The New Gasparian

The New Gasparian

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A journal dedicated to the life and mission of St. Gaspar del Bufalo, and to a life lived in response to the call and the cry of the Most Precious Blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our on-going mission is to share good news of hope and communion.

Sunday, August 25, 2002

Memories

This would probably not be the homily I would preach this Sunday. I am still on vacation and will be going to Mass with some friends tomorrow at the Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi in San Francisco. However, reading this gospel always brings back memories of preaching this at Grandma’s church on the occasion of her 90th birthday. It was a surprise. She did not know I was coming. Grandma died at the age of 92 in 1995. She is still missed by us, and every word spoken on this occasion still rings true. So today, yes, I will think of Peter and the Petrine office. But I will also remember Grandma, the rock from which I am hewn.

Homily August 22, 1993 Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Preached in San Antonio, Texas, On the occasion of the Ninetieth Birthday of Iyleene Schmidt

I. This is an experience of Revelation

"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

If we say this as Peter,
not by flesh and blood revealing it to us,
but by the light from the Father in heaven
shining in our heart,
we too become as Peter,
being pronounced blessed as he was,
because the grounds on which he was pronounced blessed
apply also to us,
by reason of the fact
that flesh and blood have not revealed to us
that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God,

but the Father in Heaven has revealed this to us,
from the very heaven,
for the scriptures tell us that is where our homeland lies,
that our citizenship is in heaven,

Philippians 3:20
"our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."

It is this gracious Father revealing to us the revelation which carries up to heaven those who remove every veil from their heart, and recieve the spirit of the wisdom and revelation of God.

II.The Veil Has been Removed for those who profess faith in Christ

2 Corinthians 3:12-16
"Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness, {13} not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside. {14} .... that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside.. ... but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed."

So the veil is removed.
And if we have said like Peter,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,"
not as if flesh and blood had revealed it to us,
but by the light from the Father in heaven
having shone in our heart,
we have become Peter.

To us is said
by the Word made flesh,
You are Peter.
For a rock is every disciple of Christ
of whom those drank
who drank from the spiritual rock that followed them....

1 Corinthians 10:4
and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.

.... and upon every such Rock
is built ever word of the church,

and in each of the members
who have the combination of words and deeds and thoughts
which make up this blessedness
is the church,
the ekklesia,
this gathering called by God.
Each and every believer here
is incorporated into that rock
and reveals that rock to the world
in all your actions.

Matthew 7:24
"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise person who built their house on rock."

III.We can make this profession of faith in spite of weakness, darkness or doubt.

"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

The insight that Peter has spoken,
as inadequate as it will soon be proved to be,
is nevertheless an indication
that God has been at work in his life.

In spite of Peter's incompleteness,
even before Peter's complete misunderstanding
of who this Christ is supposed to be
Even before Peter's denial
before his fear, and his flight

Even so,
It is on this confession of faith that God will build this kingdom,
it is on this profession that God will work
and call to each person who makes this profession,
you are rock,
you too are peter,
on you I will build my church,
on you I will build the realization that "I am"
and that I am present to all at all times.

We sometimes have trouble seeing that Jesus has called us Peter.
We say we believe
We repeat the profession of faith
You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,

but when someone asks us to be Peter
when someone calls us to be the rock on which their church is built
we falter
much like Peter did

We think it is someone else's job
it belongs to pastor or priest
or to bishop or pope.

We fail like Peter fails.
We sink in the dark waters
We take Jesus aside and say
"God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you."
We become a stumbling block;
setting our mind not on divine things but on human things."
We fall asleep in the garden
and by our actions even deny him....

Luke 22:31-32
"Simon , Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, {32} but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your
brothers."

So we do not let doubt or darkness speak to us,
even our own fear and flight cannot prevent us
For this revelation does not rest on flesh and blood
But it is God in heaven who has revealed this to us.

