And to All a Good Night.

This Sunday's readings are diverse, but the overarching point is: Turn your thoughts toward God; do not be misguided by worldly things; do not forget that He is the Everlasting, the Eternal.

In the first reading, we are warned against vanity, the overarching-evil word that defies description. But what I want to pull out is a simple idea: All his days, sorrow and grief are his occupation; even at night his mind is not at rest. This also is vanity. It's a given concept that earthly things, when misused, are vanities. But even to fall away to sleep at night not trusting in the Lord is a form of vanity.

Mother's Angel, Cover of Literary Digest Magazine, Norman Rockwell, 1921.

In the second reading, Paul performs the duty of Air Traffic Controller for the thoughts of the faithful. Wherever you are focusing your energy, he says, unless it is in a heavenward direction, you are probably misguiding your efforts. Furthermore, Paul leaves us with a beautiful bottom line:

Christ is all and in all.

Freedom of Worship, Norman Rockwell, 1943.

And while Aesop had his fables, Jesus left us with parables. These working metaphors, analogous to our lives, offer a story line for us to interpret and relate to our experiences. In Luke 12: 13-21, the moral of the story is clearly: Do not put your trust in material things.

Saying Grace, Norman Rockwell, 1951.

And so it seems that the readings are warning us away from the misuse of material goods. Life's possessions are not meant to be taken for granted, and they are not meant to be the goal of living. But when used as a means to the end of God's will, the wealth of the world is magnified.

Let me explain. With the help of Norman Rockwell.

Rockwell painted idyllic America. Not an ideal America. But an America that understood its place in the world, and gave thanks for the good things it had. I don't know that those days really existed, but Rockwell's point was that the simple joys of life were what we should cherish and strive to perpetuate. The message of the girl looking in the mirror isn't one of fame and celebrity, but one of the power of the dreams of youth.

Girl at the Mirror, Norman Rockwell, 1954.

The message of the prom dates with the soda jerk isn't one of sex and status, but one of innocence, and the power of love.

After the Prom, Norman Rockwell, 1957.

The message the of boy with the watchmaker isn't one of impatience and greed, but of value and wisdom.

What Makes it Tick, advertisement for Swiss Watchmakers, Norman Rockwell, 1954.

And sometimes Rockwell didn't leave us parable paintings to interpret. Sometimes he painted pictures of people living the life that God calls us to, in just the way that He calls us to do it.

Because The Golden Rule gives you the golden rule, and reminds you that, yes, Christ is all and in all. A figure that looks very much like a young Rockwell himself, stands among a beautiful diversity of humanity. Something to think about: The only people who break the 4th wall, or look directly at the viewer, are minorities. Many of the figures have their eyes closed or lowered, glassed over with a pensive quality. But the little school girl in the bottom left, the African American man in the top right, and the South American woman wrapped in garb reminiscent of Our Lady of Guadalupe all look directly at the viewer. Christ is all and in all.

The Golden Rule, Norman Rockwell, 1961.

Because the family that is gathered at table is there to celebrate the bounty of a harvest, together. There are no silver candelabras on the table. That isn't Waterford crystal or china. There were no maids to prepare the feast, nor was the bird paid for by bartering on Wall Street. And those smiles are not I-can't-stand-my-family grins. The pride in the faces of grandpa and grandma is palpable. And grandpa has worn his suit, because his family is well worth dressing up for.

Freedom from Want, Norman Rockwell, 1943.

Because these two children have probably just finished saying, "As I lay me down to sleep." And while Rockwell painted Freedom from Fear as a companion piece to three other American Freedoms (Freedom of Worship, Freedom of Speech, and Freedom from Want) as inspired by FDR's January 1941 speech to Congress, he is reiterating the blessings of the common man. Though dad holds a war-time newspaper in his hand, though unimaginable terrors are happening across the ocean, this moment is about saying bedtime prayers, trusting in the freedoms afforded by our Nation, but also trusting in God.

Freedom from Fear, Norman Rockwell, 1943.

Here is a song that I'll be singing for my parish's Offertory Hymn. It is taken from the same text as the Responsorial Psalm, and has the same message: we trust in a God who is eternal, who is omnipresent, who is in all people, and all things, and who endures long before and long after we spend our days on this earth. The last verse is all about learning to avoiding vanities, to, just as the children in Rockwell's painting, sleep peacefully, so that in the morning, we can rise up strong.

Long before the mountains came to be,

And the land, and sea, and stars of the night,

Through the endless seasons of all time,

You have always been; You will always be.

In every age, oh God, You have been our refuge.

In every age, oh God, You have been our hope.

Destiny is cast, and at Your silent word

We return to dust and scatter to the winds.

A thousand years are like a single moment gone,

As the light that fades at the end of day.

Teach us to make use of the time we have.

Teach us to be patient, even as we wait.

