Inbox Inspiration: July 26, 2020: 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time

17th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Cycle A
July 26, 2020

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton

Stumbling upon the Kingdom

In Jesus’ day, there was no M&T or PNC or any other kind of bank.

There were no savings accounts and no safe deposit boxes. Instead, people would often bury their valuables in the ground, in a piece of property that they owned.

As you can imagine, one problem was that if the owner died and no one knew about the buried treasure, it could lie there for years and years. Sometimes someone would accidentally find it.

And if they did, the finder might use every last penny he had to buy that piece of property so that the treasure would be his. That’s what sometimes happened in Jesus’ day – very different from our day!

This is the situation in the first short parable we hear today. And Jesus’ point is that sometimes we kind of stumble upon the kingdom of God.

Sometimes we are not looking for it, but we find the kingdom of God in unexpected ways – much like the guy in the parable who stumbled upon this treasure. Maybe in the kindness of a friend, maybe in something that happens at work, or maybe right here, in the Eucharist, with the fresh awareness that God is really present and close to us!

 Often, in ways like this, we stumble on the Unexpected One – spelled with capital letters – we stumble on the Unexpected One. We find God and the kingdom of God and Jesus calls us to value this above all other things. 
 

Seeking the Kingdom

Then, Jesus also tells a short parable today about a person seeking – actively looking for fine pearls.

Unlike the person in the first parable, the guy here is deliberately looking for a precious pearl. He eventually finds one, realizes how precious it is and sells all that he has to buy it.

Jesus’ point is that the kingdom of God is like this – and when those who have been looking finally find it, we are to give ourselves to it. So maybe we have been looking within the structure of our religion and faith, or maybe we have been looking outside that structure.

And then we find God maybe in an amazing insight in Scripture or in some other book, or maybe in the fulfillment that comes from serving someone in need. And then we know what is important in life and where God is and what this kingdom of God is all about.
 

The Kingdom Nearby 

I want to close with a Jewish, Hasidic tale that I recently came across.

It is a story about a Rabbi Eisik from Cracow in Poland. This rabbi is very poor but has never given up his faith in God.

The story goes that he dreamed three nights in a row that he should look for a treasure in Prague in the Czech Republic. In his dream, he learns that the treasure is under the bridge that leads to the king’s palace.

So, Rabbi Eisik leaves Cracow and sets out for Prague. He arrives there but finds that the bridge is patrolled by the king’s guard.

Still, Rabbi Eisik goes to the bridge every day and just looks, wondering how he can search for the treasure that was in his dream. Finally, the captain of the guard asks him if he is looking for someone or something.

Rabbi Eisik tells the captain about his dream – without telling him his name or where he came from. The captain smiles and says, “And so, to pursue the dream, you have worn out your shoes to come here.

“As for having such faith in dreams, if I had that, I would have been off to Cracow to dig for a treasure under the stove in the room of a Jew named Eisik.” With those words, Eisik bows to the captain, travels home to Cracow, and digs up the treasure from under his own stove.

The point of this Hasidic story! The treasure of the kingdom of God may be something we accidentally stumble upon or something we find after a lot of seeking and searching.

But, it may be very close at hand. It may be right at home, right in our ordinary, everyday life.

Inbox Inspiration: July 22, 2020: Racism 1-6

 Racism – 1   
 

Dear Friends,
I thought of giving these columns a softer, maybe more nuanced title, but decided against that.
I need to be comfortable – and probably we all do – using the word and talking about racism, even though it may not be easy.
I don’t have any super insight or solution.
I am just going to talk about this from my own personal experience.
I believe that talking about racism and owning up to the truth of it will lead us somewhere – somewhere positive.
My first memory of racism was when I was growing up in our family home.
We were in a neighborhood that was all white, and then the first blacks moved in – a husband and wife about the age of my grandparents.
In some way, I got the message: stay away from them.
In fact, be afraid of them.
And I, probably about twelve-years-old, heard the message; and I was afraid.
Then, one day, when I was outside playing baseball with my friends, our ball went onto the property of this black couple.  
I had to go and get the ball, and this black man and woman were on their porch.
They said hello to me, told me it was alright to go onto their lawn, and introduced themselves to me.
They were kind and gracious, with welcoming smiles on their faces.
I wondered: what is there to be afraid of?
As I look back, at that age I got the message to be afraid of blacks and even the message that I as a white am better than all people of color.
That message was and is racism.
At the same time, maybe with the grace of God, my young experience was also telling me that blacks (and other persons of color) were really okay, maybe much like me, and not to be feared. 
More to come next week!

