BE PERFECT -- SOYEZ PARFAITS --

Once, to people gathered on the southern flank of a gentle slope rising from the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus was teaching those who had followed Him from Capernaum...

43) “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44) But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, 45) that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. 46) For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? 47) And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? 48) So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5; 43 - 48)

This teaching is the central reflection for this day around the Catholic world.  We Catholics have heard this so often that we don't think twice about it when we hear it again.  This morning was different.  When the young priest finally closed the book, he was chuckling to himself for all to see.  I can't quote him, but the equivalent of what he said is, "You gotta be kidding me!  That's just not natural.  Hey, a person can only take so much.  Enough already.  After all, human nature has its limits."

Then, short pause.  The young and inspired homilist resumes with great conviction, "Jesus came to lift us up above nature to offer us supernatural life."  Nature is not enough.  The Law is not enough.  When Jesus said that He had come to perfect the Law not to abolish it He announced the supernaturalization of the Law.  He announced that His coming was to change our way of life from obedience to the Law to the supernatural power of Virtue.  This supernatural nature that He came to plant in us makes it possible for us to love our neighbor (who is not yet our enemy), to pray for those who persecute us, and our neighbor too.  

As if all of that is already a bit much, Jesus nails it with the command that we "...Be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect."  Whoaa, there, Big Fella...are you serious?

Yes, He is serious.  The secret is in the striving.  The honest hard driving, dynamic focus on the Divine Presence in every minute of our natural lives.  The striving is the focus on the goal--Eternal Life in the Bosom of Abraham.  Everything that we do has to be done in the shadow and glimmer of the Pearly Gates.  We do that by centering on the fire of the Burning Bush, the fire of the Tongue of Pentecost and the weight of the Cross that we pick up every single morning as we walk through life with the sound of that command pounding in the depths of our soul, "Be perfect..." 

followed by the order, "Go forth, baptizing all people...."

We all rise to the invitation to lead loving, supernatural lives side by side with Him.  If we do it well, no one will cry at our funeral...Least of all, MINE.



Traduction:

43) "Vous avez entendu dire qu'il a été dit:" Tu aimeras ton prochain et déteste ton ennemi ". 44) Mais je te dis, aime tes ennemis, et prie pour ceux qui te persécutent, 45) afin que tu sois enfant de ton Père céleste, car il fait monter le soleil sur le mauvais et le bon, et fait tomber la pluie sur le juste et l'injuste. 46) Car si vous aimez ceux qui vous aiment, quelle récompense avez-vous? Les percepteurs ne font-ils pas la même chose? 47) Et si vous saluez seulement vos frères, qu'est-ce qui est si admirable à ce sujet? Les païens ne font-ils pas la même chose? 48) Soyez donc parfaits, tout comme votre Père céleste est parfait. (Matthieu 5; 43 à 48)

Cet enseignement est la réflexion centrale de ce jour autour du monde catholique. Nous, les catholiques, avons entendu cela si souvent que nous ne pensons pas deux fois quand nous l'entendons de nouveau. Ce matin était différent. Quand le jeune prêtre a finalement fermé le livre, il se mit à se rigoler devant tout le monde. Je ne peux pas le citer, mais l'équivalent de ce qu'il a dit est:  Ce n'est simplement pas naturel. Hé, une personne ne peut qu'en endurer jusqu’à un certain point, apres tout!  Assez déjà. Après tout, la nature humaine a ses limites. "

Ensuite, petite pause. L'homiliste, jeune et inspiré reprend avec grande conviction: "Jésus est venu nous élever au-dessus de la nature pour nous offrir une vie surnaturelle". La nature n'est pas suffisante. La loi ne suffit pas. Quand Jésus a dit qu'il était venu pour perfectionner la loi et non pas pour l'abolir, il a annoncé la "surnaturalisation" de la loi. Il a annoncé que sa venue devait changer notre mode de vie de l'obéissance à la loi au pouvoir surnaturel de la vertu. Cette nature surnaturelle qu'il est venu à planter en nous nous permet d'aimer notre prochain (qui n'est pas encore notre ennemi), de prier pour ceux qui nous persécutent et notre prochain.

