Is your exegesis sound but your content boring? Are your homilies filled with Latin or Greek theological terms which are as dusty as the seminary in which you learned them? Have you lost touch with the present generation and their parents? Have you become a scriptural dinosaur? If so, consider signing up for a six week homily intensive with Dr. Elizabeth-Anne Stewart.

With Dr. Elizabeth-Anne Stewart

Is 25:6-10a; Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6; Phil 4:12-14, 19-20; Mt 22:1-14 or 22:1-10


"The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants
to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to her farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.”

 Mt 22:1-7

Under ordinary circumstances, when invited guests refuse to attend a wedding, this evokes anger and hurt feelings on the part of the hosts. Many a bride and groom have been upset when friends or relatives declined their invitation; and many a bride and groom have also been angered by “no shows” on the actual day. Having gone to the trouble of compiling a guest list and of catering for all who agreed to attend, the sight of unclaimed name tags and empty places at table can ruin the couple’s “happy day.” Instead of focusing on the celebration at hand, the newly-married and their parents can become obsessed with all the money wasted on those who simply never showed up. I can think of several weddings when the hosts made careful note of those who were absent, calculating down to the last few cents what the empty plates cost them. No doubt, future relations with the absent guests were strained, if not ruined. 

Today’s gospel, however, goes beyond hurt feelings and wasted food. The reluctant guests not only refuse to attend (note the strong verb!) but resort to violence, first attacking and then murdering the King’s messengers. And the King, provoked beyond mercy, sends in the troops to punish the reprobates.

There are parallels, of course, with last Sunday’s gospel (Matt 21:33-43). In each parable, there is a person with elevated status (“vineyard owner” and “king”); and in each parable, this noteworthy person lavishes attention on others (“vineyard” and “wedding guests.’) Both the vineyard owner and king, however, are disappointed: the vineyard tenant farmers withhold the owner’s share of the harvest while the wedding guests boycott the wedding; worse still, the ingrate tenants /guests show their hatred and contempt for the vineyard owner/king by killing the messengers and, in Matt 21, even the vineyard owner’s son. The result? The murderers perish and their inheritance is given to strangers. 

Thematically speaking, the parables are identical. The traditional Christian interpretation is that the reign of God (vineyard and wedding feast) will be taken from the unworthy and given to the Gentiles. The danger with this interpretation, however, is that it has strong anti-Semitic overtones. What I find more helpful is to view the violent as those who are opposed to new consciousness. Instead of advancing God’s cause, these people actively block it, showing contempt for God at every level. The vineyard tenant farmers feel entitled to the harvest, conducting themselves as if they were the owners, not just servants. The wedding guests, on the other hand, show complete indifference and disrespect by refusing to participate in the feast; preoccupied with their own affairs, they don’t want to be disturbed. Both groups of people demonstrate selfishness, greed, callousness and brutality. They live only for themselves, oblivious of anything unrelated to their creature comforts. Unconcerned with both God and neighbor, they have no sense of purpose beyond self-gratification. 

The new consciousness symbolized by the Wedding Feast is based on the sacred marriage of the higher Self with the Divine. At this Feast, the human and the divine come together in a sacred union that encompasses the whole cosmos. To be a guest at this Feast means leaving behind all one’s limited ways of thinking so as to embrace the Infinite. The willing guest must forsake the sordidness of former ways, putting on a wedding garment to symbolize the transition (hence the reason why the underdressed guest is thrown into the darkness). The Wedding Feast is the destiny of humankind; those who refuse the invitation are settling for an existence far removed from God’s dream for each of us.

 Questions for Reflection

1. Why might invited guests refuse to attend the Wedding Feast?
2. What do you understand by “new consciousness”?
3. To what extent was Jesus an embodiment of new consciousness?
4. What attitudes and habits block you from attaining a higher level of consciousness?
5. What does it mean to “dwell in God’s house”?
     

Sunday BibleTalk, September 28^th, 2008

With Dr. Elizabeth-Anne Stewart

www.elizabethannestewart.com

 Ez 18:25-28, Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14, Phil 2:1-11 or 2:1-5, Mt 21:28-32


A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'
He said in reply, 'I will not,'
but afterwards changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, 'Yes, sir,’ but did not go.
Which of the two did his father's will?"