“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it.” 
(I Corinthians 12: 12, 26) 

Father Michael Schleupner

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Racism – 2   

Dear Friends,
Today’s thoughts pick up where I left off last week – learning at an early age to be afraid of black people, but also learning to question that fear.
I remember that soon after the first black family moved into our neighborhood, other blacks also moved in. 
“White flight” quickly got into high gear.
“White flight” was the expression for white people selling their homes in a panic before the values would go down because of blacks moving in.
I believe that the values really went down because of white racism that led to lots of whites putting their homes on the market all at once.
So, “white flight” was happening, but my parents decided not to move.
They got a grip on their fear and remained living in an increasingly integrated community.
The pastor of our parish took a leadership role in developing a community organization to help create a new community of whites and blacks.
Very positive effects of his good leadership remain today. 
Some years later, my parents did move out of that neighborhood but for other reasons, not out of fear of blacks or as part of white flight.
While all of this was going on, the famous March on Washington happened, led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I was in the eleventh grade, and I really liked Dr. King and what he was saying.
I am not sure where it came from, but my sympathy as a teenager was with the blacks and for racial justice and equality.
I remember being happy with the Civil Rights Law of 1964 and the Voting Rights Law of 1965.
My parents had taught my brother and me to think, and to think for ourselves.
We were already doing that.
More about racism next week!
 
“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it.” 
(I Corinthians 12: 12, 26)  
 
Father Michael Schleupner
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Racism – 3  

Dear Friends,
One summer day when I was in high school, a classmate invited another guy and me to come to his family home in southern Maryland.
I knew that this classmate came from a wealthy family.
They owned and lived on a tobacco plantation.
It seemed as if we drove several miles on their property to get to the main house, but the impressionable thing for me is what we saw while driving on that property.
There were small, old, wood-frame houses where the blacks lived.
And these blacks worked on the plantation.
I looked and just didn’t understand; I felt confused.
It looked like pictures of slavery in the antebellum period that I had seen in history books.
And there it was – poor blacks, living in substandard and maybe inhuman conditions – there it was, accepted as a fact and way of life.
Our classmate, our host, a good guy, just referred to this pointed out these blacks and their dilapidated houses as simply part of plantation life.
Later that day, after swimming in the pool of the plantation house, this classmate took us to his parish church.
And again, I remember becoming silent.
There was a break in the pews on each side of the main aisle.
It was explained that the whites sat up front, in front of the break, and the blacks sat in the back, behind the break.
That day, I, a young and naive teenager, knew that I was seeing racism.
Slavery had ended, more or less, but racism and inequality had not ended.
And my Church was participating in the racism as, I eventually learned, it had also participated in slavery. 
More on racism next week!
 
“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it.”
 (I Corinthians 12: 12, 26)  
 
Father Michael Schleupner

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Racism – 4   
 

Dear Friends,
I had been ordained about ten or twelve years and was working for Archbishop Borders at the Catholic Center.
One day I happened to be talking with the administrative assistant of one of the auxiliary bishops, a woman named Theresa, an African American.
In some way, maybe because of something that was happening at the time, we began talking about the experience of blacks and black Catholics.
I was moved to share with Theresa a very recent personal experience.
I had been at a family gathering. 
In the course of this gathering, at least one of my family members made racist comments about black people and was repeatedly using the “N” word.
I told Theresa about this experience. 
She, very graciously and respectfully, said nothing about those in the gathering. 
However, she did ask me: “Father, what did you do when you heard this?”
I realized how penetrating her question was.
I responded: “I did nothing. I think I just remained silent and said nothing.” 
Theresa said: “Father, that’s how this continues. You need to speak up. People need to know that you are uncomfortable with the “N” word or other racist slurs. They need to know that you think this is wrong.”
Well, that conversation, probably about thirty-five years ago, is still with me.
I learned that one person can make a difference, that it is not good enough to stay silent and allow racist conversation, much less actions, to continue.
I have a moral responsibility to assert what I think is right and to do my part, as small as it seems, to end hatred and bigotry and racism.
I thank Theresa for her lesson and for expressing it in a way that I could receive it and not be defensive. 
More on racism next week!
 
