Sunday Inbox Inspiration: March 28, 2021: Palm Sunday, March 28 Cycle B

 Sunday Inbox Inspirations

Palm/Passion Sunday 

Cycle B

March 28, 2021 

 

Rembrandt – at the Crucifixion

 

When I was back in high school, I remember learning a little bit about the great Dutch artist Rembrandt.

 

I imagine all of us have learned something about him and his painting.  Rembrandt lived in the 1600s and did a beautiful painting that is entitled The Raising of the Cross.

 

The painting portrays the final moments before the cross is raised with Jesus on it.  Everyone is dressed as they would have been in Jesus’ time except one person.

 

The man raising the cross is dressed in the clothing of Rembrandt’s own time, the 1600s.  Rembrandt never explained this, but those who knew him realized that this man in the painting is Rembrandt himself.

 

Our Role

 

Now Rembrandt did not put himself in the painting as part of an ego trip.

 

Instead, he was making an important point.  He was conveying that each of us – including himself – plays a role in the crucifixion of Jesus.

 

This is why the characters in the story that we just heard are so memorable.

We identify with them.  

 

We see ourselves in those who were present for the crucifixion of Jesus.  Some of these persons are noble and some are not so noble, but either way, we see ourselves in them and realize that we play a role in the crucifixion – just as Rembrandt was conveying.

 

Who Are We? 

 

For example, do I identify with Peter?

 

Am I enthused about my faith one minute, when things in my life are going well?  But then am I giving up on God the next minute, when a job loss or relationship troubles happen?

 

Or, do I identify with Caiaphas and the high priests?

 

Am I at peace when my experience of faith is black and white and pretty comfortable?  But then do I quickly resist and shut down to any gray area or anything different that faith may be calling me to consider?

 

On the flip side, do I identify with the women who followed Jesus all the way to the crucifixion?

 

Am I patient in dealing with the growing pains of a teenage son or daughter?  Do I persevere in caring for a parent who is aging and needing more and more care?

 

Or do I identify with Joseph of Arimathea?

 

Do I do the right thing, not in a showy way, but without too much concern about what others will think?  Do I realize that at the end of the day, inner peace and being true to myself are what count?

 

Conclusion

 

So, the key point, the key theme in Rembrandt’s painting is that in our everyday lives, we play a role in Jesus’ final hours.

 

Either we participate in crucifying and putting Jesus to death.  Or we are doing what we can to make him alive and present right now.  

 

Michael Schleupner

Sunday Inbox Inspiration: March 21, 2021: Fifth Sunday of Lent, March 21 Cycle B

 Sunday Inbox Inspirations 

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Cycle B

March 21, 2021

 

Paradox 

 

This morning I am focused on the word paradox.

 

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines a paradox as a statement that seems to be contradictory or opposed to common sense, and yet is perhaps true. An example of a familiar paradox may be the saying: “Less is more,” or the saying, “If you don’t risk anything, you risk everything.”

 

So, a statement that seems to be contradictory or opposed to common sense, and yet is perhaps true. 

 

Paradox in the Gospels 

 

I got thinking about this because some of Jesus’ statements or teachings are paradoxes.

 

In today’s gospel, we hear two of them. Jesus says: “Whoever loves their life loses it, and whoever hates their life in this world will preserve it.”

 

The second paradox in this passage is prompted by Jesus’ image of a seed planted in the earth. “If you die, you produce much.”

 

And then, three other paradoxes in the gospels jump out to me. Maybe there are more, but these are the ones that I notice.    

 

Jesus says: “The last will be first, and the first will be last.” And then: “Whoever wish to be great among you will be your servant.” 

 

And finally: “Whoever exalt themselves will be humbled, and whoever humble themselves will be exalted.” 

 

Jesus and Paradox

 

So, five paradoxes: statements that seem contradictory or opposed to common sense, and yet are perhaps true.

 

Underneath these five paradoxes of Jesus, I see one significant lesson, one important spiritual truth. 

 

The Lesson from the Paradoxes 

 

Stated negatively, we are not to live just for ourselves.  

 

Yes, there is one point where Jesus tells us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. So, no question, taking care of ourselves and pursuing our dreams and goals are good things. 

 

We all want to seek our fulfillment in life. And we will probably live our days with a plan of what we want to do.

