Tuesday, October 1, 2013

26/Ord/C  Luke 16: 19-31 The Rich Man and Lazarus

I spent a couple of weeks with my sisters and niece in England this past summer----at the end of our time together, they flew home and I stayed on for a few days to visit friends. It was my last day in London, and because it was Sunday, I headed out for mass----there was a terrible traffic jam all over the city because of a bike race, so the Tube was very crowded---which made me arrive later to church than I wanted to---I slid into a pew right as mass was beginning.  That’s late for me.  I ended up sitting next to a little old man who was obviously homeless.  He nodded at me as I sat down.  For a brief second, I thought about moving, because he smelled so bad, but there was nowhere that I could go.  So, I took a deep breath, and stayed put.  The little old man was also obviously Catholic---he knew all the prayers by heart.  The music was not the best, and the homily was not memorable, and I didn’t know anyone---all of which made me homesick for the preaching, music and community that is here.  When it came time for the collection, I dug in my purse for some money to put into the collection.  It’s always interesting to me to see how other Catholic parishes do things---the ushers had collection bags, which they did NOT pass down the pew. No……they came and stood in front of you and held the bag for you and glared until you put something in it. I looked up from my purse to see the usher standing right in front of me with the collection bag held out to me---I put some bills in and then he stepped over to the man who was sitting next to me and held the bag in front of him.  The man looked up at the usher with tears in his eyes and said in a strained voice, “I got nothing.”  My heart broke.  I forgot that he smelled bad and was kicking myself for even noticing that, because now I realized that I was sitting next to Lazarus in the flesh.  Mass continued as usual, but I was horribly distracted by what had just happened.  The man went to communion, but didn’t step back into what was now ‘our’ pew—he stood in the aisle.  When I looked up after the period of silent prayer, he was gone.  So as mass ended, I ran out the door to see if I could find him to ask if he needed something to eat.  I finally spotted him a block away, but with traffic and the crowds, he soon disappeared.  It was too late.  He has been haunting my prayer ever since.

Last Sunday's gospel warned us that we shouldn’t make money into a god---this week's gospel shows us what happens when we do.  When money, or possessions, or other stuff become more important to us than anything else----we become less than we are called to be.  What do the rich man and Lazarus have in common?  Not much, except for this-----both of them die.  Death is the great equalizer.  It’s only when the rich man dies that he starts to clue in to what he missed in life.  Too little, too late.

We all know this story, and we know that it doesn’t end well for the rich man---but not because he was rich. It’s because he was oblivious to the poor man who was right by his door, just as I was mostly oblivious to the poverty of the man who was sitting next to me in church that Sunday.  I love the part where the rich man tries to order Abraham and Lazarus around.  “Tell Lazarus to get me a drink.” “Send Lazarus to my family.”  It makes me want to jump into the story and say “Sir, it needs to occur to you that you are in hell. This, of course means that you don’t get to do things the way you are used to doing---and you aren’t giving the orders either.”  Or something like that.  Not that I’ve ever been to hell, but I’m reasonably sure that it doesn’t operate that way. 

It's not about what the rich man DID---it's about what he didn't do. In the Confiteor, we admit our sinfulness, “in what I have done and in what I have failed to do.”  The sin is in the “what I have failed to do” part.  The rich man didn’t attack or abuse Lazarus----he didn’t do anything at all to Lazarus.  He could have justifiably said “Hey, I didn’t do anything.”  And God would say…..’exactly.’ He had the money, the power, and ability to help someone who desperately needed it.  He did nothing.  And before he realized his mistake, time ran out.

There is still time for us.

Lazarus walks among us every day—do we see him?  For the last month, he has been across the street staying at St Margaret’s---and for 12 days, over 100 volunteers from this faith community fed and cared for him.  He lives at St Martin de Porres Shelter on the waterfront.  He stands by the side of the road with a sign that says “Homeless Vet. Anything helps.”  He is the little old man that I sat next to at mass at Our Lady of Mt Carmel and St Simon Stock parish in Kensington.  He is everywhere, and we mostly don’t see him until it’s too late.  I think that sometimes we are afraid----Lazarus can be scary and smelly.  If we stop to notice, something will be required of us, and we are afraid of what it might be.  If you follow the news, or even Facebook, you will notice that it has become very clear that one person who isn’t afraid of Lazarus is Pope Francis.  Much to the chagrin of his security detail, Francis plunges into crowds of people and is most often pictured hugging or blessing the sick, the disabled.  Lazarus.  I saw the photos of the Pope’s visit to Sardinia last Sunday----they brought the sick, and I mean really sick--people on gurneys, people with oxygen tanks--- to the Basilica of Our Lady of Bonaria ---it looked like a hospital and reminded me of Pope Francis’ words the previous week when he spoke of the Church as a ‘field hospital after battle.” People in need, people who suffer---they are frightening to us—it’s easier to ignore them.  We Catholics have, as a role model, a leader who isn’t afraid to jump into the midst of suffering and be there within it.  His tender care and visible love for the ‘least of these’ is tangible and something that we should all take to heart. 