“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it.” 
(I Corinthians 12: 12, 26)  
 
Father Michael Schleupner
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Racism – 5   

Dear Friends,
About ten years ago, some black friends of mine told me about “The Talk.”
In the black community, “The Talk” means the conversation that black parents must have especially with their sons, and maybe also with their daughters, about the police.
It is a conversation about how they are to behave and not behave with the police.
It is about what to do and say and what not to do and say when they are around a police officer who has a gun.
Keep your hands open and out in front of you, don’t make any sudden movements, keep your mouth shut and be respectful – that’s the core of “The Talk.” 
And the black community finds it necessary to have this “Talk” because they sometimes find themselves, maybe especially their men and their sons, treated with a different standard and with less fairness than their white counterparts.
A teenage son of the couple who told me about “The Talk” had experienced racial stereotyping and treatment at the hands of a law enforcement officer.
I personally know that this was an excellent and respectful young man.
I have had the honor of officiating at his wedding.
Now, let me be clear: I am not bashing our police.
I have known police officers especially throughout my many years as a priest.
They have a challenging job; I respect them and want to encourage that respect among all of us.
The presence of racial prejudice in some definitely does not mean that all fulfill their responsibilities with bias.
Nevertheless, the insight I got from learning about “The Talk” is that there are racist attitudes, maybe subconscious, in some of us, maybe in a lot of us.
And those attitudes in us as individuals can enter our institutions and systems.
That’s something of what is meant by systemic racism.
I will conclude this series on racism next week!
 
“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it.”
 (I Corinthians 12: 12, 26).  
 
Father Michael Schleupner

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Racism – 6   

Dear Friends,
I have several thoughts today to conclude this series on racism. 
For me, racism is a religious and moral issue.
I have to include in my examination of conscience attitudes or language or behavior that is racist – that demeans blacks and all people of color.
For me, this is a moral issue; it is a human life issue.
Racism diminishes, injures, and even destroys the life of others.
So, yes, racism is a sin, and I commit sin when I am racist. 
That leads me to this question.
Should I as a white man feel guilty about what has been done to blacks in my country?
Sometimes I wonder if that is the wrong question to ask.
The real question is: Do I feel responsible?
I need to feel responsible for racism today and for harm still being done to brothers and sisters who are black and to all persons of color.
That feeling of responsibility needs to lead me to keep my mind opened, to listen to the stories of others, and to do what I can to promote respect and justice and equality.
I need to be responsible for doing that.
If I fail in being responsible, then I should feel guilty.
I close now with some words of Pope Francis, addressed to us, the American people, this past June 3^rd.
“My friends, we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of human life.
Today I join the Church…in the entire United States, in praying for the repose of the soul of George Floyd and of all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism.
May Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of America, intercede for all those who work for peace and justice in your land and throughout the world.”   
 
“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it.”
 (I Corinthians 12: 12, 26)  
 
Father Michael Schleupner

Inbox Inspiration: July 19, 2020: 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time

