Just Because It's Friday

Sheesh! And I thought that the rulers were bad!

Words Matter

Watching "Glee" last night, I was very impressed. Not with the bizarre Lady Gaga number, but with the scene between Finn, Kurt and Kurt's dad. Finn, the sensitive football player, has had difficulty with his glee-mate and now house mate Kurt's sexuality and his tendency to be extra flamboyant. Kurt has just decorated their room in some sort of Moroccan den theme, and Finn has now had it. He flips out and begins hollering at poor Kurt, who tells Finn that he won't change who he is. "I want you to get rid of this ... faggy lamp!... and this faggy blanket..." Finn begins. Kurt's dad walks in and confronts Finn, pointing out how inappropriate he believes that "f-word" is in his home. Finn is shocked and embarrassed.

Kurt's dad is a hard-working, blue-collar guy. He has worked hard to understand his son's sexuality as well. It's not something he totally understands, but he does understand that he loves his son. Hearing that hateful language pushes him over the edge. He places Finn in the same category as those who use the "n-word" and such hateful words as "retard." Somehow, in Finn's mind, calling things "faggy" was OK. Burt reveals that such language is nothing more than hate speech and an attack on his son, and therefore on his family.

The great thing that I like about "Glee" is that it portrays real issues that young, marginalized kids have to face in high school. Finally, Finn understands that he is part of that group of self-described "freaks," and that because of that there is a bond that they all share. Hateful language against one member is hateful language against them all - whether they are gay or not, goth or not, pregnant or not, handicapped or not, different or not.

It's a good reminder to us that we need to think about what we say and the attitudes that we have behind those words. Jesus chose to identify not with the powerful or the prevailing attitude of his day; He chose to be one of the outcasts, and He died as one of them. Now, He lives as one of them, and in His love He allows us to be one of them too.

Something Beautiful for the Lord

Last year, I (and many others) discovered "Auto Tune the News" on YouTube, where a group of brothers and their sister took perhaps the most boring part of cable TV and made it funky. They remix footage from CSPAN and various news sources and "auto tune" it into a musical masterpiece. There's nothing like hearing "unintentional singers" like Katie Couric and Joe Biden! Anyway, I check in every now and again to see their latest offerings. This week, I didn't find anything there, but in related videos, I was directed to something similar - "Auto Tune the Good News." Intrigued, I clicked. What I found was a young lady who directs music at a parish in Jamaica, New York, Elena Brandt. She has a beautiful voice, and what's more, she has a neat idea: arranging the Sunday Gospel musically. Using the text of the gospel, she plays her piano and sings beautifully the Words of our Lord and the apostles. Here - check it out and enjoy!

The Perfect Moment

Why?

Why must He go away?

Just when things

were going great,

when He had proven

the Love of God,

just now,

He leaves?

Off He goes -

up

there.

What about the Kingdom?

Shouldn't He restore that now?

It's the perfect time -

the perfect moment.

But no.

Here we are still,

standing around,

staring

up.

And He is gone.

Or...

is He?

"I am with you always..."

And we are here,

so

He must be here too.

The Kingdom

that I wanted

is not the Kingdom

that He gives.

But here I am,

and so is He.

Why did He go?

He gave us a job;

the Kingdom is at hand.

Now is the perfect time -

the perfect moment.

Enough staring up.

There is work to do still.

And it is His work,

and ours now

as well.

My Dad - Call Him "Father"

On June 12, Archbishop O'Brien will celebrate a rather unique ordination. Two years ago, John Rapisarda was ordained to the priesthood - the only priestly ordination that year. This year, we have only one again - and, again, it's a Rapisarda.

John's dad.

Here's the story.

A Baltimore priest's dad is soon going to follow in his son's footsteps -- and become a father. This year, about 440 men will be ordained into the priesthood, including 62-year-old Deacon Greg Rapisarda. Deacon Rapisarda currently conducts Mass with his son, Father John Rapisarda. Two years ago, Deacon Rapisarda said he had to make a confusing adjustment to his lifestyle. "I had to get used to calling my son 'father,' and then we'll also share a relationship as brothers -- as brother priests," he said. That's a lot of talk about fathers, sons and brothers and who's who to whom, but that's how the family tree goes, 11 News I-Team reporter Lisa Robinson said.

