more present, more vibrant. When I am on a mountain, a cliff, or a building it means that I have climbed there in some way, which is of course another exercise with spiritual richness that sets me up beautifully for my prayer time at the top. Some of my favorite high places to pray are: The Forum in Rome, Sunset Cliffs in San Diego, Acadia National Park in Maine, the top of St. Peter’s dome, and any hill in Assisi, Italy. (This is why I can’t live in the Midwest…I need hills and ocean!!!)

There’s a wall overlooking the entire Roman Forum that I discovered at sunset on one of my many trips to Rome. I sat there with my journal and wrote poetry as the sun set over an ancient ghost town filled with incredible stories of Christians, pagans, barbarians, kings, dreamers, lovers, saints, and sinners. It was this particular writing session that woke up the dormant writer that I had insecurely put to rest for many years of feeling not good enough or not smart enough. Words began to pour out onto the page and I felt like a floodgate had been opened from a high place of prayer and meditation.

Sunset Cliffs is a stretch of precarious coastline just south of Ocean Beach in San Diego and has been my personal prayer spot since I was in high school. I go there often and I have various places where I just sit and soak in all that the ocean has to tell me. My newest prayer practice at Sunset Cliffs is to stand close to the edge and sing the song Oceans directly to the ocean! I have a Good Friday tradition to spend at least some time at the Cliffs to meditate on the Passion of Christ and to do an annual assessment of my own spiritual life, and I think today’s gospel is the inspiration for that tradition.

My prayer time in each of these places has been rich, deep, and I have been moved to tears in all. Praying from a high place always puts me in a pensive mood, not in a brooding kind of way, but more of a seeing the whole picture moment of grace. Today’s gospel is an example of Jesus praying from a high place, which he did often, and contemplating the big picture. Have you ever known that someone was about to break up with you? Have you ever had a deep down feeling of gloom or doom? I think tapping into both those kinds of recollections might help when meditating on the gospel from today. Jesus had literally just entered Jerusalem with all the honor that a king would receive. The crowds laid down their cloaks for his donkey to walk on, palm branches representing their independence from Rome were used to show the highest honor, hosannas resounded along with “blessed be the name of the LORD!” He received the whole royal treatment.

I love me a grand entrance whether it be the final design on the runway of a fashion show whereupon the crowd affirms the designer with their stupendous oohs and awes, or when the beloved lead walks on the stage of a popular musical and the audience spontaneously applauds, to the final bows of an excellent performance, or when ^★NSYNC hovers over the audience on a flying stage, or when the guest of honor arrives at their own surprise party, or when the Pope Mobile drives by your place in the crowd…grand entrances are pretty darn exciting!!! There’s an icebreaker question that comes up every now and then: what song would you like played every time you enter a room (i.e. Hail To The Chief)? I go back and forth between Celebration and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun for my entrance song! Jesus’ grand entrance was filled with HOSANNAS and knowing Jesus, he enjoyed this time of praise thoroughly. It was right that people were praising the Lord and I think that similar to Pope Francis, Jesus was completely engaged in the moment and gave his all to everyone there to see him.

It wasn’t until he found himself in a high place when reality sunk in and that doom and gloom feeling from seeing the big picture of the next week of his life caused Jesus, God, the Savior of the World to cry. I don’t know about you but seeing strong people cry always gives me the chills whether they are male or female and the thought of God weeping buckles my knees. He prayed and wept over Jerusalem, which literally means the city of peace. His heart was soon to be broken, his body tortured, and his best friends would betray him, deny him, and abandon him. Have you ever been betrayed, denied, or abandoned? These are usually not things that we anticipate in our lives and they almost always come as a blindsided surprise, but Jesus knew that all of those things lay ahead of him…I would weep too. But the good thing about seeing the big picture is that you can also see the other side, the resurrection. It takes a high place of prayer to give us wider perspective, and the view, even though it is of a valley, is indeed spectacular.

I pray that we each have an opportunity to go to a high place and look out so as to see the other side of the valley, where resurrection waits for us.