16^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A 
 

In today’s gospel parable, a farmer tells his workers not to pull out the weeds that are growing in a field with the wheat.
His reason is that sometimes the weeds and the wheat look alike.
And beyond that, the roots of the weeds may be intertwined with those of the wheat.
So, in trying to pull out the weeds, you may also pull out and destroy the wheat.
I see three lessons that Jesus us trying to teach us here.
First, don’t weed out one another.
Resist the human tendency to separate, divide, and exclude.
Sometimes religion and those who are religious can get into this.
Jesus calls us to be patient and give what looks like weeds the chance to grow into wheat.
Second, don’t call others weeds.
This is a dualistic approach which the best of our Catholic tradition has condemned.
Jesus calls us to a more unitive approach – seeing ourselves and others as one because, in fact, there is a mix of wheat and weeds in me and in all of us.
Jesus is patient with us in letting us grow, and he wants us to be patient with others.
And third, concentrate more on the wheat than the weeds.
Nourish the wheat, and eventually, there will be a good harvest.
God, in his own way, will take care of the weeds – that’s not our job to do.
So, act positively in promoting what is good – that is what we are to concentrate on.
Some good lessons from this simple agricultural parable that Jesus tells!
  
Father Michael Schleupner

In addition to the usual Wednesday edition of Inbox Inspirations, I am continuing at least for now these Special Inbox Inspirations on Sundays. I began these when the coronavirus pandemic began. 

Inbox Inspiration: July 12, 2020: 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time

15^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A 
 

Recently I heard it said that hearing is a passive activity, while listening is active.
That distinction is very helpful in appreciating today’s gospel.
Jesus tells the familiar parable of the sower and the seed.
The four kinds of soil represent us – four ways that we can receive God’s Word.
Jesus says that in all four instances, we hear God’s Word.
But, to follow the parable, only one kind of soil really takes in the seed and produces fruit.
This means that we – if we are to be like soil – need to go beyond hearing the Word.
We need to listen – a very active, engaged exercise.
I see this listening as involving three steps: 1) mind, 2) heart, and 3) body.
The mind step means that we intentionally try to take in and understand the Word.
For example, what does Jesus mean by telling us to forgive others?
Am I just to ignore hurts and let myself be subject to abuse?
Or, am I to see that getting back at others is a dead end and stop returning evil for evil?
Next, the heart step means that we see how the Word applies to us.
Is there someone whom I have not talked to because of some past hurt?
Have I been talking down that person to others?
Am I holding on to the hurt and consumed with anger and vengeance?
Finally, the body step means that I resolve to do something.
So, I may decide to stop saying negative things about them.
I may even be willing to relate to them in some way.
Or, even though I am not open to reconciliation, I decide to pray for them and be forgiving in that way.
Bottom line: it’s not so much what we hear, but how we listen.
And our listening to the Word of God is very important.
The 1) mind, 2) heart, and 3) body steps are a way to listen well.
  
Father Michael Schleupner

In addition to the usual Wednesday edition of Inbox Inspirations, I am continuing at least for now these Special Inbox Inspirations on Sundays. I began these when the coronavirus pandemic began. 

Inbox Inspiration: July 5, 2020: 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time

14^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A 
 

In Jesus’ day, they did not have John Deere tractors to plow their fields.
Instead, a pair of oxen would pull the plow.
To do this, there was something called a yoke.
This was a wooden collar that fit around the neck of the oxen, linked them together, and then connected them to the plow.
The yoke had to fit just right or else it would hurt the oxen and sap their strength.
This is the image Jesus has in mind in today’s gospel when he says: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
The yoke that Jesus speaks of is his way – his way for our lives.
And Jesus says that his “yoke is easy and [his] burden is light.” 
Is that really true?
Is Jesus’ way really easier than other ways?
Maybe the best way to answer this is by comparison.
For example, do we really think that a dog-eat-dog approach in the workplace is really easier than a more respectful and team-like style?
Another example: are we better off emotionally by holding onto feelings of resentment and vengeance rather than forgiving someone?
One more example: does racial or any kind of prejudice expand me as a person, or am I bigger as a person when I am open and inclusive and try to understand others?
Think about these alternatives today.
If we try Jesus’ yoke, we just might find that it contributes much more to our happiness in the long run and may even be easier and lighter in the short run of life.  
  
Father Michael Schleupner

In addition to the usual Wednesday edition of Inbox Inspirations, I am continuing at least for now these Special Inbox Inspirations on Sundays. I began these when the coronavirus pandemic began.