TWENTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
AUGUST 29, 2010
On April 15, 1912, the R.M.S. Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg on a clam sea under a moonless night, sending 1500 of the 2200 passengers and crew to a chilling watery grave. But it was not so much the iceberg that sank the “unsinkable” Titanic, as it was human hubris and pride. The Titanic was constructed with a double hull, and sixteen “watertight” compartments, the finest engineering of the time. It was as tall as an eleven story building, weighing over 46,000 tons, and measured the length of a football field. So confident were the builders of the Titanic that she could not sink, she was equipped with only enough lifeboats to serve half of the passengers. And most disturbing of all, while the Titanic sped across the ocean, chasing the record for the fastest maiden voyage across the Atlantic, her seasoned captain ignored seven iceberg warnings from other ships in the area. Tragically, in the final hours prior to the collision with the iceberg, the radio operator aboard the Titanic was ordered to turn off incoming signals from other ships in order to spend his full attention sending outbound celebratory telegraph messages to New York from first class passengers.
In contrast to this pride which leads to destruction and alienation, our Scripture passages invite us to consider the virtue of humility. The English word humility comes from the Latin word humus, which means earth. Truly humble people are earthy people, who clearly see the truth about themselves. Truly humble people acknowledge the gifts God has given us. For example, Mary, the Mother of God, recognized the gift of the Incarnate Word of God in her womb. Yet, she was humble enough to see this child as a total gift of God.
The leading Pharisee did not invite Jesus to dinner as an act of kindness. The Greek word for “observing him carefully” implies that he and his friends were lying in wait for him. The Pharisees had a habit of displaying their exterior piety as a way of contrasting their holiness with the “sinfulness” of those who disagreed with them. Jesus warns against this type of behavior with his parable. Do not take the more honorable places at table, he tells them, in case the host embarrasses you by telling you to go to the lowest place. Instead, he recommends that we seek the lowest place, trusting that the host will move us up where we belong.
Truly humble people do not deny their God given talents. Rather, truly humble people simply put those talents quietly in the service of others, trusting that God will eventually reward their efforts. Truly humble people also see their limitations and potential for sinfulness, trusting that God will transform those weaknesses into something valuable.
When Saint Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he complained that they were making distinctions at table that divided the community gathered to celebrate the Eucharist. Those who had more means were enjoying the better food and drink. Those who were not so wealthy received the scraps. He ordered them to separate the celebration of the Lord’s Supper from these meals, and we gather here as a result of his pastoral wisdom.
The Lord feeds us with his Word and nourishes with his Body and Blood, not because we have earned these honors, but because he has freely bestowed his love upon us. In response, we can continue our 7% tithe to the poor – 5% to Saint Adalbert’s School and 2% to the poor. We need to continue to support our Saint Vincent de Paul Society with their service to the poor and needy. We can cook the casseroles for the homeless shelter, and every other service we give to the poor. They can never repay us. Instead, we trust in humility that we will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.
STEWARDSHIP OF SERVICE WITNESS TALK
BY: ANDY KESZEI, PARISHIONER
MAY 23, 2010
Hello, my name is Andy Keszei and I'm the president of the SVdP Society here at St. Pius, I would like to share with you my experience of serving the parish. I have always had a passion for helping people, so when deciding on a stewardship it was obvious to me which one to get involved with.
I'll start with my first meeting I attended. I was given this, my name tag. I didn’t really like it. It’s kind of big. Then I heard someone say at a meeting that “ you see the face of Jesus in the poor.” I had heard that before, but I really did not understand it. Then at a later meeting I heard “the poor will always be among us.” Once again I could not quite grasp that. So here I was at the first few meetings and I was not sure if I could ever understand these things.
I stuck around though, slowly getting involved. I started serving the poor… as a group we went to the homeless center making food, then serving the homeless, literally making and putting the food on their plates. Then I had the privilege of finding a man a place to stay one night, he had been living in his car for quite some time. I also remember us helping a man named Joseph and his wife about a week before Christmas.
We also make home visits; we go into the people’s homes and take them food, we listen to them, which is my favorite part of a home visit, and we pray with them, and we try to put them in touch with the proper people to get them the help that they need.
I would like to share one particular home visit I went on one day:
It started off at the pantry here at St. Pius. I gathered the food that all of you so graciously give in the blue bags and I drove off to the apartment. As I knocked on the door and showed the woman peaking out my name tag, she opened the door. Now, I was entering a place that only a few privileged people can go. God was using this name tag to allow me to go in and see this family in its most vulnerable state--this is a true Grace from God---now inside the door I was greeted by a little girl no more than 5 or 6 years old. She yelled, “Mommy he has juice” and what seemed like seconds the mother had the juice out of the bag), into a cup and the little girl was drinking it—as I looked down watching her drink it, I smiled at her…. and at that moment I knew Jesus was allowing me to see HIS face in that little girl.
Our chaplain has taught us that these people--the poor--will always be among us because God has put them there for us, for our conversion-- to bring us closer to HIM.
So, I encourage all of you to look at your gifts and decide where they would be most useful here at St. Pius.
Thank you Father Bill and Bob for all of your support and compassion for the poor. And thank you for all of your time today.
I would like to leave you with this. First Peter chapter 4; verse 8
Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. 4
Be hospitable to one another without complaining.
As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace.
