Having another look
Gate Pa – 14th Sunday of
Ordinary Time
Readings:
Psalm: Psalm:
45:10-17
First Reading: Genesis
24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
Second Reading: Romans
7:15-25
Gospel: Matthew11:16-19,25-30
What I want to say:
Use the story of Rebekah to
introduce being open to a different life. Then use story of Francis to explore
opening ourselves to a greater vision for life.
What I want to happen:
People to engage in a penitential life, after the example of
Saint Francis
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
Meet in this morning’s first reading
remarkable young woman
Rebekah – extraordinary
young
woman shows such generosity – to unknown strangers
to
their animals
boldly
agrees to go with this stranger to marry someone she has never met
land
she knows nothing about
with
no guarantees
clearly remarkable person
saw opportunity to have different type life
than expecting
seized it
people in this congregation made similar
choices
moved here for someone
live life very different from what know
at least known person marrying
Rebekah not even have that
Result of this courage and faith
extraordinary union –Rebekah and Isaac
kind of take granted
in this world polygamy was norm
offered
protection women
not
cast out when husband decided too old and needed younger version
as
can happen today
stayed
in family system
under
husbands care
biblical account that Rebekah and Isaac were
monogamous couple
no
mention other wives, concubines, slaves,
no
other children
just
Jacob, smooth man
older
brother Esau – an hairy man.
Her decision is key moment in biblical story
without it all that follows, pretty much
everything
fails.
at this point promise to Abraham hinges on her
answer
I wonder if any us have courage make her
decisions
wonder led her to make those decisions.
2. What about us?
what about ujs
would we make that decision
and if so why
and if not why not
what does that reveal about what we hold dear
in our lives
What
leads us to make the decisions we make
what
motivates us to do the things we do
what
passionate about
what
inspire us
3. Richard Rohr and Penance
currently listening book by Richard Rohr – who
is he
exploring life Francis using works
contemporary writers in variety fields
began book exploring some key events Francis
life
suggests – based on Francis own writing -
lived life penance
what
word evoke for you?
defined as:
a punishment undergone in token of penitence
for sin.
a penitential discipline imposed by church
authority.
a sacrament, as in the Roman Catholic Church,
consisting in a confession of sin, made with sorrow and with the intention of
amendment, followed by the forgiveness of the sin.
4. Francis and Penance
Rohr suggests that for Francis penance –
making room in our lives for God
God
revealed lives those not normally see
not
want in our lives
those
fear, loathe, despise,
maybe
just those dislike,
wish
to have little or nothing to do with.
might
describe as “the others”
Francis,
like
Jesus
like
us
lived
in violent world
son
new breed person
wealthy
middle class
wealth
not in land
but
money made through trade
like all wealthy people, all wealthy groups,
important to protect that wealth
important to keep yourself and your wealth
safe
with
force
Assisi city layers
higher your were more important you were
important
keep those lower (actually and metaphorically) out
protect
yourself from them
plain lived peasants and lowest of low
lepers
all those deemed particularly unsafe
cast out
feared
loathed
abhorred
Francis like everyone else feared them and
loathed them
there was no room in his world for them
he and God had no time or compassion for them
until one day as he rode past leper hospital
on plain
heard bell of leper
moved other side and covered mouth – as he
normally did
looking other way so as not see or smell foul
creatures
this time could not ride past
felt compelled stop
dismount
physically embrace and kiss the leper
filled
fear and loathing
filled
with revoltion
filled
with wonder
gave money
returned horse and rode on
revolted
elated
changed
his closed world ripped open
began to make room in it for all kinds people
people he would not have even seen in the past
renounced all possessions – because to own anything
meant he had to protect it from others
moved down hill to lowest places
all joined him invited live as one poorest
working among lepers
learning make room for all
all
people - even lepers and Muslims
-even
refugees and poorest beggars
all
creatures
all
creation
5. Inspired Penance
What inspired him?
all people, all creation
reflected God to him
saw each loved by God
rather protecting what was his
sought common good
world where all honoured and blessed as
children of god
as I drove home Friday night listening to pray
as you go
website
offers 10 minutes podcast - time reflection and
prayer each day
listen to as you drive or whatever doing
takes the gospel reading set for day rcl lectionary
reads
it and offers some reflections and questions
story Matthew of Jesus going home tax collectors
and response Pharisees
asked – who is it we feel uncomfortable being
with at our table
who
we not want have present
sadly name some people
no-one in this parish hasten add
are people drive me nuts
invited wonder what Jesus saying to us
how might I welcome these people
I responded – do I have to?
suspect Francis is telling me - yes
6. Gospel
we began this morning inspiring story Rebekah
suggested offered us example someone embraced
possibility different world
here we are with Francis – embraced
possibility world radically different from one lived in
people his world largely motivated by need
preserve what was theirs through any means necessary
saw all those classified as other – contemptible
deserving
whatever did to them keep them at bay
Francis instead embraced all to himself
embraced all as brother and sister
willing to share all that he had with
called this life penance
this is not an easy calling
not an easy life
people abused him
and if we follow to extremes he did
will abuse us
today gospel Jesus finishes with words which
so familiar
so familiar in fact really hard to read from
our version bible
different
those words of promise
we will be yoked – not sound that inspiring
really
in fact miss – yoked in pairs
others like us
with Jesus himself
Once Francis eyes were opened by leper
actually found life penance easy
found yoke Jesus as easy
called hardest times – perfect joy
like Rebekah
just trusted
So
what motivates us in decisions we make each
day
whatg stops us making different decisions
who might be our leper?
what mean for us to live lives of penance?
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