What it means to be a Holy Priest

Lord, after Mass this morning and passing homeless living on our city streets, you remind us of what the Mass and the priesthood is all about. In the words of St. Peter you speak . . . “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the goodness of God who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”   1 Peter 2:9

Lord, it is here in the words of the Saint that you remind us that we are a royal priesthood, meaning that just as the priests of the temple had to make sacrifices for the brokenness and sinfulness of the refugees, migrants, immigrants and homeless people of lost Israel; so we too are priests called to minister to the poor and the empty. It is that charity that makes us "holy."

The essence of priesthood is poverty and brokenness. And so Lord, we discover as it was in your day, errant priests became deceived and thought their office was about power, pride, prestige and titles. Yet, in your own person you abolished that notion and revealed to us the royal priesthood is first and foremost not about pride, power and control, but it is a participation in the poverty and emptiness of the priesthood of the suffering Christ; who though he was rich, he emptied himself and became poor and thus has become our model high priest.
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Wounded Spirits

By Michael

One day I was taking a break from my kitchen duties in the smoking section of the all-women’s shelter where I was doing my missionary work.  One of the new women came up to sit and stare at the wall in front of us.  She was in a daze, that same look of shock and disbelief that I had seen before in the eyes of other women new to the streets, but there was something else that I recognized in her eyes.  I sensed that she had a wounded spirit.  My sympathetic instincts told me that her psyche had been injured in a way which I was personally familiar.  I broke the silence between us.  “How are you doing?”

“I don’t know,” she mumbled, “I can’t believe I’m here.”

“Better than being on the streets-at least it’s safe.”

“I know, and I’m grateful.  But I…”  She just shook her head, staring at the wall.

“You mind if I ask you something personal?”  She just looked at me out of the corner of her eye. 

“What kind of childhood did you have?  I mean . . . happy?  Sad?”  She didn’t answer.  She just stared at the wall in front of us.  “I’m gonna’ tell you something that I haven’t shared with too many people.”  I took a deep breath and let out a sigh.  “I was attacked when I was about five years old.”  She turned her head a couple of inches in my direction.  “I was goofing off in the bathroom and had made a mess.  My mom came into the bathroom and completely lost it.  She ended up putting me over her knee, she tore down my pants, and she sodomized me with a foreign object.”  Painful silence.  “I had an out of body experience.  My mind floated over what was happening.  I could see what she was doing to me. I could hear my squeals of horror.  I re-entered my body as she told me to clean up the mess.”  The woman looked at me with tears in her eyes.  “For years I pretended that I could make myself invisible-you know-if no one can see you no one could hurt you.”  I clasped my hands together and stared at the ground between us.  “I thought about suicide all the time.  Became self-destructive with drugs and alcohol.”  I glanced at the broken woman sitting next to me.  Her gaze was focused inward.  “When I got to be a young adult, when the drugs and booze didn’t kill me, I started to push people away from me.  I didn’t want them to get too close to me; I knew all they’d do is hurt me.  I didn’t trust anyone - I mean ANYONE!  You know what I mean?”  We looked into each other’s eyes as she shook her head yes.  “Did something like that happen to you?”

She  stared at the wall in front of us.  Her mouth was open, like she wanted to say something, but just couldn’t get the words out.  Finally, after another painful silence, she whispered a confession.  “My father raped me when I was a little girl.”  Tears were streaming down her face.  “I never told anyone - I was so ashamed.”

“Strange how we blame ourselves . . . hate ourselves . . . even though we were the ones who were victimized.  We have our innocence as children taken from us and we end up punishing ourselves for something that wasn’t our fault.”  All she could do was stare at that wall, cheeks wet with tears, nodding her head in intimate acknowledgment of my sentiments.  More silence.

“Well, I have to get back to the kitchen.  Lots to do.  Can you do me a favor?”  We made eye contact.  “Always remember that you’re a special person.  You deserve Love, and you deserve to Love others.  Don’t let anyone ever tell you different.”

She stood up with me and did something I wasn’t expecting.  She gave me a big hug.