Today’s Gospel invites us to remember that we really are called to take care of each other---and it starts by noticing that there is someone there, someone in need, someone who is Lazarus walking among us, someone who is Jesus in disguise.

Monday, August 5, 2013

The British Museum

The British Museum basically houses the history of civilization....or most of it.  Whether or not Britain SHOULD have all this stuff is another discussion entirely----but the British Museum is huge, amazing, and free.

And now, the photos!

British museum:

1.  The Rosetta Stone.  Yup.  This is it.

2.  The Parthenon Marbles.  These were chipped and sawed away from the Parthenon in Athens by Lord Elgin and carried off to England nearly 200 years ago. Greece would like to have them back, if you please.

3.  Ramesses II....this is the Pharoah that they think was in charge when Moses was doing his thing.  
To paraphrase.....
Moses:  "Let my people go!"
Ramesses II:  "No way"
Moses:  "This won't go well for you"
Ramesse II:  "Bring it."
It did not, as predicted, go well for Ramesses II.  That is all.

4.  Cleopatra---or what's left of her.  I'm guessing that Egypt would like Ramesses and Cleopatra, along with all the other mummies back as well.

5.  The Tree of Life:  This is really powerful---it's in the Africa exhibit.  It was created by artists in Mozambique who crafted it from weapons that were turned in.  Sort of like turning swords into plowshares.  You can read more about it here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_Life_(Kester)

6.  This is the Hinton St. Mary Mosaic---it is thought to be the earliest image of Christ.  Read about it here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinton_St_Mary_Mosaic














Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Highclere

Well, all you Downton Abbey fans, here are the photos......

HIghclere Castle isn't really a castle.......it's a Georgian manor.  Remodeled in the 1800's by Sir Charles Barry, who was the architect for the British Parliament buildings in London (and you can see the similarities!), it looked very different before the remodel.  

In person, the house seems smaller than it does in the series-----they must be shooting with a reeeaaalllllly wide lens for sure.  It's big, but not massive-----but quite lovely.  You get to tour part of the interior, and all of the exterior-----highlights are Sybil's room (not needed any longer, I guess!), Edith's room, and the room occupied by Mr. Pamuk before his unfortunate demise.  

Mary's room, and Cora and Robert's rooms don't exist at Highclere---they are all offsite in the studio. That said, the salon on the first floor, the staircase, and the library are spectacular.  It makes me want to go back and watch the entire 3 seasons, just to look at the rooms and the grounds.

It's fun to go around the back of the building----Sir Charles didn't reface the entire building, so you can still see the original Georgian brick facade----it looks unfinished from the back.

No Maggie Smith sightings.  

Enjoy the photos:









Sunday, July 28, 2013

Paris, Mes Amis!

So........what a wonder to live in the 21st century, where you can hop on a train in London, and in less than 2.5 hours arrive in Paris, having traveled UNDER the English Channel!  Who knew?

I only found out a few years ago that, after spending a lifetime thinking that I was of French descent---I'm not.  My grandfather, it turns out, was an immigrant to France from what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Croatia). So, just like that, all my French heritage was gone.  Turns out that I'm Croation, German, Austrian, Gypsy and Bohemian.  No one is surprised to hear this.--especially the Gypsy and Bohemian part.

That said, it was a fun day in Paris (and miserably hot!)--we went to the Musée D'Orsay----oh my.  To stand in front of "Starry Night' by Vincent Van Gogh........the real thing.  

Go here so that I don't bore you with explanations:  http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/

Then we walked down to Sainte Chappelle.......I have this thing for European churches--and most especially, for Catholic stained glass.  Sainte Chappelle is nothing short of breathtaking.  I could not breathe---and not because it was so beastly hot (Paris is having the same heat wave that the rest of Europe is experiencing)-----the space in Sainte Chappelle is THAT incredible.  If you have seen Fr. Robert Barron's "Catholicism" series, you will recognize Sainte Chappelle.  Standing in this space is a transformative experience, and I didn't want to leave.  The only reason I walked out the door was that I couldn't stand the heat, and we really didn't want to miss our train.
 

Last stop was Notre Dame de Paris----we wandered into the famous cathedral just in time to attend Vespers----prayed that evening for the victims of the train crash in Santiago de Campostela, and presided over by one of the auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of Paris.  The Cathedral is massive and amazing, and has a spirit in it that is transcendent.  The windows are breathtaking--especially the famous rose windows.  

Back to Gare du Nord for the quick Eurostar trip back to London.

I miss being French.  I really do.