We return to our profession of faith
"You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

And to the ones who profess this
Jesus replies,

You are Peter,
and on this rock I will build my church.

IV.The Face of Christ is revealed in our presence for those who
believe.

And the prophet asks us to pay attention to this Rock
pay attention to the rock of which we are a part
look to the Rock that gives us birth
and pay attention to the quarry from which we have been dug.

Isaiah 51:1-2
"Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness, you that seek the LORD. Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. {2} Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, but I blessed him and made him many."

Well, as far as I can see
I come from a good quarry
and if anyone can be Rock for her family
Iyleene Schmidt has been for her's.

In her humility she may not embrace everything I am to say about her, she may at times feel as incomplete and inadequate as Peter yet she is the rock on which God has built this family.

and as our ancestors who wandered through the desert were given to drink from the rock and all drank the same spiritual drink, and we have come to say of that Rock, the "rock was Christ," so this family has been given to drink from this rock, and the face of Christ has been revealed in this time and place.

For me, my experience of grandma has been an experience, of nourishment, warmth and encouragement.

She seemed to be able to feed the world. My home in California did not seem to be nearly as open as her house, and every journey to the MidWest was an experience of an abundance of meat, potatoes, salad, vegetables, and especially cookies and pies. Every journey through saw me leaving with a fresh coffee tin full of my favorite cookies. I can't look at a wilted lettuce salad without thinking of grandma, and I have the recipe for my favorite cookies in my bible next to a picture of Grandma Iyleene and Grandpa Richard.

My experience of grandma has been an experience, of nourishment, warmth and encouragement.

I can't remember a time when she wasn't making something for someone. Every family home in California has at least one afghan holding pride of place in the living room. All of them have come from grandma's talented and artistic hands. The one on my bed for the past nine years was a gift from grandma, and is one of the reasons that God hears a prayer for her every night, especially on the cold foggy nights in Berkeley.

My experience of grandma has been an experience, of nourishment, warmth and encouragement.

She has always taken an interest in her grandchildren, whether we have been good or whether we have strayed. She has an interest in all of us, and mentions most the ones she has not heard from in a while. On of my favorite times was when I lived in Illinois for a year and was only a couple of hours drive from her home. I got to visit her more then than ever before, and learned much about my family, and about myself. She has always taken an interest in my music, and it was a great a surprise and a real joy when she made the journey to California for my ordination.

The prophet speaks: "Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for she was but one when I called her, but I blessed her and made her many."

this is the rock
this is the rock on which this family is built
we have been hollowed from wonderful quarry
and in her have been given a experience of a Rock
who gave his all for his people.

In each of the members of this family
in all the members of this church
all who make this profession of faith in Jesus,
as Son of the living God
who have the combination of words and deeds and thoughts
which make up this blessedness
the church,
the ekklesia,
this gathering called by God.
Each and every believer here
is incorporated into that rock
and reveals that rock to the world
in all our actions.

All people who make this profession of faith with Peter are called to imitate this Rock and be the foundation on which Christ builds his kingdom. Today, however we are able to honor one of our own who for ninety years has been this rock for us, and say, with more joy than ever, Happy birthday.

posted by Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S. on 1:06 AM link
. . .

For our lax bishops:
and for me too

Deny yourself in the Blood of Christ crucified; drink deeply of the blood; fill yourself with the Blood; vest yourself in the Blood. If you have been unfaithful, be baptized again in the Blood; if the devil has clouded your intellectual vision, bathe your eyes in the blood; if you have been unappreciative of unrecognized gifts, be grateful in the Blood; if you have been a lax shepherd, forgetful of the rod of justice tempered with prudence, undo that in the Blood…In the heat of the Blood dissipate your tepidity. In the light of the Blood banish your darkness, so that you may be the spouse of the Truth and the true shepherd and guardian of the flock placed in your hands.

St. Catherine of Siena’s advice to Priests

posted by Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S. on 12:27 AM link
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