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THE ABILITY
TO LAUGH
AT ONESELF

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “The Ability to Laugh at Oneself.”

Can I laugh at myself?

I would think that’s one of the marks of a mature and healthy person.

Reading today’s parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, I would say loud and clear, “Jesus had a great sense of humor.”

Can I read today's gospel and laugh at myself?

Can I read today's gospel and see myself in the story?

Today’s gospel is for churchgoers – not for non-churchgoers!

THE PERSONALITY OF LUKE

This is the year of Luke. As you know the Church rotates Matthew, Mark and Luke on a three year cycle: A B C . This is the year of Luke: C. I have been finding myself really challenged by Luke this time around. How about you?

As I was reading today’s gospel, I started to wonder about Luke. Was he liked? Was he a character? Did he like to sit in the back row or off to the side at Christian assemblies and just watch the human condition – and laugh? Did he upset people by his humor and human stories?

Sometimes those who get the message don’t like the message!

BABIES LAUGHING

While looking something up on Google the other day, I spotted off to the side the caption, “Laughing baby”. It was on You Tube: those quick, short, 1, 2 or 3 minute films. I hit the button and I had a whole series of babies laughing. Great stuff. [At Google type: "You Tube Babies Laughing" then hit the "You Tube Baby Laughing" site, then hit Hahaha 1:40 From BlackOleg -Nov. o4, 2006 25,936,829 hits"]
Amazing. I could feel my face laughing as I was watching these laughing babies.

It was wonderful.

I thought of Jesus’ words, “Unless you be like little children, you won’t recognize the kingdom of God.” (Cf. Luke 18:15-17; Matthew 18: 1-4; Mark 10:13-16.)

Isn’t it wonderful to see not just a smiling baby – but a laughing baby?

Baby, when was the last time we really laughed?

COURT JESTERS

In the middle ages they had court jesters – to keep a king honest. The jester had free reign to make fun of the king – his mannerisms – his idiosyncrasies – his pomposity and his personality.

If you have a chance to see anything by Shakespeare, watch it. Shakespeare has court jesters and plenty of funny as well as sharp observations about human beings.

I don’t know enough history to know if any court jesters were hung or beheaded or stabbed to death for mimicking a king.

I don’t know enough history to know if bishops and popes ever had church jesters.

They are needed, necessary, and very important for the church.

ANTOINETTE

Years and years ago I was stationed at a retreat house where the bishop of the diocese would visit from time to time for meetings. For some reason, a great Italian gal named Antoinette, who cleaned rooms, and worked in the dining room, decided to play a joke on the bishop. She short sheeted his bed. Surprise! He loved it. Someone was treating him like a human being. He came back a few months later and was disappointed that Antoinette didn’t short sheet him again.

That was in the 1970’s. Surprise! His grand niece got married here at St. Mary’s about 3 weeks ago. I ended up at the bishop’s nephews’ table at the Marriott for the wedding banquet, so I told the deceased bishop’s nephews the story about the short sheeting by Antoinette. They then told me several jokes their uncle used to tell them. I was glad to hear that – because I had heard he could be dull at times. In fact, I heard seminarians used to comment that when he taught theology, they thought he was dead - a normal criticism for seminarians for their professors - at least when I was young. However, they added that he was always very much alive the day after he would visit home. The joke was: he got a shot of formaldehyde. His father was an undertaker

Humor! It’s a necessary ingredient if you want to sit down at the table of life.

HUMOR: SOMETIMES IT'S MISSING

If there is anything I see missing in the Muslim public stance towards life – it’s the need for folks to laugh at each other. Of course, I’m saying this from total ignorance. I don’t know what TV is like in the Middle East. I hope there are Muslim comedians and cartoonists who can get folks to see craziness, inconsistencies and idiosyncrasies.