“Thank you Michael”

I gave her a smile.  “Thank you.  Always remember that you deserve to be Loved.”
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Refresh your Friend's Hunger with your Bread

By Fr. Adam of Perseigne

 Therefore, dear friend, when a festival has rejoiced your heart, thanks to the love poured out upon it, think of me as sharing in the inward celebration and do not make the good conferred on you only your own, but in your happiness remember your friend, still a beggar outside. I say, break your bread for the beggar and your hungry friend. For in this you will prove yourself truly a friend if you refresh your friend's hunger with your bread. Your bread is Christ, your bread is charity, your bread is prayer, your bread is remorse expressed in your tears, by which you wash away not only your own sins but those of your friends. With such breads the holy prophet claims that he is refreshed day and night saying: "My tears have been my bread day and night." Surely the more he was fed by this bread the stronger he became to bear the burden of others.

Adam of Perseigne († 1221) was an abbot of a monastery in France and a counselor to nuns, priests and kings.

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Never Second Guess Any Act of Compassion

By James A. Martin

Last week, walking from the San Diego convention center to my hotel, I passed a homeless woman. She was sitting on a low-lying brick retaining wall, not far from Petco Park. I didn't think much about her then--but she has been on my mind almost every day since.

That's because I was a jerk to her, though she didn't know it.

I'd been attending an online marketing conference. As a conference attendee, I was entitled to a free boxed lunch every day. That afternoon, my intention was to get the food, take it back to my hotel, and eat it poolside. It was a cloudless, warm afternoon, and I couldn't wait to absorb the sun.

En route to my hotel, I saw the homeless woman. She was in the same position I'd seen her in when I passed by her that morning, except now she held a plastic bag up to one side of her face to block the sun. Next to her was a small cart of assorted belongings. She took no notice of me, and I gave her only a quick glance.

And yet, in that moment, my instinct was to stop and offer her my boxed lunch. Instead, I second-guessed myself (an expertise of mine). Giving homeless people food and money only encourages them to stay on the streets, right? Since I give money to homeless organizations every year, I shouldn't have to surrender my sandwich too, right? And how do I know she hadn't eaten? How do I know she would trust food from a stranger?

In my hotel room, I opened the box and suddenly had absolutely no interest in it. It was the same conference-quality sandwich I'd eaten the previous two days. So I dropped the sandwich in the trash and proceeded to the pool.

To my dismay, I discovered the hotel wasn't offering food or beverage service at the pool, nor could you have room service deliver lunch there. Instead, I had to go to my room, find the hotel restaurant menu, call in my order, have the restaurant call my cell phone when it was ready, then go down and pick it up.

How ridiculous and unaccommodating the hotel was being, I thought, irritated. And then it hit me: This wasn't just an inconvenience. This was payback time, a life lesson. I was having to work for the food I wanted, and rightly so, because I hadn't even bothered to offer the food I didn't want to someone who probably could have used it. Instead, I had callously discarded it.

I'm not proud of this, by the way. However, I'm glad I realized what I'd done, and I decided to start making amends right away. Before checking out of my room, I left a large tip and a thank-you note for the maid. I realize this wasn't the same as offering food to a homeless person. But it was a start. And it's my hope that in the future, I won't second-guess any act of compassion.

More on the Internet:  James authors a wonderful blog:  A Southerner in San Francisco - Eating Fried Chicken in the Fog and Other Tales at: http://james-a-martin.blogspot.com

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Don't Sit and Stay for Long

The American-Statesman in Austin, Texas reports that a 6-year-old ordinance aimed at keeping the homeless from lingering in front of downtown shops, homes and bars now makes exceptions for people with disabilities.

Prior to April 30, 2011 no one was permitted to sit or lie down in downtown Austin, Texas. Now, new rules generously allow people with physical or mental disabilities to sit or lie on the sidewalk for up to 30 minutes.

Homeless advocates say this change is needed because many homeless people have disabilities that force them to rest. But some are wary of the new exceptions to the law, fearing that it will exacerbate begging, public drunkenness and safety problems.

Although the ordinance applies to everyone in the downtown area, the majority of tickets are issued to homeless people, said Richard Troxell, founder of House the Homeless.

In 2009 , 96 percent of the 2,729 tickets issued went to homeless people, he said. Advocates came up with that number by looking at the addresses listed on the tickets, such as the Salvation Army or local churches.

Efforts to revamp the sit-lie ordinance began in the spring of 2010 after homeless people were ticketed for sitting down in line while waiting for service at a downtown health clinic, Troxell said. Homeless advocates claimed the practice was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act because some of the people being ticketed had disabilities and the city needed to make reasonable accommodations for them.