 

But, in these paradoxes, stated positively, Jesus is teaching us to keep a balance, almost an equality in our living for self and for others. 

 

So, don’t get so wrapped up in myself that there is really no space for others. Make sure that the needs of others are a concern to me.

 

Make sure that my own comforts and preferences don’t always have to come first. Don’t be holding myself as above or as more important than others. 

 

Instead, think about how can I get to my son’s or daughter’s soccer game. Let go of, or die to my own desire just to hang out and do nothing this evening.

 

Instead make a phone call to my neighbor who just got out of the hospital. And beyond my immediate world, be alert to how can we assist the last, the least, and the lost here in Maryland or anywhere.

 

I see this teaching – a balance, an equality in living for self and for others – I see this as lying beneath the paradoxes that Jesus speaks. 

 

Conclusion

 

And, if we try to live these paradoxes, we discover their truth. 

 

I bet that each of us has experienced this. We find and don’t lose life and a fullness of life. 

 

We produce and accomplish a great deal when we die a bit to our own desires. We experience ourselves as great, as first, and as exalted but in a different way – in an inner way, in our inner sense of self, and in our inner relationship with God. 

 

So, Jesus’ paradoxes are statements that seem to be contradictory or opposed to common sense, but our experience can tell us that they are true. 

 

 

 

Father Michael Schleupner

Sunday Inbox Inspiration: March 14, 2021: Fourth Sunday of Lent, March 14 Cycle B

 Sunday Inbox Inspirations 

Fourth Sunday of Lent

Cycle B

March 14, 2021

 

The Lifting Up: Background

 

Jesus says: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up…” 

 

Jesus is referring to an incident when the Israelites were in the desert after being freed them from slavery in Egypt. Life got very difficult, and they got sick and tired of the harsh conditions.

 

So, they began grumbling against God. In effect, they turned their back on God and on their faith.  

 

Then there came a plague of poisonous serpents and many of the Israelites were bitten and died. Eventually, they turned back to God for help.

 

God then told Moses to make an image of these serpents out of bronze, mount it on a pole, and lift it up. God promised that all who looked at this would be healed, and that’s what happened. 

 

The Lifting Up: Jesus on the Cross

 

So, Jesus says: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must I be lifted up.”  

 

He is foretelling that he will be lifted up on the cross. And those who look upon Jesus on the cross will also be healed.  

 

But there is a difference. Our looking or gazing at Christ on the cross will make us aware of sinfulness.

 

It will begin a gradual process of spiritual healing us. So, I invite you to look at Jesus on the cross with me and I will suggest some ways that this might be healing. 

 

The Lifting Up: Our Healings

 

For example, we gaze at Jesus on the cross, giving of himself and his life completely for us. In this, he makes us aware of when we are not giving of ourselves and are too self-focused.

 

Jesus begins to heal us of our resistance to placing the needs of others above our own preferences. He moves us to be generous in giving of ourselves, maybe for our aging parents or for our adult children who are having a hard time. 

 

Then, we gaze at Jesus extending his arms on the cross in such an open, inclusive way. Here he makes us aware of when we are narrow in our vision. 

 

Jesus begins to heal us of our tendency to see certain people as excluded from God’s love.  He moves us to be as open and inclusive as he is.

 

Then, we gaze at Jesus on the cross forgiving those who have crucified him. Here he makes us aware of when we are holding back on forgiveness.

 

Maybe we cannot or should not re-establish the relationship, but Jesus can begin to heal us of the animosity that we are carrying. He moves us to be as forgiving, as letting go of negative energy, as he is.

 

And finally, we gaze at Jesus on the cross, suffering, suffering until he gives up his spirit. Here he makes us aware of our sufferings – physical, emotional, spiritual, or relational.

 

Jesus begins to heal us of our weakness in dealing with suffering. He breathes into us his strength, his perseverance, and his trust in the Father.

 

Conclusion

 

So, Jesus has been lifted up on the cross, just as he said would happen.

 

And if we look up and gaze at him, we too can be healed – of our human imperfections, weaknesses, and sinfulness. And the effect of this takes us to the last part of Jesus’ words. 

 

“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” This process draws us into the life of God right now and leads us to eternal life with God.   