Teach us to embrace our every joy and pain,

To sleep peacefully, and to rise up strong.

In Every Age, Janet Sullivan Whitaker.

From Now Until the End of Time.

Sunday, July 25 is all about The Nations' relationship with God; how to ask for help and forgiveness, and what we can expect in response.

The first reading from Genesis reveals an angry but merciful God, something different than the Fire and Brimstone Deity that predominates the Hebrew Scriptures. God will smite the cities of wicked people, but he will spare the cities with even 10 righteous men. The Psalm, in typical Davidian style, joyfully recounts the incessant Marco-Polo quality of the human relationship with God: We call, He answers. The second reading is Paul reminding us that God grants us the salvation we seek through the Son He sent. And Jesus himself tells us, in Luke's Gospel, both how to pray to God (with His legacy of The Lord's Prayer), and how to be persistent in our pleas, faithful in our reverence, consistent in our praise.

This relationship between God and humanity is a recurrent theme throughout all the Bible and all of Salvation History. And it calls to mind the Prophets of Old.

Frieze of the Prophets (West Wall) by John Singer Sargent. Boston Public Library, 1895.

Here is the West Wall portion of John Singer Sargent's Frieze of the Prophets, located in the Boston Public Library. The use of highlight and shadow in this piece is gorgeous, and it offers a visual metaphor for the Light and Dark in the messages of the Prophets.

In the piece, we see four prophets. First is Zephaniah, whose name means something along the lines of "YHWH Lies in Wait." Zephaniah, depicted in obvious frustration, clutching his breast and his head, the homes of heart and mind, had a very clear message: religious and moral corruption, and idolotry, warranted Divine punishment. YHWH lies in wait, indeed, to pass judgement. Repent, said Zephaniah, and be saved.

Frieze of the Prophets (Detail of Zephaniah and Joel) by John Singer Sargent. Boston Public Library, 1895.

Next to Zephaniah is an impressive depiction of Joel, whose name means "One to Whom Jehovah is God." Joel hides his face from the light of God, in shame for his people. Yet his throat and arms, instruments of God's work, are brightly illuminated. His message was a call to repentance, but with a hopeful promise of future blessings. Repent and be faithful, and you will not only be saved, but you will be showered with the joys of the Kingdom.

Frieze of the Prophets (Detail of Obadiah) by John Singer Sargent. Boston Public Library, 1895.

Crouched in distress, we find Obadiah, the "Servant of YHWH." Obadiah, too, had a hopeful message. He prophesied Ultimate Victory for the children of Israel, if they maintain their faith and show love to their neighbors. His message bears some resemblance to Luke's Gospel: While in Luke's Gospel, Jesus represents God as the neighbor or father from whom good things are solicited, Obadiah encouraged those who heard him to be the hands of God on earth, to act with kindness, indeed, with generosity. Look at Obadiah, looking something like the destitute beggar on the street, hair disheveled, clothing in ruins. Obadiah was a rich man, but he distributed all his wealth to the needy, in service of God, and ended up a poor man himself. Be generous with your fellow man, just as God is generous to you, and you will be rewarded.

Frieze of the Prophets (Detail of Hosea) by John Singer Sargent. Boston Public Library, 1895.

Finally, a gorgeous depiction of white, we see Hosea. Hosea, "Salvation is the Lord," also proclaimed an important message through example. Hosea preached that Israel was the Wife of God the Husband, something like a forbear of the "Church is the Bride of Christ" metaphor. Hosea's wife left him and slept with another man, but Hosea sought her out, forgave her, and took her back. In modern times, this would be a hard pill to swallow. Can you imagine the import of his actions in ancient times? And so his words paint the metaphor - Israel is the unfaithful wife, who wanders off and finds illicit and false gods to worship, and God is the forgiving husband, who finds her, forgives her, and welcomes her back. Sargent paints Hosea cocooned in white, the virtuous man, willing to restore virtue to his unfaithful wife. His face, shadowed, may show us that his thoughts are troubled and dark. But his message is clear: he manifests the generosity of God. *Sargent used the face of Major George Conrad Roller, a rather accomplished Golden Boy at the time, as a model for Hosea. Roller served in the Boer War and in World War I, was an accomplished artist, and Steeplechaser.

Sargent's expressive Frieze of the Prophets reminds us of the messages of great men and the trials they faced, carrying the weight of the world on their backs (much like Atlas, who is also located in the Boston Public Library.)

Atlas and the Hesperides by John Singer Sargent. Boston Public Library, 1922-25.

But perhaps most importantly, Jesus gives us the simple words to frame our pleas to God. Simple things can sometimes be the most beautiful. And we know from St. Augustine that "To sing well is to pray twice." So here is a little of both simple words and simple melody, with beautiful results. Steve Warner, Music Director at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana composed this version of The Lord's Prayer. Here is a performance of the Notre Dame Folk Choir from over 10 years ago. The message, and its beauty, are clear. Perhaps my favorite part of this clip is when Steve Warner says, "We are a Folk Choir, which means that our music doesn't belong to us. It belongs to you."