Comme si tout cela était déjà une lourde charge, Jésus ajouta le dernier clou -- le commandement "... Soyez parfait comme notre Père céleste est parfait". Whoaa, là, Mon Pot ... est-ce que tu es sérieux?

Oui, il est sérieux. Le secret est dans l'effort. La conduite honnête et dure, le penchant dynamique sur la Présence Divine à chaque minute de notre vie naturelle. L'effort est l'astuce qui mène direct au but - La vie éternelle dans le sein d'Abraham. Tout ce que nous faisons doit être fait dans l'ombre et la lueur des Portes Celestes. Nous le faisons en nous concentrant sur le feu du Buisson Ardent, le feu de la Langue de Pentecôte et le poids de la Croix que nous ramassons chaque matinée et portons allègrement pendant que nous traversons la vie avec le son de cette commande battant au plus profond de notre Âme "Soyez parfait ..." qui est toujours suivi par "

Sortez, baptiser toutes les personnes ..."

Nous sommes inviter a mener une vie amoureuse et surnaturelle côte à côte avec Lui. Si nous le faisons bien, personne ne pleurera à nos funérailles ... et aux miennes, moins qu'a tous. 

43) "Oísteis que fue dicho." Ama a tu prójimo y odiarás a tu enemigo "44) Pero yo les digo: Amen a sus enemigos y oren por quienes los persiguen, 45) para que seas hijos de su Padre celestial, que hace salir el sol sobre malos y buenos, y hace caer la lluvia sobre justos e injustos. 46) porque si amáis a los que os aman, ¿qué recompensa recibirán? el colectores qué no hacen lo mismo? 47) Y si saludan solamente a sus hermanos, lo que es tan maravilloso al respecto? paganos qué no hacen lo mismo? 48) Sed, pues, vosotros perfectos, así como su Padre celestial es perfecto (Mateo 5; 43 a 48).

Esta enseñanza es la idea central de este día en todo el mundo católico. Nosotros, los católicos, hemos oído esta directiva tan a menudo que no pensamos dos veces cuando oimos le enesima repeticion.  Esta mañana era diferente. Cuando el cura joven finalmente cerró el libro, se echó a reír delante de todos. No puedo citar, pero el equivalente a lo que dijo es: Seguir este consejo no es en la naturaleza humana. Oye, una persona sólo puede soportar hasta cierto punto, después de todo! Ya es suficiente. Después de todo, la naturaleza humana tiene sus límites. "

Luego se debe romper las cadenas de la naturaleza humana.  "Jesús vino para levantar encima de la naturaleza para darnos una vida sobrenatural." La naturaleza no es suficiente. La ley no es suficiente. Cuando Jesús dijo que vino a perfeccionar la ley y no a abolirla, anunció la "supernaturalizacion" de la ley. Anunció que su llegada era para cambiar nuestro estilo de vida de obediencia a la ley en el poder sobrenatural de la virtud. Esta naturaleza sobrenatural que se trataba de sembrar en nosotros nos permite amar a nuestro prójimo (que no es nuestro enemigo), orar por los que nos persiguen y nuestros vecinos.

Como si todo esto ya era una carga, Jesús añadió la final de uñas - el ordeno "... Sed perfectos como nuestro Padre celestial es perfecto." Whoaa allí, mi cuate ... lo dices en serio?

Sí, es grave. El secreto está en el esfuerzo. El manejo honesto y duro, la dinámica, a la Presencia Divina cada minuto de nuestra vida natural. El esfuerzo es el chiste que conduce directamente a la meta - la vida eterna en el seno de Abraham. Todo lo que hacemos debe ser hecho en la sombra y la luz de las puertas Celestes. Hacemos esto por nosotros centrándose en el fuego de la zarza ardiente, el fuego de la lengua Pentecostal y el peso de la cruz que recogemos cada mañana y alegremente llevamos a medida que avanzamos por la vida con el sonido de este comando superando la obscuridad de nuestra alma "Sed perfectos ..." que siempre es seguido por "Ir, bautizar a todas las personas ..."


Te invitamos a vivir una vida sobrenatural y amorosa al lado de él. Si lo hacemos bien, nadie va a llorar en tus obsequios ... y a los míos, tanto menos.