After months of discussion, the Austin City Council voted in March to allow exemptions to the law. Under the new rules, people with medical problems — such as diabetes, mental illness, heart problems or cerebral palsy — can sit or lie down for up to 30 minutes.

If someone receives a ticket, they must to prove to the court that they have a disability and were experiencing a medical problem that forced them to rest at that moment.

Records from the Community Court show that many violations of the sit-lie ordinance do end up in the criminal justice system. Of the 3,131 tickets issues in 2010, almost 25 percent (772) resulted in arrest warrants because the accused did not appear in court or comply with a court agreement.
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One Man Still Vibrates with Life

By Fr. Henri-Dominique Lacordaire

Striving for love all our lives, we never achieve it except in so imperfect a manner that our hearts bleed. But even if, while living, we were to achieveI, what would remain of it after death? After our death the prayers of our loved ones would follow us into the next world, a pious memory would still pronounce our name; but soon heaven and earth move a step forward, oblivion falls upon us, silence covers us, love’s ethereal breeze no longer ripples over our tomb. It is finished; it is forever finished. Such is the history of man in search of love.

But I am mistaken! For there is one man whose tomb love still guards; there is one man whose sepulcher is not only glorious, as the prophet says, but whose sepulcher is loved. There is one man whose ashes have not cooled after nineteen centuries and who is born anew each day in the thoughts of a multitude of men. There is one man who is dead and buried but whose sleep and awakening is closely watched and whose words still vibrate with life, giving birth not only to love but also to virtue fructifying in love. This man has been attached to a cross for centuries; but each day thousands of people who adore him take him down from his thrown of suffering: they kneel before him, they prostrate themselves as low as they can before him, they kiss his bleeding feet with inexpressible ardor.

This man was scourged, crucified, and killed; but an unspeakable love resurrected him from death and from infamy; it placed him in the glory of a love that never weakens and that finds in him peace, honor, and joy even to the point of ecstasy. This man was pursued by an inextinguishable hatred in his suffering and in his tomb; but he asked for apostles and for martyrs to his name in every generation, and there has been no age without them. This man is the only human being ever to have founded a kingdom of love on the earth; and this man is you, O Jesus Christ!
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Homelessness: It can happen to anyone . . .

An unusually dry and warm winter across most of the U.S. has placed hundreds of neighborhoods at risk for wildfires and the potential for homelessness looms for millions.

Today, Fox, WWOR in New Jersey reports that eighty-five people are homeless after brush fires swept through northern New Jersey over the past few days.

Fire ripped through many homes and buildings early Tuesday morning, forcing some 20 people out onto the street.

"I couldn't even see; the house was black as hell," said Hakim Mohammad. "All I could do was get on the floor and crawl out." Before leaving for safer ground, he helped other neighbors escape their burning homes.

Today, U-Hauls lined up outside 10 homes in Jersey City that went up in flames. Samuel Davis is one of some 65 people who were homeless. He and others were back at their burned homes trying to salvage what they could.

"Maybe it means a start over again," Davis said. "It's a birth, something like that. Maybe it's a fresh start for all of us."
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The Crazy Upside Down, Inside Out World of Jesus - Happy Easter!

Lord, from the Garden of Eden's original sin of pride and thirst for power, you turned it all upside down and inside out in your cross and resurrection. In the cross you showed that power is found in the least, broken, suffering, poor and ultimately, the humble. You showed that the power of humility is the opposite of the power of pride. You, single handily redeemed all of humankind from its original sin of pride, haughtiness and arrogance that separated us from God and from each other and made us enemies of one another and God.

Therefore, God has highly exalted you and bestowed on you the name that is above every other name. In the resurrection you defined a new power, one that is not based on manipulation, deceit and authoritative control of others. No, you showed that although you are all-powerful, your muscle does not come from a place of pride but is born out of humility and brokenness.

Lord, you were willing to come to the earth and painfully demonstrate to us exactly who God is and what he is made of. God, in his rightful power and might of the resurrection, achieves such through his humility, forgiveness, everlasting love, kindness and compassion of the cross.

Welcome to the crazy upside down, inside out world of Jesus - Happy Easter!
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The Shame of the Cross

By Rev. Eugene Hor
Pastor, Burwood Chinese Presbyterian Church, Sydney, Australia

Paul’s statement in Romans 1:16 where he says that he’s not ashamed of the gospel is a radical statement. It’s radical because the cross was a symbol of shame and humiliation in the world of the New Testament (NT). When Paul writes, I am not ashamed of the gospel … he’s in effect saying, “I’m not ashamed to look bad, I’m not afraid to look foolish, I’m not afraid to be considered a fool, I’m not afraid to be shamed and humiliated for the gospel”.