 

Father Michael Schleupner

Inbox Inspiration: March 3, 2020: Sin

 March 3, 2021

 

 Sin – 1   

 

Dear Friends,  

During this Season of Lent, I am sharing some reflections about sin.

Especially in my younger years, our Church put a lot of emphasis on this.

Sin has been understood in this way: 

“Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. 

It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. 

It has been defined as ‘an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law.’” 

Especially in my younger years, we were regularly reminded in sermons of our sinfulness.

We were told to make an examination of conscience and an act of contrition every day and to go to confession frequently.

As I look back, I think that this emphasis had several effects.

On the one hand, it made us aware of our human weakness and imperfection.

That awareness was and is a good thing.

It can lead us to spiritual and personal growth. 

On the other hand, that heavy emphasis on sin had some negative effects.

It was connected with an image of God as the divine judge and punisher.

There was far too little focus on God’s love and mercy. 

It almost follows that this heavy emphasis on sin led to unnecessary and even unhealthy guilt.

We were led to feel unworthy in the eyes of God.

Those feelings got coupled with a fear of God – being afraid of God and being preoccupied with eternal punishment if we sinned or did not repent.

And those feelings in turn often led to a poor self-image and low self-esteem.

Let me be clear: I am not denying sin or personal responsibility for our behavior.

I am pointing out the deficiencies of the exaggerated emphasis on sin in the past.

For more reflections on Sin, see the Inbox Inspirations for the next three weeks, March 10, 17, and 24.

 

Father Michael Schleupner      

 

Quotation above from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

March 10, 2021

 

 Sin – 2   

 

Dear Friends,  

One author tries to describe the core of sin:

“Sin can be described in many ways: as a breakdown of a relationship with God and others; as a failure to love God, others, and self; as a turning away from God.”

I like this as a general understanding of the reality of sin. 

With that, we can then identify some specifics. 

For example, sin is a breaking of one of the commandments.

So, failing to keep holy the Lord’s day (Third Commandment) or being unfaithful to one’s husband or wife (Sixth Commandment) are sinful actions.

Sin is also failing to live out the fulfillment of the commandments that Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount.

For example, while shoplifting is one literal way that we can steal (Seventh Commandment), so is hoarding and having many more things than we need.

Or, while abortion is one of the ways we can kill (Fifth Commandment), so is gossip and destroying the reputation of another.

So, when we think about sin, we do need to look at the Ten Commandments, but we also need to look at how Jesus extends and fulfills their meaning.

This is why we also need to look at the Beatitudes.

These are Jesus’ description of the “Blessed” person – the person who will be the image and likeness of God and live in the way of Jesus.

For example, when we are not compassionate or empathetic, we are not being merciful – “Blessed are the merciful.”

Or when we feel little concern for migrants and refugees, we are not being social- justice minded – “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.”

My point: we need to look at the breadth and the depth of the Scripture and then examine our conscience on all that is there.

For more reflections on Sin, see the Inbox Inspirations of last week, March 3, and for the next two weeks, March 17 and 24.     

 

Father Michael Schleupner 

 

Quotation above from The Ignatian Adventure by Kevin O’Brien, S.J. (b.1966. American, Jesuit priest, educator, author, President of Santa Clara University.)

Sunday Inbox Inspiration: March 7, 2021: Third Sunday of Lent, March 7 Cycle B

 Sunday Inbox Inspirations 

Third Sunday of Lent

Cycle B

March 7, 2021

 

Anger

 

A question: can you recall a time when you were angry? 

 

I can pinpoint a rather recent time when I felt angry. I think we all feel angry at times. 

 

Today I want to share a few thoughts on this, and, by all means, I am not pretending to say all that could be said about anger. And by the way, I am led to this by today’s gospel where Jesus is angry at the hypocrisy of some people in the temple.

 

What to Do with Our Anger?

 

The first thing I want to say is that anger is a legitimate and universal human emotion.

 

I was taught in my younger years that anger was bad and that I should confess it in confession. I have come to understand that anger in itself is not a bad thing.

 

Like other human emotions, it is in us and must come from God. The issue is not whether we feel angry.

 

The issue is what we do with our anger. The particular trick with anger is that the actions or words that can flow from it need, to some extent, to be controlled.