At times I also worry about our Church. In the last twenty years, there seems to be a movement to the rigid – the strict – the severe - the very formal. I think there is a serious need to be seriously tickled at times. I like a painting by Louis Bosa called "Procession". It shows a great cast of characters in a religious procession. I also like paintings by the Colombian artist, Fernando Botero. He makes everyone - priests, bishops - as well as animals - round and firm and fully packed. They make the viewer smile. I see some people in church that don’t look like they have smiled in 10 years. In my opinion, I sense that the religious groups around the world who are getting recruits don’t seem to have laughter in their life style. I hope I’m wrong. Maybe they laugh at themselves behind closed doors - but I think they have to tell their faces to smile when they are in public.

CARTOONISTS

Where are the cartoonists? Critic magazine used to have great Catholic church cartoons – that poked great fun at us priests and bishops. We passed the cartoons around. I hope bishops did the same. We have to be able to laugh at ourselves.

Cartoonists can sometimes capture the essence of a situation with just one picture – one cartoon.

I’ve heard cartoonists asked by commentators, “Whom do you want for the next president?” and their answer is often based on whom they think they can make the best cartoons of. Smile.

If someone made a cartoon of any one of us, what would they feature? Our nose? Our double chin? Our belly? Our bald head? Our face? The things we’re off on? What would we laugh at about ourselves?

HUMILITY

I have given various priest retreats in my life – and I often have said to priests that part of humility is humor – and part of humor is honesty – and part of humility and honesty is being earthy. After all the word humility means “earth” – “humus”. We are made of earth and we’re going to return to earth.

Everyone of us has to go to the bathroom and everyone of us has to go to the undertaker.

In the meanwhile, smile! Laugh! Enjoy this great gift of life.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

So today’s gospel has Jesus poking fun of those who go to the temple to show off. He pokes fun at those who are convinced of their own righteousness and despise every one else.

Jesus tells the story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, so we can see ourselves in the mirror and laugh at what we see.

Let’s be honest. Everyone of us who comes to church looks down on someone else who comes to church.

Let me repeat that: “Let’s be honest. Everyone of us who comes to church looks down on someone else who comes to church.”

The Pharisee in the gospel walks up to the front – where everyone can see him. Notice Jesus says that he prays to himself. I think that's a great English translation from the Greek. He says, “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity – greedy, dishonest, adulterous – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and I pay tithes on my whole income.”

How about that? Don’t we think that about the people whom arrive late or leave early? Don’t we think that about those whom we think don’t dress correctly for Mass? Do we think that about those who bang kneelers or what have you?

Don’t we say that same sentiment at least once a day. Thank God I’m not like that person who is 1000 pounds overweight – or has that weird hairdo - or has that junky car – or eats so stupidly – or sees life differently than I see life? Thank God I’m not like that guy who sits outside of church and mumbles to himself.

I was just up at a meeting for 100 of us in New Jersey – and I was very happy to be me and not some of these other guys. And I'm sure they said the same thing seeing me. And every time I catch myself thinking that, I have to laugh at myself.

And Jesus says the tax collector – who were thieves and sneaks – also went to the temple to pray. He prayed, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” And Jesus said the tax collector is the one who went home justified – "for whoever exalts himself will be humbled and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

CONCLUSION

I assume that heaven is going to be very, very funny that first week.

I say that about heaven because I think it’s going to be one big surprise after another.

I think that because God the Creator has a great sense of humor: creating hippos and giraffes, penguins and pelicans, owls and otters, mosquitoes and monkeys.

And if we think some animals look strange or funny looking at times, next time you’re at the airport or the beach, just look around. Better: take a look at all of us here today. Let’s laugh healthy laughs about each other – especially ourselves.

* (Painting on top by Louis Bosa, "Procession", oil on canvas, H. 40" x W. 62", 1952, James A. Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA - gift of Donald E. and Anna Bosa Mulligan - To see the painting up close, just put the arrow of your mouse or cursor on it and click it. Make sure you smile.)