Becoming a Catholic at St. John's Columbia

RCIA / The Kingdom of God               Sunday October 9

THE theme of Jesus’ teaching throughout his ministry.

God’s rule – not so much a place as a state of reality.  A state of reality in which there is peace, justice, love …

Began with Jesus in the person of Jesus, is partially present now whenever the church is the church and we live the way our baptisms call us to live, and will be present completely at the end of time.

It remains a mystery – something we can point to, sort of grasp, but are incapable of defining.  So, Jesus told stories.

Matthew 13:24

“The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field.  While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.  When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.

The slaves of the householder came to him and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’  He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’

His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’  He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them.  Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

 Matthew 13:31

He proposed another parable to them. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field.  It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”

Matthew 13:33

He spoke to them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.”

Matthew 13:44

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Matthew 13:45

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.   When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.

Matthew 13:47

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind.  When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away.  

Matthew 20:1

The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.  After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.  Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off.

And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise.  Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’

When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage.

And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’  He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you.  Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? [Or] am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’  Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

We took a look at two additional readings – Psalm 80 which pictures Israel as the vineyard, but expresses their feelings of being neglected or forgotten by God.  Quite a contrast from the two readings from our Sunday liturgy!  And then we took a look at the story of the Lost Son / Prodigal Son and asked the question – do we have to hit “rock bottom” before we can repent and change our lives?

Psalm 80

O Shepherd of Israel, lend an ear,

you who guide Joseph like a flock!

Seated upon the cherubim, shine forth

upon Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.

Stir up your power, and come to save us.

O God, restore us;

light up your face and we shall be saved.

LORD of hosts,

how long will you smolder in anger

while your people pray?

You have fed them the bread of tears,

made them drink tears in great measure.

You have left us to be fought over by our neighbors;

our enemies deride us.

O God of hosts, restore us;

light up your face and we shall be saved.

You brought a vine out of Egypt;

you drove out nations and planted it.

You cleared out what was before it;

it took deep root and filled the land.

The mountains were covered by its shadow,

the cedars of God by its branches.

 It sent out its boughs as far as the sea,

its shoots as far as the river.

Why have you broken down its walls,

so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?

The boar from the forest strips the vine;

the beast of the field feeds upon it.

Turn back again, God of hosts;

look down from heaven and see;

Visit this vine,

the stock your right hand has planted,

and the son whom you made strong for yourself.

Those who would burn or cut it down—

may they perish at your rebuke.

May your hand be with the man on your right,

with the son of man whom you made strong for yourself.

Then we will not withdraw from you;

revive us, and we will call on your name.

LORD God of hosts, restore us;

light up your face and we shall be saved.

Ash Wednesday: “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust” then, “Repent and turn to the Gospel” now.

John the Baptist and then Jesus: “Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand”

Jesus requires a decision.  Who do people say that I am?  Who do YOU say that I am?

Repentance = a change of heart that leads to a change in behavior

not so much a change of mind

In novels, tv, movies – a story about a change of heart then led to a changed life?  OR stories where a choice was presented and pondered … and eventually turned away?

Luke 15: 11-32  The Parable of the Lost Son

 “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. 

When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any.

Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’ So he got up and went back to his father.

While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’

Then the celebration began.  Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him.

He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”

FORGIVENESS    SUNDAY SEPT. 11, 2011

by Peter Barbernitz

A few years ago – a truck driver in PA went berserk.  Barricaded himself in a small Amish school, prepared to spend up to a week.  Intended to sexually assault the Amish girls.  Instead of negotiating, the police immediately broke in.  Roberts, the truck driver began killing the girls as the assault began and then killed himself.

A terrible, terrible event.

People around the world were astounded by what happened next.  Instead of drawing into themselves with hatred toward the outside world, the Amish community where this happened reached out to it.  Every family in the Amish village was affected by event (only  about 40 to 50 families in an Amish village).  They went to Robert’s widow and family to grieve with them.  They forgave Roberts himself and assured the family that they were in no way held responsible for what had happened.

Two theologians wrote a book about this phenomenon.

Amish Grace – based on a literal reading of the Lord’s Prayer -  “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”   Have communion only twice a year and then only after EVERYONE has fully reconciled ANY and EVERY grievance with EVERYONE else in the community. 

Lots of grievances can emerge in a small and rather insular community.  As they do in families and neighborhoods.

What (should) distinguish a Christian community from other communities is its deep communion of members with one another and with God.  It is not “liking” one another all the time or “being nice” to one another – lots of communities call for that and do that as best they can. 

This deep communion is based on baptism, of being united to the person of Jesus and therefore to one another. 

This deep communion requires deep forgiveness.  To forgive things big and small, terribly hurtful and less so.  Against ourselves and against those we love.  Because we too are sinners and we too stand in need of forgiveness by others and by God.

Does NOT mean forgetting.  Does not mean that we keep going back / allowing for the same hurt to continue.  Does not mean that a battered spouse cannot or should not leave a batterer.  Or a molester … or a thief …. or a drug abuser etc.  It does not rule out seeking justice (as the Amish would have done had Roberts survived).

Good mental and emotional health require it besides.  Grievances and hurts we carry with us hurt us far more than they hurt the other person involved.

In pairs of 2:

• Think of some times in your life when someone hurt you.  Some will be too personal to share but keep thinking about this until you come up with one you would be able  to share.
• Talk together about what happened.  Then:
  • Did you reconcile with the other person? 
  • What did they do  / you do to get to forgiveness if that came about?   
  • What in the situation, in yourself, in the other prevented it?
  • Think of some times in your life when you hurt someone else.  Some will be too personal to share, but keep thinking about this until you come up with one you be able to share.  Have the same discussion.
  • If becoming a follower of Jesus REQUIRED you to practice this sort of radical forgiveness as best you could every day – would you still want to do so?

This blog is a resource for the RCIA team, RCIA participants, and for those person transitioning from other denominations to the Roman Catholic church at St. John’s.  We are located in Columbia MD in two interfaith centers – Wilde Lake Interfaith Center and Oakland Mills Interfaith Center.

While this blog is written entirely from a St. John’s point of view others are certainly welcome to come in, look around, and use these materials or modify them for your own use.  I always like a little bit of credit and a comment now and then would be nice as well!

The schedule for the RCIA program this year is under the schedule tab at the top of the page.

Some other program notes and resources are found as “pages”.

Please check back often as I hope to update this blog several times a week.

We took these at the Rite of Acceptance when they affirmed a desire to become Catholics and we affirmed our desire to help them through the process.

This blog is a resource for the RCIA team, RCIA participants, and for those person transitioning from other denominations to the Roman Catholic church at St. John’s.

While this blog is written entirely from a St. John’s point of view others are certainly welcome to come in, look around, and use these materials or modify them for your own use.  I always like a little bit of credit and a comment now and then would be nice as well!

The schedule for the RCIA program is under the schedule tab at the top of the page.

Program notes and resources are found as “pages”.

Please check back often as I hope to update this blog several times a week.