by Fr. Edward Foley, Capuchin<\/em><\/p>\n While it might not be kosher to admit it publicly, In Paul\u2019s world view, admittedly not mine, I have spent a lot of time around the unmarried, Conversely, I know many married folk No matter whether the source of our anxiety The celebrated neuro-endocrinologist Robert Sapolsky Backed by formidable research including over 25 years What is not useful, however, Today\u2019s readings, like today\u2019s world, In today\u2019s segment from the book of Deuteronomy A key problem with this short passage, however, In today\u2019s Gospel, Jesus is at least momentarily invested with authority I personally have never witnessed So in the absence of sensational demon expulsion, While it could jeopardize the possibility Oh, I have a Cubs\u2019 t-shirt \u2013 a gift from a relative, That doesn\u2019t mean I think sports are unimportant, It is also a prominent arena And from time to time, As real baseball fans know, this past week, It was notable that three of the folks not elected, As widely reported in the media, I looked up the rules of voting for the hall of fame last week. I wonder if we can borrow those as at least a partial list One of the more highly anticipated matchups in that race It is old news that the Buccaneers vanquished the Saints, What was enlightening to me, however, By almost every standard Drew Brees is a first-class act. There is wide speculation that Drew Brees is about to retire. In the midst of this symbolic last dance, He hugged Drew, Drew\u2019s wife, And as he quietly left the field, he high-fived the kids, There has been an unfortunate trend, While it is sometimes thought to be an urban legend, There\u2019s a party talking to a ship at sea that says, \u201cShip at sea, please divert your course 15 degrees to the south to avoid a collision.\u201d The response was, \u201cRecommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the north to avoid a collision.\u201d The first party responds, \u201cSorry, sir, but you will have to divert your course 15 degrees to the south to avoid a collision.\u201d The answering party says, \u201cThis is the captain of a United States naval ship. I say again, divert your course.\u201d The first party says, \u201cPardon me sir, you must divert your course.\u201d Now the American ship says, \u201cThis is an American aircraft carrier, the second largest ship in the United States fleet. We are accompanied by three destroyers, three cruisers, numerous support vessels. I demand that you change your course 15 degrees north. I say again, that is 1-5 degrees north or counter-measures will be taken. Do you understand?\u201d The response was, \u201cDear Captain, the next move is your call. This is a Canadian lighthouse.\u201d [3] Decades ago, the celebrated psychologist, Carl Rogers (d. 1987), Jesus of Nazareth was no pushover Jesus not only spoke God\u2019s saving Word, In these days of too much distorted speech [1] “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers: Stress and Health” by Dr. Robert Sapolsky<\/a> Jesus of Nazareth was no pushover but he was no bully either. His core message was love; his continued witness was care; his ultimate act was total self-giving. It would be difficult to imagine a more incarnate version of empathy, genuineness, and respect in human history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":54510,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[3118,3294],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ars-celebrandi-new-ws","category-ars-praedicandi"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nand as much as I usually agree with his content
\n(although not always his approach),
\nI need to take exception to the wisdom from St. Paul today,
\nespecially when it comes to the topic of anxiety.<\/p>\n
\nhe presumes that the unmarried are only anxious
\nabout the things of the Lord,
\nwhile the married are anxious
\nabout the things of the world.<\/p>\n
\nespecially clergy and religious,
\nwho are appropriately anxious
\nabout all sorts of things of the world, e.g.,
\nabout keeping a parish afloat during a pandemic.<\/p>\n
\nwho, juggling work and life and
\nfinances and family,
\nhave deep concern about the things of the Lord.<\/p>\n
\nis our prayer life, property tax
\nor just putting food on the table,
\nliving with stress is not good for body or spirit.<\/p>\n
\nhas a funny yet informative book on the topic
\naptly entitled Why Zebras Don\u2019t Get Ulcers.<\/em>
\nIf you want the abridged version,
\nwatch the YouTube of Sapolsky lecturing on the topic
\nat the University of Illinois in 2017. [1]<\/p>\n
\nobserving primates and their zebra colleagues in Africa,
\nSapolsky demonstrates that some stress is not only good
\nbut necessary, e.g., when being chased by a lion.