Why was the Christian gospel considered both an embarrassment and shameful? In 1 Cor.1:22-23, Paul reminds us that, Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. The gospel was considered a foolish message and a shameful message, because at the heart of the gospel was the symbol of a cross – a message focused on the crucified Christ.

These days – crosses are glamorous. In fact the wearing of a cross is a fashion symbol worn by the likes of Madonna, Britney Spears, David Beckam and Liz Hurley. But in the world of the NT, the cross wasn’t so trendy, but a symbol of shame. Only the scum of society were crucified. Death by crucifixion was reserved only for runaway slaves, criminals, murderers, rebels convicted of treason, and captured enemies of the state. Crucifixion wasn’t just a way to cause someone a slow and painful death. Crucifying someone was also a way of shaming them, of publicly humiliating them.

You are left out in the open air in all your nakedness for everyone to see; each hour, each day, as the life drains out of you; as you lose control of your bodily functions and then left to the vultures to be consumed. In the ancient Roman world, a crucifixion was a public shaming of the person, leaving them exposed and powerless. It took away their rights, their control, their worth, their dignity; a public statement really to say to everyone around that this is what this person is worth.

For the early Christians, Christ crucified wasn’t just absurd or embarrassing, it was shameful and appalling. What sort of people worshipped a crucified man? What sort of people speak of a crucified man saving them? They should be ashamed of the cross. Only fools worship a crucified man whom they call God, King and Savior.

Graffiti has been around since Roman times and before. In 1857, an archaeologist discovered graffiti scratched into the plaster walls of the barracks of some Roman soldiers built by the Emperor Nero. One of these pieces of graffiti is called the “Alexamenos Graffiti” (photo), drawn in the first century. Apparently it is made to make fun of a Christian soldier by the name of Alexamenos. The picture shows a small man, Alexamenos, praying with one arm extended toward Jesus suffering on the cross. Jesus appears on a visible cross with arms outstretched, hands nailed. But in this crude sketch, scratched on the barracks wall by a pagan soldier, Jesus has the body of a crucified man and the head of an ass. And beneath this drawing are the words, “Alexamenos worships his god”.

In the eyes of non-Christians, not only was this crucified King and Savior an ass, but so were his followers. For what sort of people glory and boast in, proclaim and worship a crucified man? It was both appalling and shameful. How can the cross be good news? What’s so good about the crucifixion of a man on a Roman cross? It’s something you should be ashamed of!

The temptation for Paul and certainly for all early Christians was to be ashamed of the gospel, to be ashamed of the cross of Jesus. Yet, we read in Rom.1:16, that Paul is not ashamed of the gospel. He is unashamed to be shamed and humiliated for the gospel in his world. He is unashamed to be considered an ass for Jesus! And the reason comes in the second half of v.16. Paul is unashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

For ultimately, the death of Jesus on the cross was not the last word. For the last word at the cross is not death, but resurrection. For the last word at the cross is not shame, but vindication. For the last word at the cross is not humiliation, but exaltation. For the same Jesus who went to the cross, is the same Jesus God resurrected from the dead. He lifted up to the highest place to be worshipped, and given the name above every name. For the same Jesus who went to the cross, is also the Jesus God declares to have . . . “Bestowed upon him the name that is above every other name. That at the name of Jesus, every knee must bend in the heavens and on the earth and proclaim to the glory of God the Father that Jesus Christ is Lord.” (Phil.2:6-10).
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Hosanna in the Highest!

Lord, the people thought that on the day when they cried out “Hosanna in the Highest” that they were soon to crown a powerful and mighty king who with his miracles and wonders he would conquer the Romans and bring them freedom. Yet, you disappointed everyone a few days later on the road to suffering and execution and so they deserted you. Who knew that the road to power was through brokenness, humility and crucifixion. They did know it. We do not know it. It is unhuman in our thinking. Yes, you were lifted up as the prophet said, but you were exalted on the cross, a different type of kingship and certainly a different way of being high and mighty. Your way is totally different from the kings, royals and powerful people of the world. It is the way of the homeless, the poor and broken.
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