THEY ARE FILLED WITH NEW WINE -- ILS SONT PLEINS DE VIN DOUX -- ESTÁN BORRACHOS

“Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?

8 Then how does each of us hear them in his own native     language?

9 We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants       of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and     Asia,

10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of          Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome,

11 both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and            Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own                  tongues of the mighty acts of God.”

12 They were all astounded and bewildered, and said to      one another, “What does this mean?”

13 But others said, scoffing, “They have had too much        new wine.”          [Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2]

Doesn't this sound familiar?  Of course it does.  We hear it every single day.  Let me start by one I've heard a lot, and still do, "Short man's syndrome cocky every step of the way!"  
"He's gotta be high on somethin'."
"If her brother weren't a cop she'd be in the 'big house.'"
"He's from the hills, he's got nothing to tell me."

The attitude of the people listening to the apostles wasn't new then and isn't new now. There is alway a possible denigration to anything that is said or created.  "I could'a been a doctor if I really wanted to."
We all suffer from this attitude to one degree or another. We practice it as a reflex action.  It is our way of asserting ourselves as being better that the other person.  The apostles were received with the same attitude that Jesus fought in the synagogue in His home town of Nazareth. No one said that He was drunk, but they sure put him down because He was just the carpenter's son.  It happened to him early in His public life and it happened early in the ministerial lives of the apostles. 

The Holy Spirit give us courage, zeal and wisdom because we need it.  The Holy Spirit is not a shield.  The Holy Spirit is a fire, a light, the wind in our sails.  Where are we sent to shine the light, to light the fire and to direct the ship?  Into the dark storm of reality.  That is what we learn on Pentecost Sunday.  We learn that Jesus knew exactly what He was saying when He told us, "Take up your cross daily and follow me."  (Luke 9:23)  We all know where that leads, to Calvary, to the Grave and to the Pearly Gates.



"Ces hommes qui parlent, ne sont-ils pas tous Galiléens?  8 Comment se fait-il alors que chacun de nous les entende dans son propre idiome maternel?  9 Parthes, Mèdes et Elamites, habitants de Mésopotamie, de Judée et de Cappadoce, du Pont et d'Asie,  10 de Phrygie et de Pamphylie, d'Egypte et de cette partie de la Libye qui est proche de Cyrène, Romains en résidence, 11 tant Juifs que prosélytes, Crétois et Arabes, nous les entendons publier dans notre langue les merveilles de Dieu!" 12 Tous étaient stupéfaits et se disaient, perplexes, l'un à l'autre: "Que peut bien être cela?" 
13 D'autres encore disaient en se moquant: "Ils sont pleins de vin doux!"

Ceci ne vous semble pas familier?  Bien sûr que vous l'avez reconnu!  Nous l'entendons chaque jour.  Permettez-moi de commencer avec ce que j'ai déjà entendu beaucoup, et que j'entends encore,

"le syndrome de l'homme court se voit a chaque pas de son chemin!" 

"Il est surement enivré de quelque chose."

"Si son frère n'était pas un flic, elle serait dans une chambre de la « grande maison »."

«Il est rien qu'un montagnard, il n'a rien à me dire."

L'attitude des gens qui écoutent les apôtres n'était pas nouvelle a cette occasion et ne l'est donc pas jusqu’à maintenant. Il est toujours possible de dénigrer tout ce qui est dit ou créé.  «J'aurais pu être médecin si je l'aurais vraiment voulu."

Nous souffrons tous de cette attitude à un degré ou un autre. Nous la pratiquons comme un acte réflexe.  C'est notre façon de nous affirmer comme étant meilleur que l'autre personne.  Les apôtres ont été reçus avec la même attitude que Jésus encontra dans la synagogue de sa ville natale de Nazareth. Personne n'a dit qu'il était saoul, mais ils l'ont insulte parce qu'il n'était personne autre que le fils du charpentier.  Ce qui lui est arrivé au début de sa vie publique, est arrivé au début de la vie ministérielle des apôtres.