Reading 1 1 MC 2:15-29

The officers of the king in charge of enforcing the apostasy
came to the city of Modein to organize the sacrifices.
Many of Israel joined them,
but Mattathias and his sons gathered in a group apart.
Then the officers of the king addressed Mattathias:
“You are a leader, an honorable and great man in this city,
supported by sons and kin.
Come now, be the first to obey the king’s command,
as all the Gentiles and the men of Judah
and those who are left in Jerusalem have done.
Then you and your sons shall be numbered among the King’s Friends,
and shall be enriched with silver and gold and many gifts.”
But Mattathias answered in a loud voice:
“Although all the Gentiles in the king’s realm obey him,
so that each forsakes the religion of his fathers
and consents to the king’s orders,
yet I and my sons and my kin 
will keep to the covenant of our fathers.
God forbid that we should forsake the law and the commandments.
We will not obey the words of the king
nor depart from our religion in the slightest degree.”

As he finished saying these words,
a certain Jew came forward in the sight of all
to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein
according to the king’s order.
When Mattathias saw him, he was filled with zeal;
his heart was moved and his just fury was aroused;
he sprang forward and killed him upon the altar.
At the same time, he also killed the messenger of the king
who was forcing them to sacrifice,
and he tore down the altar.
Thus he showed his zeal for the law,
just as Phinehas did with Zimri, son of Salu.

Then Mattathias went through the city shouting,
“Let everyone who is zealous for the law
and who stands by the covenant follow after me!”
Thereupon he fled to the mountains with his sons,
leaving behind in the city all their possessions.
Many who sought to live according to righteousness and religious custom
went out into the desert to settle there.

Responsorial Psalm PS 50:1B-2, 5-6, 14-15

R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
God the LORD has spoken and summoned the earth,
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Gather my faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Offer to God praise as your sacrifice
and fulfill your vows to the Most High;
Then call upon me in time of distress;
I will rescue you, and you shall glorify me.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Alleluia PS 95:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 19:41-44

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
“If this day you only knew what makes for peace–
but now it is hidden from your eyes.
For the days are coming upon you
when your enemies will raise a palisade against you;
they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.
They will smash you to the ground and your children within you,
and they will not leave one stone upon another within you
because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

A Commando Performance | November 17, 2015

November 17, 2015

Have you ever had a wardrobe malfunction like losing your bathing suit to a relentless wave at the beach? Or have you ever gone through an entire dinner party with spinach in your teeth and no one told you? One time I was walking across the church during Confirmation mass with a packed house, of course, and my wedge heel toppled and I fell down for everyone to see. There is the proverbial toilet paper trailing behind someone right after they exit the bathroom. Ladies have been known to get their skirts wadded up in their panty hose exposing their backsides. And the iconic picture of Marilyn Monroe in her stunning white dress standing over a street vent makes that embarrassing moment seem so glamorous and classy. You’re probably wondering where the heck I’m going with all of this. Today’s gospel has a potentially embarrassing moment in it that grabbed my attention and made me really love the kind of friend that Jesus is.

It’s the classic story of the short rich guy named Zacchaeus.  I get a chuckle out of the fact that everyone to ever read this story in all of history knows that Zacchaeus was short. I wonder how short exactly and I just picture Danny DeVito always. I also picture Zacchaeus having Danny DeVito’s tenacity because the first thing we know about him is that he was bound and determined to get a look at this famous guy named Jesus.  The narrative says, “he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus.” My Bible Study teacher, Kevin Saunders, says that Middle Eastern men absolutely did NOT run especially wealthy ones. So right away we know that Zacchaeus was bold, and his next move proves it! He climbs a tree, which is another thing that Middle Eastern men would never do!! Can you take a guess as to why Middle Eastern men did not climb trees??? Yep, like an authentic Scotsman, there is nothing underneath that kilt or, in Zacchaeus’ case, that tunic. He was giving the crowd a commando performance! Just keeping it real people. Zacchaeus was willing to let it all hang out there just to get a glimpse of Jesus (I know it’s cheesy but I couldn’t resist)!

