THE FOUR
LEGS OF THE CHAIR
CALLED ‘ME’
INTRODUCTIONLEGS OF THE CHAIR
CALLED ‘ME’
The title of my homily is, “The Four Legs of the Chair Called ‘Me’.”
The chairs here in the sanctuary at St. Mary’s are not all the same. The big chair there – that the priest sits on – has good strong legs. It feels secure. The other chairs sometimes feel “iffy”. I’ve sat on both.
Out at St. John Neumann’s, the chairs are all very sturdy. The benches there are also strong. They also have a nice “cushy” feeling compared to the benches here – which are squeaky, “uncushy”, and sometimes feel “uh ohy”.
We’ve all had the experience of sitting on a chair that didn’t seem that strong.
If we were to describe ourselves as a chair, would I be strong or “uh ohy”?
Answering that question for ourselves would be the gist or theme or point or subject of my homily for today.
TODAY’S GOSPEL
In today’s Gospel, Jesus uses the image of a house. He challenges us to look at the foundation words of our house.
Today’s gospel is the dramatic ending of the Sermon on the Mount: the contrast of being wise or being foolish. However, we might have lost the beauty of the Sermon on the Mount with Lent and then all these recent Sunday feasts that knocked out these Sunday readings from the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew gathered all these quick quotes or key sayings of Jesus about how to do life – like not judging others, turning the other cheek, going the extra mile, forgiving and settling grievances, fasting and praying and giving money to be seen by God not others, not being a phony, traveling through the narrow gate, treating others the way you would like to be treated, etc. Then Jesus says, “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like the wise person who built his house on rock. The rain feel, the floods came, and the wind blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been built solidly on rock.”
Jesus was a carpenter. He knew how to build a strong house.
I could have used the image of a house for this sermon, but I thought a chair might be more familiar – unless you’re an engineer or a carpenter. Carpenters build chairs as well.
How strong is your house? How strong is the chair called “you”?
BUILT ON WORDS – PRINCIPLES - VALUES
Hopefully, what I said so far is fairly clear. Now let me move towards the more complicated.
Today’s first reading from Deuteronomy 11 talks about the Jewish practice of wearing phylacteries – a small box – or a pouch – with leather straps so one could wear the box around one’s head or around one’s wrist. The box would have 4 small compartments – each containing key words from the Jewish scriptures. The idea was to keep God’s words ever before one’s mind and sight.
Interesting. It might seem strange, yet people today have tattoos, t-shirts, bumper stickers, signs, this and that, with favorite sayings or words on them.
If I asked you to come up with four principles – four sayings – for the four legs of the chair that holds up your life, what would you come up with?
As I began to reflect upon this question, I realized it’s quite a challenge. Secondly, I said to myself, “I can’t ask people to do this, if I don’t do this myself.” And the answers are not out there in some book. They are in here – in my life.
When we die, people will sit there in the funeral parlor or at the church service and pull together for themselves, who we are – what made us tick.
What makes us tick? What moves us? What are we off on?
Why wait till we die, till this be known?
Six years ago I was changed from St. Gerard’s Church in Lima, Ohio to here in Annapolis. After the last mass, on the last Sunday I was there, they had coffee and donuts in the church hall for folks who wanted to say, “Good bye.” There was a microphone and different folks got up and several gave their take on me. It was like being at your own funeral. Thank God no enemies showed up. Sitting there was quite an eye opener.
What is your take on yourself?
Could you list 4 of your life principles?
LIFE PRINCIPLES
What do I mean by life principles?
Let me give two from somewhere else, and then give the 4 legs of the chair called me.
We might remember the scene on TV with Ronald Reagan standing there on the lawn outside the White House. I think it was near the end of his presidency . Nancy is sort of just behind him. Reporters are firing questions about something at him. The microphones pick up something Nancy Reagan says to Ronald. “Tell them, you’re doing the best you can.”
Is that one of life’s principles that people go by each day? Was that one of Nancy Reagan’s life principles? “Try to do the best you can.” Whether you’re president or first lady or parent or an insurance salesperson, you try to do the best each day each day.
That’s an example of what I would call a life principle.
The second I noticed in yesterday’s paper. Now I’m not trying to get into politics in the pulpit. One of my principles is not to go there.
