Our readings for Sunday are here.
These are the poems, my notes, and interpretations of Fr Dennis’ homilies from the
- August 18, 2019 Noon Mass
- August 18, 2013 Noon Mass
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The poems Fr Dennis references in these years are:
- 2019 homily — Questionnaire by Wendell Berry and Almanac by Lois Parker Edstrom
- 2013 homily — For a Dying Tomcat Who’s Relinquished His Former Hissing and Predatory Nature by Mary Karr; paintings of the face of Jesus and The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, 16 October 1834 by Joseph Mallord William Turner (British, 1775-1851) at the Cleveland Art Museum
In 2019, we reflected on the juxtaposition of great desire and great suffering in the gospel passage. We likely reflected on much more, but I have not the notes! 🙂 Sorry!
In 2013, we reflected on
- St Ignatius used “hearts on fire” and “set the world on fire” to describe the charism of the Jesuits.
- (rl notes the Jesuit sense of humor, as Fr James Martin, S.J., in his book The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, pointed out that in the Jesuit Curiae, a statue of St Ignatius with the slogan of “Set the world on fire” on its pedestal is located right next to the fire extinguisher.)
- D2 continued — Our readings capture some of the deep desires of our faith, desires that help lead us on and through severe challenges:
- In the 1st Reading, Jeremiah is subject to much suffering and trials
- In the 2nd Reading, St Paul exhorts that Jesus endures the cross in obedience for the joy to come (not causal, but in faith)
- In the gospel reading from Luke, “set against” could also be translated as “set apart” in Greek. We’re unsure. But Christ’s great desire to bring us to the Kin-dom, even though he had to pass through great suffering and death is our model of longing and desire for God’s Will, God’s Love.
- In the Cleveland Art Museum, there is a face of Jesus displaying … actually, there are lots of faces of Jesus in the Cleveland Art Museum! So, rl found this one … And In the Very Disk of the Sun Shines the Face of Jesus Christ, 1888. But, I am wondering if this is one of the times that Fr Dennis mentioned St Peter Repentant, one that shows Peter looking up to Christ in the Judgment Hall and meeting Mercy. It looks like a face that has met and is meeting love and the realization that we are always already forgiven.
- Also, the painting of The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, 16 October 1834 captures how people are drawn to / compelled to gather around fire.
- In the For a Dying Tomcat poem,
- Our offerings to Christ at the peak of our inner fire (the neighbor’s koi)
- Our offerings to Christ as our means to act in return to Christ’s offerings begins to fade
- Learning to rest in Christ’s arms (like a reverse pieta) as the fire now seeks to still me.
- Christ separating us from earthly family / communities to return us to God the family.
The Surest Sign 