 

One of the authors whom I have read says that there are three things involved for our dealing with anger in God’s way – as God wants us to deal with it. This author proposes three words that begin with the letter R: 1) Restrain, 2) Re-evaluate, and 3) Release.  

 

1.    Restrain 

 

First, we are to restrain our anger.

 

This doesn’t mean that we try to deny or suppress it. It doesn’t mean that we try to pretend that we aren’t angry.

 

The Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament says this. “Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.” (Proverbs 29:11)

 

So, we don’t just let it all hang out, as the saying goes. We refrain from instantly reacting to the person or event that triggers us.

 

Instead, we take time to get in touch with our anger and what’s going on. This is what it means to restrain our anger and to deal with it in God’s way.

 

2.    Re-evaluate 

 

Then, second, we are to re-evaluate our anger.

 

This action really flows from the restraining. The Letter of Saint James in the New Testament says this: “You must all be slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.” (James 1:19-20)

 

The idea is that we first need to go inside ourselves before lashing out at the other person. We need to get in touch with what we are really angry about.

 

For example, am I angry because someone cut me off in traffic, or am I really angry because I have been feeling generally disrespected? Again, are you angry because your husband or wife was late for dinner, or are you really angry because you feel unimportant and have felt that way a lot in your life? 

 

So, let’s go inside and get in touch with ourselves and our anger before we do anything else. This is what it means to re-evaluate our anger and to deal with it in God’s way.

 

3.    Release

 

And then, third, we are to release our anger.

 

So, on the one hand, we don’t bottle it up because it will fester and eventually just boil over. And, on the other hand, we don’t just instantly let it out.

 

Instead, we get in touch with what’s really going on and then express ourselves and our anger in a constructive way. Saint Paul even says: “Now is the time to get rid of anger.”  (Colossians 3:8)    

 

So, we are reasonably clear about what we need to say. We pick a time for expressing ourselves that looks workable for us and the other person, and we are mindful of the tone of our voice as we speak.

                                                                                                

We may even enter into this with an openness to listen and to learn something we are not be aware of. This is what it means to release our anger and to deal with it in God’s way.

 

Conclusion

 

So, a human emotion that is okay to have, but often challenging to deal with.

 

I think these three R words can help us to deal with anger in a God-like or Christ-like way: 1) Restrain, 2) Re-evaluate, and 3) Release.

  

 

Father Michael Schleupner

Sunday Inbox Inspiration: February 28, 2021: Friday of the 1st Week of Lent, February 26 Cycle B

 (This weekend, deacons are preaching at the two parishes where I assist. Therefore, I am sending a weekday homily which I gave this past Friday.)

 

Friday of the 1st Week of Lent

February 26, 2021 11am

Bon Secours Retreat and Conference Center

Readings:

Ezekiel 18:21-28

Matthew 5:20-26

 

The term “minimalism” – “minimalism” – describes a certain kind of art.

“Minimalism” is an artistic movement that tends to extreme simplification of form or shape.

It tries to capture just the object being portrayed as an object.

It tries to eliminate any feeling or any personal dimension.

From this effort comes the word “minimalism.”

One of the members of the minimalist movement is credited with the saying, “Less is more.”  

 

The background to today’s gospel passage is a religious minimalism.

This minimalism basically said that if you obey all 613 precepts of the Mosaic Law, you can feel okay.

Your obligation toward God has been fulfilled, and there is nothing else you have to worry about. 

 

And right here lies the deficiency in that approach.

It was minimalist.

In other words, I am to observe the letter of the law and do exactly what the law says – no more, no less.

With this, I can feel that I am okay.

 

To that, Jesus says: Wait a minute.

He takes the precepts of the old, Mosaic Law and says that they are just a beginning.

They just scratch the surface of our moral living and moral obligation.

For example, the law says that killing is wrong.

Jesus says: In addition to that, don’t even be verbally or emotionally or physically abusive in any way at all.

Jesus calls us away from a minimalist approach to religious law.

And he calls us to embrace a maximalist approach in our relationship with God.

And notice, by the way, that Jesus calls us to focus on a relationship with God and not just obedience to the law, but that is another homily in itself! 

For today, the message is: do as much good as possible.

Avoid as much evil or wrongdoing as possible.

 

With Jesus, less is definitely not more.

He is no minimalist.

He is a maximalist. 

 

 

Father Michael Schleupner