The article in the paper said that some people were angry at Scott McClellan for coming out with his memoirs entitled, What Happened. The writer of the article contrasted two principles: loyalty and honesty. They are not contradictory – but they can cause conflict.
Using them as two contrasts, if you were a president or a boss, if there was a conflict between honesty and loyalty, which would you want?
The author of the article prefers honestly. (1)
Now if you understand what I’m getting at when I use the phrase, “Life Principles,” I can move on to my listing of my 4 principles – or the 4 legs of the chair called me.
Now whether this is really me, cedes to action. Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words. I’m sure those who know me, know me better than I know myself.
FIRST PRINCIPLE: HAVE A GOOD TIME
The first principle that makes me tick is: Have a Good Time.
This is not a “churchy” theme. In fact, it feels at first a bit embarrassing. I remember reading a statement by an English priest who said, “When Jesus spoke, they wanted to crucify him. When I speak, they invite me to tea.”
Yet, to be honest, I have to say, “Have a good time” is one of my life principles. Are you having a good time being at Mass right now?
My first assignment was that of being a parish priest on the Lower East side of Manhattan. I had no clue where to begin. So I visited people who were “shut in” – and I did this and that. I wish I knew Spanish better.
Then after two years I got changed to a retreat house in New Jersey. They wanted a young guy to do high school retreats.
Every weekend there were adult retreats – mostly men’s retreats.
The chairs here in the sanctuary at St. Mary’s are not all the same. The big chair there – that the priest sits on – has good strong legs. It feels secure. The other chairs sometimes feel “iffy”. I’ve sat on both.
Out at St. John Neumann’s, the chairs are all very sturdy. The benches there are also strong. They also have a nice “cushy” feeling compared to the benches here – which are squeaky, “uncushy”, and sometimes feel “uh ohy”.
We’ve all had the experience of sitting on a chair that didn’t seem that strong.
If we were to describe ourselves as a chair, would I be strong or “uh ohy”?
Answering that question for ourselves would be the gist or theme or point or subject of my homily for today.
TODAY’S GOSPEL
In today’s Gospel, Jesus uses the image of a house. He challenges us to look at the foundation words of our house.
Today’s gospel is the dramatic ending of the Sermon on the Mount: the contrast of being wise or being foolish. However, we might have lost the beauty of the Sermon on the Mount with Lent and then all these recent Sunday feasts that knocked out these Sunday readings from the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew gathered all these quick quotes or key sayings of Jesus about how to do life – like not judging others, turning the other cheek, going the extra mile, forgiving and settling grievances, fasting and praying and giving money to be seen by God not others, not being a phony, traveling through the narrow gate, treating others the way you would like to be treated, etc. Then Jesus says, “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like the wise person who built his house on rock. The rain feel, the floods came, and the wind blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been built solidly on rock.”
Jesus was a carpenter. He knew how to build a strong house.
I could have used the image of a house for this sermon, but I thought a chair might be more familiar – unless you’re an engineer or a carpenter. Carpenters build chairs as well.
How strong is your house? How strong is the chair called “you”?
BUILT ON WORDS – PRINCIPLES - VALUES
Hopefully, what I said so far is fairly clear. Now let me move towards the more complicated.
Today’s first reading from Deuteronomy 11 talks about the Jewish practice of wearing phylacteries – a small box – or a pouch – with leather straps so one could wear the box around one’s head or around one’s wrist. The box would have 4 small compartments – each containing key words from the Jewish scriptures. The idea was to keep God’s words ever before one’s mind and sight.
Interesting. It might seem strange, yet people today have tattoos, t-shirts, bumper stickers, signs, this and that, with favorite sayings or words on them.
If I asked you to come up with four principles – four sayings – for the four legs of the chair that holds up your life, what would you come up with?
As I began to reflect upon this question, I realized it’s quite a challenge. Secondly, I said to myself, “I can’t ask people to do this, if I don’t do this myself.” And the answers are not out there in some book. They are in here – in my life.
When we die, people will sit there in the funeral parlor or at the church service and pull together for themselves, who we are – what made us tick.
What makes us tick? What moves us? What are we off on?
Why wait till we die, till this be known?