Le Saint-Esprit nous donne le courage, le zèle et la sagesse, car nous en avons besoin.  Le Saint-Esprit n'est pas un bouclier.  Le Saint-Esprit est un feu, une lumière, le vent dans les voiles.  Où sommes-nous envoyés pour faire briller la lumière, pour allumer le feu et pour diriger le navire?  Dans la noirceur de la tempête de la réalité.  Voilà ce que nous apprend le dimanche de la Pentecôte.  Nous apprenons que Jésus savait exactement ce qu'il disait quand il nous dit: «Porte ta croix quotidiennement et suis moi."  (Luc 9:23) Nous savons tous où cela mène, au Calvaire, à la tombe et aux Portail Doré de la Jérusalem éternelle.

7 y se decían, llenos de estupor y admiración: «Pero éstos ¿no son todos galileos? ¡Y miren cómo hablan! 8 Cada uno de nosotros les oímos en nuestra propia lengua nativa. 9 Entre nosotros hay partos, medos y elamitas, habitantes de Mesopotamia, Judea, Capadocia, del Ponto y Asia, 10 de Frigia, Panfilia, Egipto y de la parte de Libia que limita con Cirene. Hay forasteros que vienen de Roma, unos judíos y otros extranjeros, que aceptaron sus creencias, 11 cretenses y árabes. Y todos les oímos hablar en nuestras propias lenguas las maravillas de Dios.»

12 Todos estaban asombrados y perplejos, y se preguntaban unos a otros qué querría significar todo aquello. 13 Pero algunos se reían y decían: «¡Están borrachos!»

¿Esto no suena familiar? Por supuesto que sí. Escuchamos algo parecido todos los días. Permítanme empezar por uno que he escuchado mucho, y todavía lo dicen, "síndrome del Hombre Corto engreído en cada paso del camino!"
"Tiene que ser alto en algo."
"Si su hermano no era un agente de la policía,  estaría en la 'casa grande'".
"Él es del rancho, que no tiene nada que decirme."

La actitud de la gente que escuchaba a los apóstoles no era nueva entonces y no es nuevo ahora. No todos los días una posible denigración a todo lo que se dice o creado. "Yo podria aver sido un médico si yo realmente quería."
Todos sufrimos de esta actitud en un grado u otro. La practicamos como un acto reflejo. Es nuestra manera de afirmar a nosotros mismos como siendo mejor que la otra persona. En la antiquidad se recibieron los apóstoles con la misma actitud que Jesús luchó en la sinagoga de su ciudad natal de Nazaret. Nadie dijo que él estaba borracho, pero seguro que lo dejó porque él era el hijo del carpintero. Se le sucedió temprano en su vida pública y ocurrió temprano en la vida ministerial de los apóstoles.

El Espíritu Santo nos da coraje, celo y sabiduría porque lo necesitamos. El Espíritu Santo no es un escudo. El Espíritu Santo es un fuego, una luz, el viento en nuestras velas. ¿Dónde estamos enviamos a brillar la luz, a la luz los abetos y para dirigir la nave? En la tormenta oscura de la realidad. Eso es lo que aprendemos el domingo de Pentecostés. Nos enteramos de que Jesús sabía exactamente lo que estaba diciendo cuando Él nos dijo: "Toma tu cruz cada día y sígame." (Lucas 09:23) Todos sabemos dónde lleva eso, al Calvario, a la tumba y las puertas del cielo.

R U HAPPY NOW THAT GOD KNOWS YOUR NAME?

23 DANI (DONI?) NICE WORK!

I have been on this earth for going on 78 years now.  I guess I still have a lot to learn. Since when are church pews qood advertising venues for those who want to make a mark for themselves, or should I say a mark of themselves?  I really should not be surprised since this is the crowning glory in a long history of immorality in this neighborhood.  

Ten years ago we came to this parish of St. Christopher upon the request of the priest who was then the pastor.  He said that he needed help.  That, as it turns out, was an understatement.  The amount and quality of help that was needed was more than one couple could begin to supply.  Not only was the functioning of the organization in need of great improvement, but the city in which the church is located needs more help than the church does.

Over the ten years of our stay here we have learned that anything that is not anchored to the core of the earth or locked deep into a mountain cave somewhere, will disappear. Simple locked doors and bolted collection boxes are not sufficient security.  There is nothing that can be protected from theft in this neighborhood.  Nothing.