"I always say John will do the baptisms, and I will do the funerals for the family," the deacon said. "On my ordination on June 12, he will vest me."

The Answer to Fixing Your Heart

Like many others, I went to see Iron Man 2 this weekend. I had enjoyed the first one and found the "conversion" of Tony Stark to be a great story of finding one's purpose in life. The second film finds the narcissistic hero actively engaged in his work as celebrity-superhero, and presents the conflict of what to do when others want to take his technology and put it to bellicose purposes.

In the film, we learn that Tony has his own issues. One of them is that the trademark core that is keeping him alive is also leading him to death. He is trying to buy time to figure out how to find a power source that will not be toxic to his body. In the meantime, we also learn that he has his own father issues - a dad whom he saw as cold and absent and whom he had dismissed as not loving him.

Meeting with the mysterious members of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Samuel L. Jackson's character, Tony learns that his father was on to something, but it was incomplete. This, in turn, meant that his own work - and his arc reactor that keeps him alive - is incomplete as well. Nick Fury (Jackson's character) states bluntly to Tony that "the answer to fixing your hear is you."

Forced to work day and night on his father's incomplete plans, Tony watches old promotional film of Howard Stark and his "Stark Expo." There are several outtakes; then, we come to a poignant moment when Howard speaks directly to his son - his grown-up son. He tells him that one day, he, will find the key to making his own dreams come true. This is a different side to his dad that Tony is seeing - a man who has faith in his son. Finally, he tells Tony, "The greatest of my creations is you."

There is a striking echo of some very powerful Christian theology at work here too. Saint Augustine - a man whose youthful foolishness is almost legendary, and whose conversion is just as legendary - spoke often of finding oneself by finding God. "Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee," is his famous line. The same dynamic is at work in this aspect of Iron Man. In order to "fix his heart," Tony must first find his father.

When we seek to repair whatever brokenness affects our hearts, we - like Tony - probably first turn to all sorts of fixes of our own making. However, the true answer is not our ingenuity but rather a rediscovery of the Father - of God's absolute and unconditional love for us. God has faith in us because we "are His greatest creation." This knowledge should help us realize that the key to fixing our heart is a discovery of who we truly are; and this can only come from an encounter with that Love that has called us into being.

We can follow our plans and our dreams wherever they may take us, but they will always be somewhat incomplete until we realize that we ourselves are part of a much greater Dream - one that is at the heart of God's love for us. The answer to our brokenness is not in what we do for ourselves but what God wants to do for us. He believes in us - and this knowledge can man Iron Men and Women out of us all.

Changed for Good

In the musical Wicked there is a scene where the “good” witch and the “wicked” witch are apparently parting ways and bidding one another farewell, acknowledging their friendship and thanking one another for who they are. Elphaba, the “wicked” witch sings,

It well may be
that we will never meet again
in this lifetime,
so let me say before we part:
so much of me
is made of what I learned from you;
you’ll be with me,
like a handprint on my heart.
And now whatever way our stories end,
I know you have rewritten mine
by being my friend.

The two friends are going their separate ways, and they know that their relationship has had an impact on their lives that they cannot deny: “Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better,” they sing together, “but, because I knew you, I have been changed for good.”

When we experience the gift of friendship, the gift of true relationship, we are changed. Those who are an important part of our lives remain with us, “like a handprint on our hearts,” and that means something for who we are and who we become.

This, I think, is the message of Jesus’ prayer in our gospel this morning. “Holy Father, I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one.” The section of John’s Gospel from which we take many of the readings for this part of our Easter season is known as the “Great Priestly Prayer” of Jesus. He is sitting with His apostles, after the Last Supper, giving them instruction and praying. It is a beautiful glimpse into the intimate prayer life that Jesus, the Son, shares with God the Father.

Jesus, aware of the relationship He shares with the Father, is also aware of the relationship that His disciples share with Him. Furthermore, He wants that relationship to have an effect in our lives. The effect is unity – unity with God and unity with one another: that all may be one.