Six years ago I was changed from St. Gerard’s Church in Lima, Ohio to here in Annapolis. After the last mass, on the last Sunday I was there, they had coffee and donuts in the church hall for folks who wanted to say, “Good bye.” There was a microphone and different folks got up and several gave their take on me. It was like being at your own funeral. Thank God no enemies showed up. Sitting there was quite an eye opener.
What is your take on yourself?
Could you list 4 of your life principles?
LIFE PRINCIPLES
What do I mean by life principles?
Let me give two from somewhere else, and then give the 4 legs of the chair called me.
We might remember the scene on TV with Ronald Reagan standing there on the lawn outside the White House. I think it was near the end of his presidency . Nancy is sort of just behind him. Reporters are firing questions about something at him. The microphones pick up something Nancy Reagan says to Ronald. “Tell them, you’re doing the best you can.”
Is that one of life’s principles that people go by each day? Was that one of Nancy Reagan’s life principles? “Try to do the best you can.” Whether you’re president or first lady or parent or an insurance salesperson, you try to do the best each day each day.
That’s an example of what I would call a life principle.
The second I noticed in yesterday’s paper. Now I’m not trying to get into politics in the pulpit. One of my principles is not to go there.
The article in the paper said that some people were angry at Scott McClellan for coming out with his memoirs entitled, What Happened. The writer of the article contrasted two principles: loyalty and honesty. They are not contradictory – but they can cause conflict.
Using them as two contrasts, if you were a president or a boss, if there was a conflict between honesty and loyalty, which would you want?
The author of the article prefers honestly. (1)
Now if you understand what I’m getting at when I use the phrase, “Life Principles,” I can move on to my listing of my 4 principles – or the 4 legs of the chair called me.
Now whether this is really me, cedes to action. Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words. I’m sure those who know me, know me better than I know myself.
FIRST PRINCIPLE: HAVE A GOOD TIME
The first principle that makes me tick is: Have a Good Time.
This is not a “churchy” theme. In fact, it feels at first a bit embarrassing. I remember reading a statement by an English priest who said, “When Jesus spoke, they wanted to crucify him. When I speak, they invite me to tea.”
Yet, to be honest, I have to say, “Have a good time” is one of my life principles. Are you having a good time being at Mass right now?
My first assignment was that of being a parish priest on the Lower East side of Manhattan. I had no clue where to begin. So I visited people who were “shut in” – and I did this and that. I wish I knew Spanish better.
Then after two years I got changed to a retreat house in New Jersey. They wanted a young guy to do high school retreats.
Every weekend there were adult retreats – mostly men’s retreats.
I began to hear men say, “I wish I had come here earlier in my life.” When probing the why, I found out that various men said they had made a high school retreat when they were young and it was all prayer – all kneeling – not much fun.
So I tried to make high school retreats an enjoyable experience, with the hope that when they were in college, or married, when they heard someone pushing a Marriage Encounter Weekend or a retreat weekend or an adult ed program, they would say to themselves, “”Hey I did that in high school and it was a good experience. Okay. Sign me up.”
I was stationed there for 7 years. Next I was in another retreat house for 7 years. I did the same thing there – trying to make each retreat a life giving, enjoyable experience.
Next, I had the job of novice master for 9 years – for 9 classes of young men hoping to become Redemptorists. It was like 9 weekend retreats – each one taking a year. Well, I had heard many Redemptorists say their novice year was the worst year of their life in becoming a Redemptorist. Well, I didn’t want to hear that for the rest of my life whenever I would meet someone I had as a novice. So I tried to make it a wonderful year – a year when each of us was having the time of our life.
Next, for 8 ½ years I was in Ohio preaching parish missions – as well as priests and nuns retreats in the off season around the country – and I tried to make them a “Having a good time” experience as well.
Then I was stationed here at St. Mary’s. I was back to being a parish priest again – away from it since 1969. It struck me doing funerals and weddings that some of these people were not Catholic – and some of these Catholic folks were not going to Mass, so I tried to make the wedding or funeral personal – and a joyful experience. My goal was basic: that people would say, “That wasn’t too bad.” Better: “That was a good experience. Maybe I ought to get back to church. Maybe I’m missing the time of my life.”
