-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm, 8:00am and 6:00pm
Walking the Line, standing on the threshold
The meaning of the word Advent (appearance) has special significance this Advent because of the Jubilee of Mercy that will begin on Dec. 8th. What it is that is appearing every year in Advent, of course, is the reign of God. The jubilee image of the Holy Door seems to me to be a great place for us to look to find the reign of God appearing.
You remember the tent or dwelling place that Moses built was a series of partitioned "areas" divided by curtains. No one could enter the holy of holies and visit with the Lord but Moses. The temple in Jerusalem was built on this pattern, a set of concentric rooms, separated by gates, doors, curtains. God's presence was veiled.
You recall when Jesus was crucified, the veil in the temple was torn in two. Also, recall the the Lord himself says that I stand at the door and knock. As if your heart and mine is the holy of holies separated from the Lord, on the other side of the door.
I think we are called to live in this era as if the door has been remove and the "opening" the threshold is before us. In faith we are called to see that the dividing wall between heaven and earth has been destroyed and heaven is right at the threshold, the reign of God is just at hand and we are to live and move in contact with God's Kingdom.
Is that how your faith operates? Standing on the threshold of the reign of God.
2 comments:
Oh my. I like this image quite a bit and it helps me to imagine the call I/we have in participating fully in the Year of Mercy. It made me think of the phrase of having the key to my heart - but as you describe, how better it is that we simply throw that key away. Not because our hearts are locked up for none to access, but because no key is needed if the doors are removed and we keep our hearts open and ready to receive. The temptation can be to keep hearts closed and protected - at best letting only a few people in. Our hearts are most tender, and it is easy for them to bleed. But Pope Francis - and Jesus! - would discourage that kind of self-protective stance. It would be too limiting for them. Hearts are made to bleed - with good life-giving, self-sacrificing, loving blood.
Wow, love this. You homily prep & then Keyfree reminded me of my visit to India. All the people I visited are poor, living in 2 or 3 room huts, no windows, shutters wide open, doors wide open. Wherever I visited, word went throughout the neighborhood and all the doorways and window openings were filled with people peeking in, wanting to see what an American looked like, sounded like, all listening in.
I also realize only now there was no conversation 'behind closed doors', no acting one way in one circumstance, being another way a different time. Makes me realize each of us, all of us ... our hearts were simply open, our hearts were simply giving.
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