November 30, 2003

Jeremiah 33:14-16 + 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2 + Luke 21:25-28,34-36

Imagine, if you will, a mine cave in.In the total darkness, deep in the earth,a survivor quietly lies in the dampness. No food. No water. No company. He is the only survivor. For three days he waits in a small pocket of air in the darkness. At times he thinks he hears faint sounds that may mean rescue. But he is never sure. Above ground family members wait while rescue workers do their best afraid of what they may find. Hope drives them on. And then it happens: a beam of light shines through into the pocket of air; a voice speaks through a tiny opening. The workers find energy renewed. While lifeless bodies are later brought up to sorrow, all rejoice that one has been found alive.

This image is our story this season: a people in darkness who have seen a great light; a people waiting for the rescue that has come. We tell it as a reminder that no matter how threatening, how hopeless, or how dark the situation of our lives may become, now matter what caves in on us, or how we may feel alone, our rescue is near, and our hope is justified by a savior who is worthy of our trust.

Six centuries earlier Jeremiah planted the seed of that hope in hearts of a people he described as a remnant. We know what a remnant is:something left over, a scrap, a small piece often useless in itself and by itself. It serves as an apt image of what we really are and the wonder of God’s love and care for us. That “remnant” left after the destruction of Jerusalem was not much. With no power of their own, with everything in ruins, they were “nothing” to anyone —— except God. Yet the seeds of Hope planted by the prophet, bore fruit for those who waited in faith and they still bear fruit even today.

When we are nothing, reduced by sin or disaster, tasting the bitterness of our weakness, insignificance and powerlessness, we are still God’s own. God seems to prefer the remnants of this world, it’s scraps, and left overs, those who alone cannot amount to much. God seems to prefer seeking and searching for the lost and the last.

This is our hope today as we step into this season of Joy. We share the expectation of that miner knowing that help is always on the way and that it will come before it is too late. We shall be lifted up and lifted out, we shall see the light, and know the embrace of those who wait for us above.

God keeps the promise. Our rescue is at hand.

November 2, 2003

Daniel 12:1-3 + Romans 6:3-9 + John 6:37-40

If we observe All Souls Day and only remember those who have died, we accomplish only half of what this feast is about. Prayers that wrap the fond memories of our loved ones are part of this day’s tradition. These prayers are not so much an effort to “reduce a sentence” as they are the acknowledgement that these people we love are still alive with God. Their memory brings us closer to God. Solidarity and communion in the Spirit is all part of what we experience today.

Purification is not something left till judgment. It is an ongoing piece of a healthy spiritual life that reflects the desire for and the struggle for holiness and goodness. Purgatory is a lifestyle, not a holding pen. The second part of this day that takes us beyond our prayerful and grateful memories of lives that have gone before us concerns purification: not the purification of others, but the purification of our own lives.

The story of Moses taking off his shoes because the place was holy

carries the image beautifully in a way we can understand.  People who live by the spirit, deeply rooted in faith, live repentance humbly and consistently aware of their unworthiness. Our struggle with sin,

our efforts at conversion, our prayers for forgiveness, are all part of the purification of the human spirit longing to be present to the divine Spirit. This day is also about that purification.

We are here thinking of death in the midst of life, As believers, we  re here thinking of life in the midst of death. The sober, but not frightening, reminder this feast provides can wisely lead us further into holiness and grace; bring us a great measure of peace, and bring about forgiveness, given and received. The list of names in this book, and the names we shall speak in this Mass grows longer every year until it shall include our own.

A culture that prizes youth or youthfulness above all things is a culture in denial about death, and this feast does not permit the denial. Today we can put aside our pretense and renew our efforts to prepare and purify our lives to be worthy of the promise made to us. Today we can also renew our ties with those who have gone before us to God. We pray for them – not because they cannot – but because we want to pray with them. We may ask for their forgiveness for all of things we did not do when we might have; and in such prayer, we can realize our union with them in God,in Christ, and in the Spirit.

Then, fresh from this experience, we might better approach each coming day as an opportunity to express our love, to set aside anger in order to be reconciled, and let others know how much they mean to us. Each day can be a chance to visit and care for one another and learn patience. This is Purification: the work of repentance and conversion. These and so many other words and works will help us to be less encumbered by regret when next we celebrate this feast together.