Photos:

1.  The Louvre--well, part of it.  It's huge.
2.  The clock in the Musée D'Orsay--Paris in the backgrounc
3, 4, 5.   Sainte Chappelle
6.  Notre Dame de Paris facade
7.  Notre Dame de Paris Rose Window--north 
8.  Notre Dame de Paris Rose Windwo--south
9.  Notre Dame de Paris nave--Vespers












Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Visiting with the ghost of Amy Winehouse

Camden Town is, according to my sister, a lot like Greenwich Village-----it's edgy, funky, and a bit sketchy around the edges.  Camden has had a number of famous residents, most recently Amy Winehouse.  Amy was a great jazz-pop vocalist, whose troubled, turbulent and sometimes violent life ended 2 years ago due to alcohol poisoning.  Amy lived in Camden----and after wandering around there a bit, I can understand why.  It's an interesting mix of a lot of things-----vegan cafes, punk attire, reeeeaaaalllly interesting storefronts, some great music opportunities, and a party atmosphere.  

I wish she could have cleaned up her act, realized her own greatness, left the negative lifestyle behind and become an artist who could have endured for more than a generation.  It wasn't to be.  Her demise is something that should be a teaching moment--people often get into the romantic notions around being gifted and dying young, when they should really pay attention to the terrible loss of life and talent due to a lifestyle focused on drugs, alcohol, violence---a recipe for death.  Her ghost seems to hover over Camden. 

We went back to Camden Town today---we were there last week to see and hear Chris Coleman on the last night of his tour.  Chris is a great musician, and a lovely guy, and you should check his music out:  https://www.facebook.com/ChristopherColemanCollective

Photos:

1. Camden market shoe seller
2-5. Camden storefronts
6. Camden lock
7. Christopher Coleman









It's a boy!

So, London is a bit crazy with the news that Kate and Wills have welcomed Prince Yet-To-Be-Named into the world.  I loved it that he arrived on the feast of St. Mary Magdalene (July 22).  At any rate, they posted the birth announcement in front of the palace and the crowds waiting to see it, along with those waiting to see the changing of the guard ceremony were huge.  We couldn't get near the board where the announcement was posted.....I only got a distant peek at it.  But, we were in luck, because we were walking in Green Park just as the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery guys (in old school uniforms) arrived with their cannons for the 41 gun salute.  Yes, indeed.  41 huge cannon blasts.  Ouch.  They arrived, set up rapidly, fired away and were gone, gone, gone....just like that.

I thought it would be only tourists who were over at Buckingham----but there were lots of Brits there.  Lots and lots of media doing live coverage----we saw several news anchors we had seen on the morning news across from the palace doing continuous live coverage.  I'm sure that we looked like all those clueless people you see in a live shot behind the media line.....we resisted the impulse to wave...

So, London!

Photos:

1.  Victoria memorial and Buckingham palace from mid-way down the Mall
2.  Marching
3.  Still marching...
4.  41 gun salute in Green Park
5.  The Royal Birth Announcement (it's in the center of the photo, just inside the gate.  Look for the gold stand to the left of the music stands....that was as close as I could get!
6.  Sky News anchors
7.  Buckingham Palace
8.  Big Ben (from the Millennium Bridge)






Canterbury

I already wrote about Canterbury when I was here 3 years
ago--nothing new to say, really, so if you're interested, you 
can read that post here:

http://msann-whatwasithinking.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/canterbury-tales.html

That said, the entire Cathedral was open this time---which 
meant that we got to see everything, including the Becket 
martyrdom site.  Quite dramatic.

I've knelt and prayed at the site of Oscar Romer's martyrdom,
and now the site of Thomas Becket's.  Different bishops, 
different experiences, different reasons-----but they both 
ended the same way.....cut down by those who disagreed.  
And each, in his own way, became bigger in death than in life.  
And both are saints.  When will we ever understand that 
killing people that we disagree with makes no sense?

Photos:

1.  View back into the Cathedral from the Trinity chapel area
(the candle on the floor is the Becket memorial--burns
24/7 at the site where Becket's remains were kept until 
removed and destroyed by Henry VIII)
2.  HIgh altar and Archbishop's enthronement chair
3.  Becket window
4.  Becket martyrdom site
5.  Becket martyrdom site
6.  Becket martyrdom site from above
7.  Cloisters








Sunday, July 21, 2013

Finally!

This is my 5th day in England, but the first day that I've actually had time to post anything.  Jet lag is a drag, and it takes a while until you feel like you are here as opposed to there, so I finally feel like I'm here.


The first day is always the 'wander around, breathe the air, stay in the light so you can get yourself onto the timezone' day.  But it ended up being the first time I've ever taken a leisurely walk along the river......what took me so long?  


Saturday was amazing...my sis took us to Chawton, which is a small village near Alton.  Chawton was where Jane Austen lived, so we got to visit her house (beautifully preserved) as well as Chawton House, which was the estate home of her brother.  The history is interesting, but what is more interesting is to stand in the places where history happened.  There is a spirit in those places.


Photos below!


1. Big Ben

2. Parliament buildings at night (notice how the architect who did Highclere Castle is the one who did these buildings?)

3. Chawton House

4. Chawton House

5. Jane Austen's house

6. Jane Austen's house

7. Directional signs in Chawton