I can just picture Jesus’ attention being pulled by all the people pointing up and mocking poor foolish little Danny DeVito Zacchaeus in a tree! Jesus’ heart immediately went out to him. He’s the friend that would tell you about the spinach in your teeth or take the “kick me” sign off of your back. It says that, “Jesus looked up and said, ‘Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.’” Let’s focus on the fact that “Jesus looked up”!! He probably looked up and thought, “Awe nuts!! Zacchaeus, get down here right now! Put that thing away! No one needs to see that! What were you thinking???” But, instead he honors Zacchaeus in this shameful situation by choosing to dine with him in his home. You might think I am going out on a limb (hee hee, the pun) with this commando performance scenario, but I do think there is some validity to it. Jesus saw that Zacchaeus was being mocked and ridiculed (he was also the chief tax collector – boo, hiss, boo, hiss!), when all he wanted was to merely see Jesus, and Jesus in turn made a sincere effort to go to him and to invite himself into his home and more intimately into his life. Jesus doesn’t need much to draw his heart towards ours and sometimes it might even be our foolishness that gets his attention where his compassionate spirit moves in immediately to save us from disgrace. You see it does go deeper than just an indecent exposure. Zacchaeus not only exposed his junk, he exposed his heart, and Jesus could not help but to befriend him. I am convinced that Jesus’ whole interaction with Danny DeVito in the tree that day was done with a huge smile on his face because he delights in us most especially when we are willing to put ourselves completely out there, exposed and vulnerable, for his sake.

Because Jesus treated Zacchaeus with complete dignity in an undignified situation, he was willing to respond accordingly, "But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.  For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.’” Jesus wants to save us, he wants to find us and for us to find him. He’s willing to meet us in any situation if we but try to see him. Let’s not let our weak or short stature deter us from looking for Jesus and welcoming him into our home.

I am sure the Zacchaeus story was a family favorite for years to come in both Zacchaeus’ household (“Hey remember the time dad climbed a tree and flashed the Savior of the World?!!!!”) as well as among Jesus’ disciples (“Hey remember the time when Jesus pulled the nut job Zacchaeus out of the tree?!!!!”). Jesus wants your exposed heart today and every day so that he can come and dwell there as your true friend who delights in you.

P.S. When I did an Internet search to find out the correct spelling for Danny DeVito, I learned that today is his birthday!! How funny is that?

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious
Lectionary: 498

Reading 1 2 MC 6:18-31

Eleazar, one of the foremost scribes,
a man of advanced age and noble appearance,
was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork. 
But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement,
he spat out the meat,
and went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture,
as people ought to do who have the courage to reject the food
which it is unlawful to taste even for love of life. 
Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately,
because of their long acquaintance with him,
and urged him to bring meat of his own providing,
such as he could legitimately eat,
and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice
prescribed by the king;
in this way he would escape the death penalty,
and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him.
But Eleazar made up his mind in a noble manner,
worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age,
the merited distinction of his gray hair,
and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood;
and so he declared that above all
he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God.

He told them to send him at once
to the abode of the dead, explaining:
“At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense;
many young people would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar
had gone over to an alien religion.
Should I thus pretend for the sake of a brief moment of life,
they would be led astray by me,
while I would bring shame and dishonor on my old age.
Even if, for the time being, I avoid the punishment of men,
I shall never, whether alive or dead,
escape the hands of the Almighty.
Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now, 
I will prove myself worthy of my old age,
and I will leave to the young a noble example
of how to die willingly and generously
for the revered and holy laws.”

Eleazar spoke thus,
and went immediately to the instrument of torture.
Those who shortly before had been kindly disposed,
now became hostile toward him because what he had said
seemed to them utter madness.
When he was about to die under the blows,
he groaned and said:
“The Lord in his holy knowledge knows full well that,
although I could have escaped death,
I am not only enduring terrible pain in my body from this scourging,
but also suffering it with joy in my soul
because of my devotion to him.”
This is how he died,
leaving in his death a model of courage
and an unforgettable example of virtue
not only for the young but for the whole nation.

Responsorial Psalm PS 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (6b) The Lord upholds me.
O LORD, how many are my adversaries!
Many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”
R. The Lord upholds me.
But you, O LORD, are my shield;
my glory, you lift up my head!
When I call out to the LORD,
he answers me from his holy mountain.
R. The Lord upholds me.
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
R. The Lord upholds me.

Alleluia 1 JN 4:10B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God loved us, and sent his Son
as expiation for our sins.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 19:1-10

At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, 
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature. 
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, 
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.” 
And he came down quickly and received him with joy. 
When they saw this, they began to grumble, saying, 
“He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.” 
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over.”
And Jesus said to him,
“Today salvation has come to this house
because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. 
For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost.”