\nStress kicks the body into high gear,
\nprioritizes what instincts to take over,
\nand increases our chances for success in fleeing danger.<\/p>\n
\nis human\u2019s evolved capacity
\nfor long term psychological fretting
\nabout non-physical threats,
\nabout possibilities, misgivings, or suspicions
\nwhich take not just a psychological but a physical toll.
\nPsychological stress is a documentable contributor to disease
\nincluding diabetes, heart problems and even cancer.<\/p>\n
\npoint to various sources of anxiety.
\nIn particular, they raise questions around issues of trustworthiness
\nof authenticity
\nand the enduring question
\nabout whom to invest with authority.<\/p>\n
\nMoses, the stuttering whom God invested with authority,
\nreminds his listeners that God will raise up prophets
\nwhose words must be heeded,
\nwith the additional warning that anyone
\nwho dares to speak for God falsely
\nwill suffer a terrible fate.<\/p>\n
\nis that it does not provide any criteria for judging
\nwho is of God and who is not,
\nexcept if someone happens to keel over dead
\nin the middle of a prophecy:
\nnot a criterion most of us would like to apply,
\ncertainly not I in the midst of this preaching!<\/p>\n
\nafter his nifty exorcism in a Galilean synagogue,
\nwhich could be a pretty good reason
\nfor affirming another\u2019s power.
\nIronically enough, however,
\nmany eventually tried to divest Jesus of authority
\nAnd many more never made the investment in the first place.<\/p>\n
\nsuch a dramatic or effective exorcism,
\nthough I have often wished for one.
\nIf you have, please email the details to me.<\/p>\n
\nhow do we decide not only how or when to empower another,
\nbut also when and how to authorize ourselves
\nas proclaimers of God\u2019s Word?<\/p>\n
\nof some of you investing any authority in my preaching,
\nespecially on the cusp of Superbowl 55,
\nI have to admit that I am not much of a sports fan.<\/p>\n
\nand a Bear\u2019s sweatshirt \u2013 a gift from a relative,
\nand a Tiger Woods\u2019 baseball cap \u2013 a gift from a relative,
\nand Blackhawk\u2019s sweats: Now in unison \u2013
\n\u201ca gift from a relative\u201d \u2026 like a family responsorial psalm.
\nNonetheless, I have virtually no passion
\nfor following any competitive sports team \u2026
\neven though I\u2019m a triple Domer
\nand a card-carrying alum of Notre Dame.<\/p>\n
\nwhich is why I try to keep up on the latest sports news,
\na topic so important for so many.<\/p>\n
\nin which millions of folk invest their time and finances
\nand by extension provide empowerment:
\nfor coaches, teams, schools, and especially star athletes.<\/p>\n
\nit also provides some guidance on criteria
\nfor anointing groups and individuals
\nas worthy of our trust and energy.<\/p>\n
\nfor the first time since 2013,
\nthe Baseball Writers Association of American
\ndid not elect anyone to the baseball hall of fame.<\/p>\n
\nin their 9th of 10 years of eligibility,
\nwere Kurt Schilling, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.<\/p>\n
\ncontributing factors to that outcome
\nwere the many demeaning comments of Schiller,
\nbelittling folk because of race or gender,
\nand for Bonds and Clemens,
\nthe wide-ranging charges that both used
\nperformance-enhancing drugs,
\nintimating that they were professional cheats.<\/p>\n
\nThey include this instruction:
\nvoting shall be based upon
\nthe player\u2019s record,
\nplaying ability,
\nintegrity,
\nsportsmanship,
\ncharacter,
\nand team contributions.<\/p>\n
\nof criteria for discipleship and our own authoritative role
\nas proclaimers of God\u2019s Word?