Mt 21:28-32

When Jesus uses the image of a vineyard, we immediately know that there is more at stake than a business enterprise. To own a vineyard was not only a sign of wealth, but also a source of great family pride. As used to be the case in many other wine-producing countries, a vineyard at that time was likely to be in the family for generations; everyone, from youngest to oldest, would be involved in wine production, and care of the vineyard would pass to the heirs upon the death of the head of the family.  

More importantly, Jesus uses the vineyard as a symbol of abundance. Like the psalmists and prophets before him, Jesus regarded a fruitful vineyard as a sign of God’s blessing; not only that,it signified the very reign of God which he had come to preach. A vineyard was precious and needed care; a vineyard needed laborers – not just hired hands who would show up at harvest time, but people who were fully invested in creating optimal conditions for the growing and harvesting of grapes, as well as in producing the best wines. Only the heirs could provide such loving attention. 

Such care is exemplified by an American friend who owns a vineyard in the Loire Valley. Though he lives in both Chicago and France, David schedules his visits to the States according to the maturation of the grapes. When there are heavy rains, he stays in France to help salvage the harvest; when cool temperatures set in, he carefully watches to make sure the grapes ripen properly, for a cool climate will prevent them from developing the sugars needed to balance their naturally high acidity. Everything, it seems, is a matter of timing and climate; no sooner does he arrive in Chicago then he is immediately planning his return to France, because the vineyard is “calling.” There is pruning to be done, as well as “canopy management” to regulate sunlight and disease control. Then there is harvesting, fermentation and bottling…. Without question, the vineyard is definitely David’s “significant other”…. 

 The two sons in today’s gospel resist the call of the vineyard. This is not merely an unwillingness to work but a reluctance  to invest in ultimate meaning. The first son initially refuses to obey his father; though his first response is “No, thanks,” he does re-consider his position. The vineyard depends upon him and he knows it. The second son is seemingly compliant, but then neglects his duties. His “No!” is tantamount to cursing the family estate and all that previous generations have worked towards. He is not interested in the vineyard but only in himself. This, of course, signifies his turning his back on God’s Vineyard and on the great harvest awaiting his attention; his is a moral failure caused by narcissism and lack of vision.

 To do God’s will is to make oneself available to God’s purpose. It means serving in the Vineyard, no matter what we would rather be doing. Ironically, when we open ourselves to God’s design, then we will find that the grapes are sweet, the wine heady and the harvest plentiful…. Let us drink deeply of the fruit of the vine! 

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

1. Do you see the vineyard as a symbol for the reign of God or as something different?
2. How can each of us serve the vineyard?
3. Have you ever turned your back on God’s purpose?
4. What  happens when you choose your will over God’s will?
5. What happens when, conversely, you choose God’s will over your personal will?

Sunday BibleTalk, September 14th, 2008
With Dr. Elizabeth-Anne Stewart
www.elizabethannestewart.com
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Nm 21:4b-9 , Ps 78:1bc-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38,   Phil 2:6-11, Jn 3:13-17

For God so loved the world that God gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him
Jn 3:15-17

I closed my eyes and listened as my student began reading the first draft of his homily; within two or three sentences, I detected a problem.
 
                        “Terry, are you saying “exultation” or “exaltation”?

                        “Exultation, of course – it’s the Feast of the Exultation of the Cross.”

                        “Want a bet?”

                        “What else would it be?”

                         “I’d say it’s the Exaltation of the Cross – how much do you want to bet?”

                         “Nothing,” he said, staring into his teacup. “What’s the difference?”

                         “Well,” I said, noting his resistance, “In one case, grammatically 
                          speaking, it would be a feast focusing on the rejoicing of the Cross (the 
                          Cross is the subject here) or, logically speaking, on the church’s 
                          celebration of the Cross; on the other hand, it’s a feast which invites us 
                          to raise up the cross as a symbol of inspiration, hope and discipleship…”

                          “Does this mean I have to re-write?” he asked wearily, closing his bible 
                          as if our tutorial were over. 

                          “No,” I said, “Not necessarily. Let me hear the rest….”