Thank You.
AUGUST 29, 2010
On April 15, 1912, the R.M.S. Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg on a clam sea under a moonless night, sending 1500 of the 2200 passengers and crew to a chilling watery grave. But it was not so much the iceberg that sank the “unsinkable” Titanic, as it was human hubris and pride. The Titanic was constructed with a double hull, and sixteen “watertight” compartments, the finest engineering of the time. It was as tall as an eleven story building, weighing over 46,000 tons, and measured the length of a football field. So confident were the builders of the Titanic that she could not sink, she was equipped with only enough lifeboats to serve half of the passengers. And most disturbing of all, while the Titanic sped across the ocean, chasing the record for the fastest maiden voyage across the Atlantic, her seasoned captain ignored seven iceberg warnings from other ships in the area. Tragically, in the final hours prior to the collision with the iceberg, the radio operator aboard the Titanic was ordered to turn off incoming signals from other ships in order to spend his full attention sending outbound celebratory telegraph messages to New York from first class passengers.
In contrast to this pride which leads to destruction and alienation, our Scripture passages invite us to consider the virtue of humility. The English word humility comes from the Latin word humus, which means earth. Truly humble people are earthy people, who clearly see the truth about themselves. Truly humble people acknowledge the gifts God has given us. For example, Mary, the Mother of God, recognized the gift of the Incarnate Word of God in her womb. Yet, she was humble enough to see this child as a total gift of God.
The leading Pharisee did not invite Jesus to dinner as an act of kindness. The Greek word for “observing him carefully” implies that he and his friends were lying in wait for him. The Pharisees had a habit of displaying their exterior piety as a way of contrasting their holiness with the “sinfulness” of those who disagreed with them. Jesus warns against this type of behavior with his parable. Do not take the more honorable places at table, he tells them, in case the host embarrasses you by telling you to go to the lowest place. Instead, he recommends that we seek the lowest place, trusting that the host will move us up where we belong.
Truly humble people do not deny their God given talents. Rather, truly humble people simply put those talents quietly in the service of others, trusting that God will eventually reward their efforts. Truly humble people also see their limitations and potential for sinfulness, trusting that God will transform those weaknesses into something valuable.
When Saint Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he complained that they were making distinctions at table that divided the community gathered to celebrate the Eucharist. Those who had more means were enjoying the better food and drink. Those who were not so wealthy received the scraps. He ordered them to separate the celebration of the Lord’s Supper from these meals, and we gather here as a result of his pastoral wisdom.
The Lord feeds us with his Word and nourishes with his Body and Blood, not because we have earned these honors, but because he has freely bestowed his love upon us. In response, we can continue our 7% tithe to the poor – 5% to Saint Adalbert’s School and 2% to the poor. We need to continue to support our Saint Vincent de Paul Society with their service to the poor and needy. We can cook the casseroles for the homeless shelter, and every other service we give to the poor. They can never repay us. Instead, we trust in humility that we will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.
STEWARDSHIP OF SERVICE WITNESS TALK
BY: ANDY KESZEI, PARISHIONER
MAY 23, 2010
Hello, my name is Andy Keszei and I'm the president of the SVdP Society here at St. Pius, I would like to share with you my experience of serving the parish. I have always had a passion for helping people, so when deciding on a stewardship it was obvious to me which one to get involved with.
I'll start with my first meeting I attended. I was given this, my name tag. I didn’t really like it. It’s kind of big. Then I heard someone say at a meeting that “ you see the face of Jesus in the poor.” I had heard that before, but I really did not understand it. Then at a later meeting I heard “the poor will always be among us.” Once again I could not quite grasp that. So here I was at the first few meetings and I was not sure if I could ever understand these things.
I stuck around though, slowly getting involved. I started serving the poor… as a group we went to the homeless center making food, then serving the homeless, literally making and putting the food on their plates. Then I had the privilege of finding a man a place to stay one night, he had been living in his car for quite some time. I also remember us helping a man named Joseph and his wife about a week before Christmas.
We also make home visits; we go into the people’s homes and take them food, we listen to them, which is my favorite part of a home visit, and we pray with them, and we try to put them in touch with the proper people to get them the help that they need.
I would like to share one particular home visit I went on one day:
It started off at the pantry here at St. Pius. I gathered the food that all of you so graciously give in the blue bags and I drove off to the apartment. As I knocked on the door and showed the woman peaking out my name tag, she opened the door. Now, I was entering a place that only a few privileged people can go. God was using this name tag to allow me to go in and see this family in its most vulnerable state--this is a true Grace from God---now inside the door I was greeted by a little girl no more than 5 or 6 years old. She yelled, “Mommy he has juice” and what seemed like seconds the mother had the juice out of the bag), into a cup and the little girl was drinking it—as I looked down watching her drink it, I smiled at her…. and at that moment I knew Jesus was allowing me to see HIS face in that little girl.
Our chaplain has taught us that these people--the poor--will always be among us because God has put them there for us, for our conversion-- to bring us closer to HIM.
So, I encourage all of you to look at your gifts and decide where they would be most useful here at St. Pius.
Thank you Father Bill and Bob for all of your support and compassion for the poor. And thank you for all of your time today.
I would like to leave you with this. First Peter chapter 4; verse 8
Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. 4
Be hospitable to one another without complaining.
As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace.
Thank You.