Father Denny Dempsey

Fourth Sunday of Lent A March 2, 2008

John 9:1-41 (the cure of the blind man sent to the Pool of Siloam) As part of his plan to fortify Jerusalem against a possible siege by the Assyrians in 701 B.C., King Hezekiah had a 1/3 mile-long tunnel cut through solid rock to channel water from Gihon Springs, which was outside the city walls, within the city. Access to the springs was covered over with boulders to prevent enemies from poisoning the water supply. The terminus of Hezekiah’s tunnel was the newly constructed Pool of Siloam, still used today as the source of drinking water in the poor Arab neighborhood which surrounds the pool.

Jesus once again heals on the Sabbath, a fact which terribly upset the Pharisees.  Their problem with Jesus, however, was not that he had done unnecessary work on the Sabbath. They were concerned about something far more significant…something Jesus was indicating about himself without giving them words upon which to convict him.  Genesis 2:3 recounts that God rested on the seventh day, but the Pharisees reasoned that God never really rested since, if God did so, creation would cease to function. Therefore, they believed that God worked every day.  The Sabbath was created for man to rest and acknowledge dependence on the work of God rather than our own human labors.  Jesus' healing on the Sabbath was not merely breaking a Sabbath law.  He was sending them a signal of his divinity…a signal which they, being more theologically astute than most of their Jewish counterparts, caught and for which Jesus was eventually condemned. Note how the testimony of the blind man becomes stronger with each passing conversation. So it is with us as we give testimony to our faith. May we be strengthened in faith by sharing our testimony through our words and actions.

Third Sunday of Lent A February 24, 2008

John 4:5-42 (Jesus converses with the Sasmaritan woman at the well)  Jacob had purchased land on the outskirts of Shechem (Genesis 3:19), probably the same town identified in this reading as Sychar. The well was dug to provide water for Jacob’s herds. Jacob and sons moved their sheep around, apparently free to graze in uncultivated areas in the hills. To avoid conflict over water rights, however, Jacob had purchased the plot of land and dug the well. Women generally came out to the well to draw water in the morning before the heat of the day set in. The woman goes out at midday to avoid contact with the other women who looked down on her for what they considered a sinful life. She maintains a tough defensive exterior with Jesus at first, undoubtedly built up from dealing with the inevitable harsh and judgmental talk of the village women. Jesus gradually softens her with “life-giving waters” to the point that she initiates contact with her neighbors to tell them about Jesus.  She is converted from sinner to evangelizer, her history trandformed from cause for shame to opportunity for forgiveness and blessing.  She was refreshed with life-giving water, and Jesus was "fed" by the joy of bringing her from darkness into the full light of God's kingdom.

Second Sunday of Lent A February 17, 2008

Matthew 17:1-9 What was the “high mountain” in this account of the Transfiguration? There are three notable mountains in the region. Mt. Tabor is a cone-shaped mountain rising over 1,800 feet from the plain of Esdraelon, about 10 miles SW of the Sea of Galilee and 8 miles SE of Nazareth. Mt. Carmel is about 30 miles away on the western end of that same plain. Overlooking the Mediterranean, Carmel was the mountain where Elijah lived in a cave and sought God’s guidance. Mt. Hermon, about 60 miles NE of the Sea of Galilee, is the highest mountain in the region. Snow melt from Mt. Hermon constitutes the headwaters of the Jordan River. Jesus and his disciples got away a few times to the region of Caesarea Philippi at the base of the mountain. On which mountain did the transfiguration take place? The exact location was less important than the relationship between that mountain and Moses going up on Mt. Sinai to be one with God. Jesus called two sets of fishermen brothers, all good friends, as his first disciples. Three of them - Peter, James and John – always get the call to accompany Jesus at special moments such as this. What happened to poor Andrew? I’m guessing he was the sort of solid individual whom Jesus could trust to keep the rest of the group on target while Jesus went off with the others…the sort of man who served wherever needed and didn’t get jealous of his brother and friends.

First Sunday of Lent A February 10, 2008

Matthew 4:1-11 The Temptation in the Desert  Temptations to satisfy one’s physical hungers, to acquire possessions and power, to be acclaimed and admired…such are the basic groups of the temptations that test every person. But were they really temptations in Jesus’ case? Temptations seem to have three dimensions. The first is the invitation given. That is certainly present. The second is the attraction felt. Being human, Jesus did experience an attraction to the temptations, but his resistance was extremely strong based on both his divine identity as well as his dedication of his humanity to God. Jesus has just completed a forty-day retreat. Our resistance to temptation is stronger when we dedicate ourselves to God and immerse ourselves in prayer. A third dimension is whether or not a temptation is morally wrong. Generally we consider temptation in such a context, but one could be tempted to do a good deed, to give money to someone in need, to take a job that brings less income but makes a greater impact on society. Bottom line…temptation is a test in which we must choose between options. We pray that God not lead us into tests we are incapable of passing, but tests become opportunities to choose and do God’s will.