Live the Life.

So let's talk about what it is to live your life with an open heart; open to the wonders of the world, and open to God's promise.

This Sunday's readings offer us a veritable grab-bag of Christian ideals: reverence, justice, faith despite persecution, quiet willingness to listen to the will of God. We see the Beatitudes in action, from Abraham's faithfulness to Paul's faithfulness to Mary and Martha's very different faithfulness.

In the Gospel this coming Sunday, we see the busy hospitality of Martha, something like the Biblical precursor to Martha Stewart, and the assiduous attention of her sister Mary. Which brings to mind a different Mary, who also lived the Beatitudes before they were ever uttered by her Son.

Take a look at Botticelli's Annunciation:

The Annunciation by Sandro Botticelli, 1489-1490

I love this painting... Here we see the grace of Mary, imbued with the Grace of God, as she receives news of His will. We see a world of order, clearly and strictly delineated by the directional lines on the floor, the severe window casement, the details of the scene beyond. The figures contradict all this linearity. Gabriel has literally just alighted- the diaphanous cloth that was Botticelli's specialty is still in motion behind him. As his momentum is absorbed by the floor, he reaches up to Mary, in greeting, holding the Annunciation Lily, a common symbol of Marian Purity. The line of his outstretched hand continues up the arm of Mary, the gaze of the angel and the direction of these visual lines drawing the eye to the face of Mary. She recoils slightly, leaning back in wonder with a graceful sway of the hips. Her head is bowed in reverence, in prayer, in meekness. She stands beside an open book, meant to remind us that this moment has been prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures, and she is garbed in red and blue, remnants of the Byzantine Icon world that hint at her connection to both the mysteries of Heaven, and the vitality of Humanity.

What strikes me most about this image is the two hands, untouching, but reaching toward each other. This painting was completed a few years before Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, and, in fact, Botticelli had also done some work on Pope Sixtus's amazing chapel in 1481. Whether or not Michelangelo had seen Botticelli's Annunciation before leaving for Rome in 1496 is doubtful - The Annunciation was painted for the Florentine convent of Cestello.

The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel, completed between 1508 and 1512.

But just as, in the ceiling fresco, God reaches out a benevolent hand to lend life to Adam, Botticelli paints another moment which captures God's promise to renew the world; His heavenly messenger reaching out a hand toward The New Eve, the woman who will bring life to the Body that will bring Life to the world.

Something to think about this Sunday when you listen to the readings: How do you accept and perform the will of God in your life? Like Abraham, excited and eager? Like David, writing the Psalms, determined to rule with Justice? Like Paul, resolute and inspired? Like Martha, distracted yet determined, or her sister Mary, quiet and full of awe? Or like Mother Mary, with absolute Grace?

Go Out to All the World and Tell the Good News...

Let's have a little lesson in etymology, shall we? Catholicism. Root word: catholic. Meaning of the adjective catholic: 1. including a wide variety of things; all-embracing.

St. Peter's Basilica, Rome

It is so important not to secularize the message of the Catholic church. However, let's not forget the fact that the message is meant to be universal, accessible to all, available for the masses to partake. And the most important role of a Catholic is to preach the Gospel, using words if necessary. (That's St. Francis, right?)

Suchitoto, El Salvador

We enter edifices of brick or of stone, architectural snapshots of history or the result of eclectic modernity, every Sunday. We hear a beautiful message that is as new as it is ancient, meant to be as timeless as it is universal. But what is important to remember is that even as we find refuge for our wandering hearts and beckoning prayers within the shadowy cool refuge of the physical church, we must remember that we are the Church, that as we recess toward the doors at the end of mass, we are charged to venture into a brilliant world, a world rife with the joy and beauty of God, and to be eyes for those who cannot see it.

Suchitoto, El Salvador

These images are of a little church in Suchitoto, El Salvador. I have a friend who is currently saving the world in that tiny country. He's not Catholic. He's not big into organized religion. He's prefers Einstein's view of God over St. Augustine's. Yet, I'm pretty sure if he were to sit in a room with St. Francis, they'd get along famously (they're both marvelous writers, and they're both a little crazy...). I value this friend, because he sees religion very differently than I do. That challenges me to define and re-define what I believe, it challenges me to find the connections and the parallels between us, not just the differences, and it challenges me to remember the root of my Catholicism. A heart that is open to the wonders and joys of the world, even as it balks at the definitions of the unknown subscribed to by organized religion, is still a wonderful companion in the journey of life.

Suchitoto, El Salvador

Though my church is built of marble, my house is built of glass. Before passing judgement, share joy. The Glory of God, defined in different terms, is still truly magnificent.