Come with Angels

XXII Domingo Ordinario

You seduced me, LORD, and I let myself be seduced; you were too strong for me, and you triumphed. All the day I am an object of laughter; everyone mocks me. I say to myself, I will not mention him, I will speak in his name no more. But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it. Jeremiah 20:7,9

"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Matthew 16:24-25

Piety

"How Can I Keep from Singing"

My life goes on in endless song
Above earth's lamentations
I hear the trumpets sounding strong
That hails a new creation
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear its music ringing
It ever echoes in my life
How can I keep from singing?

Study

Deceived. Misled. Duped. Coerced. Persuaded. Enticed. Seduced. Hoodwinked. Swindled. Tricked.

Jeremiah makes the Lord sound like he is one rung lower than a car salesman, politician or journalist. No matter what translation of the Bible you pick up, Jeremiah is not singing the Lord’s praises this Sunday morning. Translator after translator use verbs with negative connotations indicating that the Lord was (allegedly) less than honest and somehow has Jeremiah doing something against his will.

Even though Jeremiah wants to turn and run, he cannot because the spirit of the Lord is a fire burning in his heart that he cannot control. Jeremiah must share this emotion. How can he keep from singing?

The truth comes out in Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus, honestly, is more forthright than Jeremiah makes him out to be – and all the advertisers on Madison Avenue. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

You cannot say that Jesus did not warn us: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

The deception actually happens by the disciples, not Jesus. By the woe-filled scribes and Pharisees, not Jesus. By the denying Peter, adamant as a rock.  By Judas, not by Jesus. Jesus never promised us a rose garden. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Action

Dorothy Day’s pilgrimage continues in Houston even if it is still water-logged.

Canned vegetables, coffee, pasta, tomato sauce, tuna and canned meat, canned vegetables, sugar, cooking oil, rice, beans, bread, mayonnaise, cereal, Similac^© baby formula and baby food make up the beginning of the list of items needed at Casa Juan Diego in Houston as the flood waters stagnate. Where is Moses when you need those waters to part?

Here is where you can use Amazon Prime Pantry even though you might live (like me) 1,420 miles away. In addition to food, the homeless who flock to safety at Casa Juan Diego, a Catholic Worker house in northwest Houston, also are in need of toiletries and basics like: men’s deodorant, razors, shampoo, toilet tissue, men’s underwear (sizes 30-36), small women’s underwear, sanitary napkins, adult diapers, under pads, baby wipes and wipes for adults, dishwashing detergent, pine sol, Clorox^©, Clorox wipes for cleanup, toilet tissue, and bug spray.

You can go to www.Amazon.com to use Prime Pantry (or Peapod or Walmart or Target or your other favorite online site) and ship items to:

Casa Juan Diego

4818 Rose Street

Houston, Texas 77007

No duping here. Plus, if you include a few small extra items that Amazon flags in Prime Pantry, Jeff Bezos will give you free shipping, too. The box might not come with angels but the Catholic Workers and those who really need help will praise and thank you profusely.