As it turned out, there was little re-write required. Having defined what it is to “exult” and to “exalt” in his opening paragraph, Terry was able to play with the words to his advantage, showing that as the church raises up the Cross as a life-giving symbol, there is also cause for rejoicing. Though I suspect the subtle variation in vowels may at times be lost on the assembly, at least everyone should understand the differences between the two verbs and the fact that each is appropriate.

Later, after our appointment was over, I found myself thinking more about this feast. Falling on September 14th, The Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross coincides with the date on which my grandfather died thirty years ago and the birthday of my Uncle Joe, also deceased. There was no exulting surrounding either death. My family had lived with my grandfather for as long as I remember, and the dynamics of “home” changed with his passing. The rituals of carrying a cup of tea upstairs to his room, or working through arithmetic problems at his desk, or sitting with him in the garden as he admired the roses were now a thing of the past, as were the weekly gifts of chocolates which magically appeared after every trip he made into Valletta, the capital city. There was a silence and an emptiness in the five hundred year old house – a silence so different from the “quiet times” when we were instructed not to disturb Grandpa during his afternoon siesta. When my youngest sister overheard my father talking to the undertaker, she went into shock, no longer able to believe that Grandpa was “on holiday in Switzerland.” I will never forget her unrestrained sobs as she wrestled with her broken illusions: Grandpa was not coming home. Equally traumatic was the lack of empathy I received at my convent boarding school. “Your grandfather had a long life,” observed one of the nuns. “You should be happy that he reached his 84th birthday.”

No, there was no exulting that September 14th; instead, the weight of the cross was unbearable. It was a weight that became all too familiar over the years as different friends and  family members, young and old, died from various causes. Personally, it was my Uncle Joe’s death that hit me the hardest, no doubt because we had to observe his slow deterioration from Alzheimer’s as well as my aunt’s heroic efforts to nurse him herself. In my teens, my uncle had been my confidant, my advisor in matters of the heart. He listened to my sentimental outpourings with all the patience of an Ann Landers, and in his jovial company, I always felt comforted. When, shortly after my 22nd birthday, I went to live in the States, he was one of the people I missed the most. After the onset of his illness, I was always afraid he wouldn’t recognize me on my visits “home,” but even when he no longer knew my name, his face would still light up whenever he saw me and he would clap…

Personally, September 14th, then, is not a day for exulting. When I think of the Cross, it is not a symbol which makes me rejoice but a harsh reminder that life is filled with suffering and that losses, disappointments, betrayals, regrets and illness spare no one. At the same time, however, when suffering comes my way, it is the image of the crucified Christ that gives me the courage to continue on. Christ “raised up” like the bronze serpent in Nm 21: 4b-9 invites me to transcend the worst that life can offer, to be the “hero” of my own story. Just as Jesus triumphed over Death, so, too, I can triumph over all that drags me down, not by taking an imaginary trip to Switzerland, but by confronting the worst and refusing to be crushed by setbacks and tragedies which strike at whim.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
1. What does the Exaltation of the Cross mean to you?
2. What does Jesus’ allusion to the bronze serpent reveal about his understanding of the meaning of his life and death?
3. How has God exalted Jesus?
4. Why might a Christian exult in the Cross of Christ?
5. What do you know about the historical origins of this feast?

Sunday Bible Talk, September 7th, 2008
With Dr. Elizabeth-Anne Stewart

Ez 33:7-9, Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9, Rom 13:8-10, Mt 18:15-20

Brothers and sisters:
Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another;
for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery;
you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet, ”
and whatever other commandment there may be,
are summed up in this saying, namely,
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Love does no evil to the neighbor;
hence, love is the fulfillment of the law. Rom 13:8-10


Depictions of love in the media or in popular culture tend to be shallow and saccharine. Romantic “flings” are presented as “love”; lavish weddings are presented as love; pre-nuptial contracts are presented as love; graphic displays of sexual intimacy are presented as love…. But love is more than infatuation or a thing of the moment. It is more than a fleeting fancy or an interlude of self-indulgence. On the contrary, love is about fidelity, self-sacrifice and endurance. Love is the force that unbinds us and sets us free, giving us a taste of heaven. When we are “bound” by failure, or fear, or self-loathing, or despair, love can help us overcome our negative feelings, empowering us to rise above whatever situations have left us chained:

Sunday BibleTalk, August 31st, 2008
With Dr. Elizabeth-Anne Stewart                                                        
Jer 20:7-9;  Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9;  Rom 12:1-2;  Mt 16:21-27

Whenever I speak, I must cry out,
violence and outrage is my message;
the word of the LORD has brought me
derision and reproach all the day. Jer 20:8

As Jeremiah would attest, to play the prophet always involves paying a price. Shunned, scorned, stoned, put in the stocks, frequently imprisoned, thrown down a cistern, regarded as a traitor, Jeremiah was truly a suffering servant whose commitment to speaking truth in God’s name was the fire which kept him faithful.  During his 40 year ministry (626-587  B.C.E.), he railed against the wickedness of the people, denouncing their idolatry, their rebellion against God,  their lies and moral  corruption.. Though his message of judgment was punctuated with hope, ultimately he affronted the fierce nationalism of his people, warning them that Babylon would capture Judah and that the safest policy would  be: 1) to repent 2) to surrender so as to avoid loss of life, rather than  forge alliances with Egypt and other foreign powers. Tragically, the people refused to listen, with the result that Jerusalem was ultimately destroyed , her citizens  carried in chains into Babylon…..

 C. Elizabeth-Anne Stewart, www.elizabethannestewart.com

Is 56:1, 6-7;  Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8;  Rom 11:13-15, 29-32;  Mt 15:21-28

The foreigners who join themselves to me,,
ministering to me,
loving my name, becoming my servants—
all who keep the sabbath free from profanation
and hold to my covenant,
these I will bring to my holy mountain
and make joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be acceptable on my altar,
for my house shall be called
a house of prayer for all peoples.

Is 56:6-7

 At a very early age, we can make the painful discovery that we don’t belong to “THE CLUB.”  Perhaps it was the experience of being excluded from playground games for no reason other than being overweight, having braces or wearing glasses. Perhaps a teacher picked on us because we had an undiagnosed learning disorder, or because we challenged his or her theories. Perhaps we experienced discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation; or maybe we had a physical disability that made us “look different” from everyone else. Even more painful, perhaps, was the discovery that we didn’t “belong” to our own “tribe,” that there were criteria of acceptability even in our own social groups: we may have been the “ugly duckling/black sheep” in our family, the least favored of our siblings; if African American, we may have had a much darker skin tone than the other children of our race; or, regardless of race or ethnicity,  we may have found that our classmates’ parents instructed them not to play with us because our parents were divorced, or alcoholic, or unemployed, or mentally ill, or imprisoned, or simply socially inept…..

c. www.elizabethannestewart.com

Is 22:19-23; Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8; Rom 11:33-36; Mt 16:13-20

Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Mt 16: 13-15

For a few seconds, the question hung in the air as the disciples eyed each other nervously; no, Jesus was neither Jeremiah, nor John the Baptist nor Elijah, though he was as great as all of them put together. He was – well, it was difficult to say exactly who he was, but as the disciples struggled for words, Peter’s declaration filled the silence:  “You are the Christ,” he said, “the Son of the Living God.” In that moment, all his previous and future failings were forgiven – in fact, his answer won him the keys to the kingdom of heaven, the preeminent place in the fledgling church…..

1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-13a; Ps 85:9, 10, 11-12, 13-14; Rom 9:1-5; Mt 14:22-33

Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”
Matt 14:30-33

I was driving in the fast lane, hemmed in by trucks on either side. My passenger, a Russian student not yet accustomed to American expressways, clutched the edge of her seat.

“These trucks – they fill me with awe!” she said.

“Awe? Do you mean they impress you?”

 “No, not impress,” she objected. “They make me afraid.”

 “Then you want to say ‘These trucks terrify me.’”

“Why not awe?”

I focused on the road ahead, struggling for an explanation.

This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted,
and I heal them.

Mt 13: 13-15

I had very little sleep last night as I was scheduled to speak this morning on WVON, a Chicago radio station catering to a largely African American audience; my topic was “Have We Gone Overboard Mixing Religion and Politics?” Scheduled to be on the air from 7:00-8:30 a.m., I not only had several major questions to consider, but also had to prepare for “Call In” questions from listeners. Needless to say, there was much work to be done.