And I have heard several people say that: Praise God.
So that’s my first principle – the first leg of the chair called, “me”.
Have a good time!
SECOND PRINCIPLE: JESUS IS MY LORD AND REDEEMER
My second principle is Jesus is my Redeemer.
So I tried to make high school retreats an enjoyable experience, with the hope that when they were in college, or married, when they heard someone pushing a Marriage Encounter Weekend or a retreat weekend or an adult ed program, they would say to themselves, “”Hey I did that in high school and it was a good experience. Okay. Sign me up.”
I was stationed there for 7 years. Next I was in another retreat house for 7 years. I did the same thing there – trying to make each retreat a life giving, enjoyable experience.
Next, I had the job of novice master for 9 years – for 9 classes of young men hoping to become Redemptorists. It was like 9 weekend retreats – each one taking a year. Well, I had heard many Redemptorists say their novice year was the worst year of their life in becoming a Redemptorist. Well, I didn’t want to hear that for the rest of my life whenever I would meet someone I had as a novice. So I tried to make it a wonderful year – a year when each of us was having the time of our life.
Next, for 8 ½ years I was in Ohio preaching parish missions – as well as priests and nuns retreats in the off season around the country – and I tried to make them a “Having a good time” experience as well.
Then I was stationed here at St. Mary’s. I was back to being a parish priest again – away from it since 1969. It struck me doing funerals and weddings that some of these people were not Catholic – and some of these Catholic folks were not going to Mass, so I tried to make the wedding or funeral personal – and a joyful experience. My goal was basic: that people would say, “That wasn’t too bad.” Better: “That was a good experience. Maybe I ought to get back to church. Maybe I’m missing the time of my life.”
And I have heard several people say that: Praise God.
So that’s my first principle – the first leg of the chair called, “me”.
Have a good time!
SECOND PRINCIPLE: JESUS IS MY LORD AND REDEEMER
My second principle is Jesus is my Redeemer.
These next three life principles will be shorter, otherwise you won’t be having a good time.
At the age of 20, in my novitiate year, the reality of Jesus – and following him – being connected to him – hit me big time. Jesus is the core of my life. Jesus, someone who died 2000 years ago, is someone that I can be in communion with today. So my life is based on Jesus Christ being not only a teacher, a great historical figure, but Jesus being the Son of God. I can relate to him – pray to and with him – and follow him. Now this is quite a gamble with one’s life – my doing it as a Redemptorist. I know Protestants often like to proclaim, "Jesus is Lord!" This was something that I was brought up as a Redemptoristl The founder of the Redemptorists begins his key book, The Practice of the Love of Jesus Christ, this way: “The whole sanctity and perfection of a soul consists in loving Jesus Christ, our God, our sovereign good, and our Redeemer.” Modern English translation: “The whole story is Jesus.” Or as St. Paul puts it in Philippians 2:5, "Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus."
So Jesus is the second leg of my chair.
THIRD PRINCIPLE: WE’RE MARBLED
My third principle – the third reality I go by is that we are marbled. We are flawed. We have been broken and repaired many times. If we looked at the legs of the chair of our life, we would see where parts of us have been broken. We have snapped at times and it took good glue to get us back together again.
At the age of 20, in my novitiate year, the reality of Jesus – and following him – being connected to him – hit me big time. Jesus is the core of my life. Jesus, someone who died 2000 years ago, is someone that I can be in communion with today. So my life is based on Jesus Christ being not only a teacher, a great historical figure, but Jesus being the Son of God. I can relate to him – pray to and with him – and follow him. Now this is quite a gamble with one’s life – my doing it as a Redemptorist. I know Protestants often like to proclaim, "Jesus is Lord!" This was something that I was brought up as a Redemptoristl The founder of the Redemptorists begins his key book, The Practice of the Love of Jesus Christ, this way: “The whole sanctity and perfection of a soul consists in loving Jesus Christ, our God, our sovereign good, and our Redeemer.” Modern English translation: “The whole story is Jesus.” Or as St. Paul puts it in Philippians 2:5, "Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus."
So Jesus is the second leg of my chair.