Now it appears that the inside of the church is going to have to be guarded by trained Kodiak Bears living inside.  Looking at the name on the pew it looks like metal detectors and body X-Ray scanners are next.  Naturally, since this is a church, we have to expect things like this.  After all, we have been warned by the Apocalypse that there are places like this on the way to the Pearly Gates.  You just have to make it through and hope that the mighty angel will scoop you up and swish you away from the evil malefactors. 

23 DANI (or is it DONI?) is in fact making it challenging for us to try to find the key to the path leading to the way how to make any good come out of this hideous vandalism.  So far, it has been 12 or 14 hours since I have been trying to find out where the good thread is to be found in order to weave a nice warm blanket out of this Bison Mane hair.  Maybe ol' DANI was just devising a new prayer scheme; maybe working on some new runes that would make it easier for God to decipher when we earthlings need to communicate; it might be possible that he/she(?) was in practice mode to be the next Mr.Buonarotti. That may be a little far fetched because the Pietà moment is gone and Moses is no longer in style.   I have a clue that indicates that DANI has high ambitions.  Notice that the "i" has the dot on top of it?   This individual was in no way being rushed.  This bit of meticulosity shows that there was plenty of time and that the art was the true object.  So look for some good in all of this we must, but for the time being the one good that I would like to find is the neck of the buffoon who vandalized the church pew.

Despite my boiling blood, I nevertheless urge you to pray for the witless specimen who defaced the furniture and pray for me because I am still looking for the good that is going to come out of this.  

I have to find it if I want to be sure that you won't cry at my funeral.

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND SHARE YOUR SUFFERING WITH ME

Beloved:

Bear your share of hardship for the gospel

with the strength that comes from God.

He saved us and called us to a holy life,

not according to our works

but according to his own design

and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began,

but now made manifest 

through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus,

who destroyed death and brought life and immortality

to light through the gospel.   (Paul's 2nd letter to Timothy, Chapter 1, verses 8 to 10)

A strange thing happened to me as I was sitting in the pew listening to the lector deliver the second reading from Sacred Scripture.  It was read so perfunctorily that it is a good thing that it was short.  This gave me the time to look back on the moment not quite halfway through when the lector did not make the proper inflection to give the message its deepest meaning.  I highlighted the words that I thought should have been stressed, but were not.

These days we seem to be running away from the difficulties of life.  These days we are so full of the conviction that as long as we believe in Jesus that everything will be fine.  We are full of the conviction that Jesus and His Father are so merciful that they could not possibly be so displeased with us that they would condemn us to Hell for all eternity.  We are so comfortable with being surrounded by crosses that have no suffering represented on them that we ourselves don't feel called to join Jesus and consider the cross as the tool of torture that it really is.  Yes, we are so busy seeking the comfortable life that we have bleached suffering out of our lives.  

We don't like to think that the Cross is meant to be a part of our lives too. Jesus made a point of reminding us that we too have to carry our cross on the road of life.  Jesus came to show us the way to Salvation.  Jesus came to show us the value of sacrifice.  Jesus came to show us that to love is to serve and to serve is to die for those among whom we live.  Jesus came to show us that suffering is not a personal belonging.  Suffering is a shared way of life between us and Him.  A cross without Him on it reminds us of our desire for the easy way out.  It doesn't show us where He told us we should be.  In all three Synoptic Gospels His quoted words tell us where our place is.  St. Paul doesn't mince words either when he writes to Timothy.  If we want to get through the Pearly Gates, we have to share in the passion and death of Jesus...yes, a death on the cross.

Think about it.  Jesus saying that we have to take up our cross. St. Paul agreeing with Him and saying that we have to share in His hardship in the Gospel so that through His grace we can walk by His side and get through the narrow gate that leads to Heaven.  Don't take your eyes off your crucifix.  Remember that you have one of those to carry.  Remember that what leads up to death is not easy.  It's not necessarily painful, but it is necessarily difficult.  There is no easy road to salvation.  Anyone who thinks that there is, is delusional.  Remember, we don't get there by doing it our way...we get there by living according to His designs.

So, in the words of Jesus Himself:  "Stay ready because you know not the day nor the hour."  (Matt. 25;13)

When you remember that I wrote these words, you will have not the slightest inclination to cry at my funeral.