For the Christian, our relationship with Jesus, our union with God begins at Baptism, when God reaches out to us and places His mark on us – “like a handprint on our hearts.” Jesus knows that this mark is now a part of who we are; it is not just “something extra” that we carry around with us like car keys or a wallet. Rather, this relationship is much deeper than that. It is who we are.

For the Christian, we are made for unity. Our ultimate destiny is that we be one – one with each other and one with God. That is what our Lord prays for at the Last Supper. It is part of His intimate relationship with the Father, and it is the intense desire of God Himself. How can we deny that?

St. Paul and the early Apostles wrestled with this too. In our First Reading, we hear of the struggle to recognize the unity that early Christians had between Jews and Gentiles. Paul’s argument is, basically, that the Gentiles too have been touched by that same relationship with Christ and that this means something for them – just as significant and just as important as the Jews’ relationship. They, too, bear that handprint now, and the response of the community is not prejudice but acceptance – more than that, the response is unity.

We are called to this unity because we know Christ. If we claim to know Him, then we must heed the desire that Jesus expresses in His prayer with and for His friends – that all may be one. Here in this place, here among disciples of Christ, there can be no division. Who we are – all of us – is made of what we have learned from Jesus, and from one another in faith.

Does this make a difference for us? On campus, do we see folks we have seen here and thank God for them or do we wonder how she could wear that shirt? Do we strive to be people of reconciliation and peace, or do we join in gossip or complaint about others? After our encounter here, have we been changed?

Who can say?

But, we know what Jesus wants – He prays for it today, and always.

Unity.

Have we been changed for the better? I certainly hope so.

But I know this: because we know Him, we have been changed for good.

Goofiness for the Gospel

I rarely get the opportunity to watch an episode of The Office, but I really enjoy it when I do.



Despite his ingrained goofiness and overall lack of "a clue," Michael Scott has to be given points for trying. As the head of the office, he is always striving (usually in a misguided way, though) to inspire and motivate is fellow co-workers. Most of the time, he just tries to hard.

This is a good lesson for anyone who is charged with bringing the Gospel to others. Particularly with our young people, we may be tempted to "be one of them" or to frame the message in some newer, "hipper" way. One cannot be faulted for this, but often these attempts come across as less authentic than simply living out the truth that we want to share.

Now, there is nothing wrong with "putting yourself out there" for the sake of the Good News. Our youth need and deserve inspiration. St. Paul tells us to become "fools for Christ." Yours truly has done as much on many occasions (see photo below). In fact, these dramatic examples of goofiness for the sake of our ministry are the attention-getters that lead to truly effective evangelization in many cases. Just do not forget the heart of the message: Jesus Christ.

That's Fr. Austin on the left, dressed as a 6-foot-tall shrimp outside of one of his assignments.

What is This Feeling?

One of my favorite songs from the musical Wicked involves Galinda and Elphaba as they are settling in to their dorm at the university. They are writing home to their families and they are describing their "interesting" roommate, as well as the feelings they have about the situation.

What is this feeling, so sudden and new?
I felt the moment I laid eyes on you.
My pulse is rushing, my head is reeling. Oh, what is this feeling?!
Does it have name? Yes, ahhhhh... loathing!
There's a strange exhilaration, in such total detestation, it's so pure, so strong!
Though I do admit, it came on fast, still I do believe that it can last!
And I will be loathing for forever, loathing, truly deeply loathing you, my whole life long!!!!

During the song, a chorus of other students from Oz "praise" Galinda for putting up with such a strange person as Elphaba:

Dear Galinda, you are just too good! How do you stand it, I don't think I could. She's a terror, she's a tartar, we don't mean to show a bias but Galinda, you're a martyr!
Poor Galinda, forced to reside with someone so disgusting, We just want to tell you, we're all on your side!

The future "good witch of the north" responds to them, "Well, these things are sent to try us..."

The scene illustrates well how prejudice can drive us to compromise ourselves and perpetuate stereotypes and even racism. Galinda is a good person, but in the name of "keeping up appearances," she allows others to control how she acts toward someone who otherwise could be a great friend.

Peer pressure is a terrible force. On our own, we know what is right; together with flawed attitudes, even good people can make disappointing choices. It is important to seek out and nurture good relationships - friendships - that help us be the best we can be. This is at the heart of any good friendship - we call ourselves to become even better.