THIRD PRINCIPLE: WE’RE MARBLED
My third principle – the third reality I go by is that we are marbled. We are flawed. We have been broken and repaired many times. If we looked at the legs of the chair of our life, we would see where parts of us have been broken. We have snapped at times and it took good glue to get us back together again.
We make mistakes. Of course, we do good, but each of us as we heard in today’s second reading “have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God.” Paul too then says that Jesus Christ is the one who can make us right.
As I look at my life – as priest as I listen to the lives of others – as I live with other priests – it’s very apparent to me – that we human beings are marbled.
This can lead to cynicism, complaining, whining, griping, but it can also lead to conversion, grace, forgiveness, laughter and understanding.
As I look at my life – as priest as I listen to the lives of others – as I live with other priests – it’s very apparent to me – that we human beings are marbled.
This can lead to cynicism, complaining, whining, griping, but it can also lead to conversion, grace, forgiveness, laughter and understanding.
It's easier to see other's faults and foibles - better than our own.
Name your addiction. Name your poison. Name your problem.
Name your addiction. Name your poison. Name your problem.
"Let him or her without sin cast the first stone." (Cf. John 8:7b.)
Or as Jesus put it in the Sermon on the Mount, "Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not see the log in your own eye" (Matthew 7:3)
I was at a funeral recently – and at the dinner afterwards I could see 3 of the children of the person who died, smoking. And I was saying to myself that the person who died could have had a couple more years if she didn’t smoke.
I was at a funeral recently – and at the dinner afterwards I could see 3 of the children of the person who died, smoking. And I was saying to myself that the person who died could have had a couple more years if she didn’t smoke.
Smoking, overeating, over drinking, over TV or computering, not exercising – the stories of crimes and stupidity – are all part of life. We are marbled.
FOURTH AND LAST PRINCIPLE: WE’RE ALL DIFFERENT
The fourth and last principle is we are all different.
One of the things that drives me crazy – is this thing in the church as well as in many other places that we are all supposed to think the same.
We’re don’t. We’re different.
To me pluralism is not an issue. It’s a reality.
Matthew is different from Mark. Mark is different from Luke. And Matthew, Mark and Luke are different from John. And they are different from Paul and Mary – and on and on and on.
Of course 3 apples plus 2 apples is 5 apples. Of course, we have the Creed in our Church – and we say it in unity. But take a good look at those apples. Listen carefully to the nuances of theology and preaching and understanding – about the different articles of the Creed.
God is a Trinity of persons. We are a billionity of persons.
We are different as Adam is to Eve, Cain is to Abel, Martha is to Mary.
This is so obvious, that it can be oblivious at times.
It provides song lines like, “Why can a woman be more like a man” in My Fair Lady when Professor Higgins asks Pickering that question over and over again in the song, “A Hymn to Him.”
I am often reminded of the saying, “The greatest sin is our inability to accept the otherness of the other person.”
CONCLUSION
One of the things that drives me crazy – is this thing in the church as well as in many other places that we are all supposed to think the same.
We’re don’t. We’re different.
To me pluralism is not an issue. It’s a reality.
Matthew is different from Mark. Mark is different from Luke. And Matthew, Mark and Luke are different from John. And they are different from Paul and Mary – and on and on and on.
Of course 3 apples plus 2 apples is 5 apples. Of course, we have the Creed in our Church – and we say it in unity. But take a good look at those apples. Listen carefully to the nuances of theology and preaching and understanding – about the different articles of the Creed.
God is a Trinity of persons. We are a billionity of persons.
We are different as Adam is to Eve, Cain is to Abel, Martha is to Mary.
This is so obvious, that it can be oblivious at times.
It provides song lines like, “Why can a woman be more like a man” in My Fair Lady when Professor Higgins asks Pickering that question over and over again in the song, “A Hymn to Him.”
I am often reminded of the saying, “The greatest sin is our inability to accept the otherness of the other person.”
CONCLUSION
There I did it. That’s my chair – as I sit on it on June 1st, 2008.
Sit on a chair this week and come up with the four legs of your chair. If you’re married, have your spouse come up with your four and vice versa, and don’t forget to laugh when you hear the differences in each other’s answers – and make sure you are having the time of your life.
(1) Gail Collins, “What George Forgot,” N. Y. Times, Op-Ed column, May 31, 2008