\nBesides this baseball drama playing out this past week
\nmore prominent is the current race to Superbowl 55.<\/p>\n
\nwas the game between the Buccaneers and the Saints,
\nfeaturing two of the most celebrated quarterbacks
\nin the history of the game.<\/p>\n
\nand subsequently the Packers,
\nso are on their way to the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n
\nwas the viral YouTube clip of a simple exchange
\nthat occurred after the Bucs beat the Saints.<\/p>\n
\nThe 2010 sportsman of the year
\nmaking multiple USO tours, a true philanthropist,
\ncommitted to a city devastated by Hurricane Katrina
\nas evidenced by many huge donations,
\nincluding a recent $5 million gift for pandemic relief.
\nAs a committed Christian his creed is his four \u201cf\u2019s\u201d:
\nfaith, family, football, and philanthropy.<\/p>\n
\nAfter his loss to the Bucs, a camera caught him
\nback out on the field with his wife and 4 kids
\nafter the stadium had emptied,
\nmaybe soaking in his final moments as a player.<\/p>\n
\nthe opposing quarterback, Tom Brady,
\nwithout fanfare or display,
\nquietly came onto the field.<\/p>\n
\nshared a quiet moment of mutual respect
\nand when Drew\u2019s oldest boy, Baylen,
\napproached Brady with a football,
\nthe six-time super bowl champ
\ntossed a perfect dime pass to the boy
\n(I had to look that one up) [2]
\nright into the corner of the end zone,
\nwith the compliment \u201cwe could have used you tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nand told the three sons, \u201cbe nice to your sister.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nin our country, in our schools, in business,
\nand even in our churches
\nto allow power to be ceded to the loudest,
\nto hand authority to self-authorized bullies.
\nMaybe gentlemen quarterbacks suggest another option.<\/p>\n
\nthe Director of National Intelligence confirmed its veracity
\nin an official speech, when he reported:<\/p>\n
\n<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nidentified three core conditions [4]
\nthat a client needs in order for their therapy to be effective.
\nThey have been consistently embraced.
\nI learned them 50 years ago as
\nempathy, genuineness, and respect.
\nPushy, belligerent, and self-serving never made the list.<\/p>\n
\nbut he was no bully either.
\nHis core message was love;
\nhis continued witness was care;
\nhis ultimate act was total self-giving.
\nIt would be difficult to imagine a more incarnate version
\nof empathy, genuineness, and respect in human history.<\/p>\n
\nbut was revealed as that Word eternally.<\/p>\n
\nand a bewildering chorus of voices claiming
\npersonal license, religious warrants, and societal power,
\nand as we grow together in discerning
\nwho truly speaks a holy word,
\nwho embodies spirit-driven empathy, genuineness, and respect,
\nand who is worthy of being invested with an authority
\nresonant with that of the Christ,
\nand as we grow in our baptismal call
\nas chrismated as prophets
\ncommissioned to announce in word and deed
\nthe Good News in Jesus Christ,
\nwe pray for the same Spirit
\nthat guided Jesus,
\nthat anointed Jesus,
\nthat authorized Jesus,
\nthat accompanied him on Golgotha,
\nthat rested with him in the tomb,
\nand that raised him up on the third day
\nso that, as the psalmist prays,
\nno hearts are hardened
\nbut instead are only rendered supple and open and wise,
\nthrough Christ our Lord. Amen.<\/p>\n
\n
\n[2] Technically a \u201cdime\u201d is a pass that travels at least 30 yards in the air and fits into windows of one yard or less.
\n[3] Remarks and Q&A by the Director of National Intelligence Mr. Mike McConnell, March 12, 2008<\/a>
\n[4] Carl Rogers, \u201cThe Necessity and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change,\u201d Journal of Consulting Psychology 21:2 (1957) 95-103.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"