VOICES

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Voices.”

Today’s gospel triggered that topic and theme for me. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, talks about knowing the sound of the voice of the Shepherd.

So some thoughts about the theme and topic of voices.

TRAIN RIDE

Picture the following. I’m taking a commuter train from Poughkeepsie New York to Grand Central Station in New York City. It’s about an hour and 45 minute ride. I’m sitting in a seat next to someone reading a newspaper or a book. And across from me are two people facing me. They are reading as well. I take out a note pad – to jot down some thoughts about an upcoming talk I was to give.

I begin hearing 4 women who are sitting behind me – two facing two. I never turned to see what they looked like or what have you. They are on their way to a class reunion in New York City – Hunter College.

I begin jotting down their comments – their wonderings – their voices – their questions – their hopes about the reunion. I jotted down about 200 voiced comments. Nobody knew what I was doing. I was just listening. I was being nosey.

The thought hit me: "Wouldn’t it be great to be sitting behind them on the way back that night – and to jot down what they found out about classmates, etc. etc. etc.?" It would be the stuff of a novel. I took notes of their conversation down to New York City – Part One. What was their conversation on the way back home – Part Two?

Voices. I was wondering if this is the thing novelists do – park themselves somewhere – listen to people – jotting down their voices.

A LOST iPOD OR RADIO

Picture the following. Someone finds an iPod or a radio – somewhere in the heart of the Amazon Jungle in South America. This person never saw such a gadget in their life. They have no clue what they have in hand.

They show it to someone else in the village and the other person switches on the on button and out comes music or talking. “Wooooo!”

Voices.

VOICES IN THE AIR
Picture the following. This is a scene we’ve all experienced several times in our life. We’re sitting there on a bench in a park or at the airport or we driving along in our car – and it seems everyone has a cell phone in hand – while driving, while walking, what have you.

Or we’re driving in our car and we turn on the radio and there are voices or music on at least 30 different stations.

It hits us that we are surrounded by a zillion phone calls and radio broadcasts and e-mails, texting and twittering – always and everywhere – all around us.

Even though there is silence – there are a zillion voices – in our surround sound.

Voices. They are everywhere. Someone driving down Duke of Gloucester Street right now might be sending a message that goes right through this church to someone in Eastport. Listen! They might be talking about one of us. Be quiet! What are they saying?

TRANSITION: VOICES IN OUR HEAD

There are also voices in our head – in our skulls – in our brains – in our minds – going on all day long – all life long.

What are you talking to yourself about right now?

If you are still on that train ride and thinking about similar conversations you’ve listened in on – that’s good. Where is your train of thought taking you?

I had the 5 o’clock Mass here last evening. I found out after Mass what two people were thinking about during my homily. They told me that two examples in this homily I used before in other sermons. When I heard that a voice inside of my head said, “Wow people remember what I say. Uh oh. I don’t remember what I say.” I also said, “Ooops I don’t like to repeat myself. Pride. My sin of pride.” Then another voice said, “I’ve been here too long. Run. Get out of here - you're repeating yourself."

Preaching to me is to get you not to notice me – but to get you to talk to yourself about some topic that I’m pushing – or to reflect upon the Sunday readings or a hymn at Mass – or what you have come here to pray about this Sunday.

This homily is on, “Voices”. I hope that’s a practical theme to think about today and this week.

If you are about to get my next point, even better.

Our brain has thousands of conversations each day. I don’t know the number.

There are three kinds of inner voices: voices about the present, voices about the future, and voices about the past. i don't know if that's true. I just made it up and have to think about that.

Present voices would be about today: the weather, this weekend, tonight. Oink! Oink! Aren't they overdoing this swine flu thing?

Future voices obviously would be wonderings and questions about what’s next – and what’s down the line for us and for those we’re connected with. They can be iddy biddy stuff like wondering if the Orioles will ever be good again – or heavy duty stuff like worrying about a job.

Past voices, I believe, are the most significant. If a preacher gets you in touch with a few of them, that’s great.

A voice from my past that I think about from time to time I heard in a talk by a nun, Sister Maureen McCann – a Dallas Pennsylvania Mercy Nun. She talked about this topic of voices. She was an excellent speaker. She spoke about our inner conversations – how important it is to be aware of what we are talking to ourselves about. She said we’re always talking to ourselves – having conversations with ourselves.

She suggested to eavesdrop. She suggested we listen to what we’re talking to ourselves about. She said to isolate conversations. Like on that train there might have been other people talking - voicing things I might have been able to focus in on. I chose to listen to those 4 women in the two seats facing each other that were behind me.

After isolating one voice – like turning the dial to get a radio station just right – she added, “Now turn up the volume.”

Then she said, “Listen carefully. What does that say about yourself?”

What were your mom’s words to you? What were your dad’s words to you?

What were their tone of voice most of the time?

Did you grow up in a house of affirmation and appreciation or a house of anger or agita?

What did teachers say to you? Was there a high school teacher that encouraged you to think about a future career? “You’re very good with numbers. Did you ever think of being an accountant?”

Or listen to how you talk to your kids or neighbors or spouse or co-workers. Does your voice sound like your parents’ voices or the way a boss or a teacher or a drill sergeant treated you?

Voices.

My mother often said – no matter what – “You did your best.” I liked that because I was a B student – with a C from time to time. Once I failed something in grade school - getting a 68. My mom said, “You did your best.” I didn’t, but it was great that my mom thought I did.

When I was a kid I saw an uncle drunk big time – a few times – and a voice inside of me said, “I’ll never drink!” and I never did.

A man on my block growing up was a grouch and I remember a voice inside me that said, “I’ll never be like that when I grow up.”

The other day I had to tell some kids who were skate boarding off our stairs at the school and onto the banister and taking off the paint – to go elsewhere. And I could hear that voice, “Grouch! You’re being a grouch.”

Voices?

What are my present and past voices?

What are the significant voices of my life?

What do I sound like?

THREE CONCLUSIONS
Let me make three quick conclusions:

First Conclusion. As I just said, if you heard my voice, listen to one’s own voices – past and present. Turn up the volume so as to be aware of them.

Second Conclusion: Shut up and listen to God’s voice. Is God the cornerstone of my life – as today’s first reading challenges us? Do I know God’s voice – Jesus’ voice – the Shepherd’s voice? You know how you get a phone call and you know whom the other party is from the first word. Do you know God’s voice? Prayer is talking at times; prayer is listening big time.

Third Conclusion: Jesus voices a great sentence near the end of today’s gospel – when he says, “I have power to lay down my life, etc.” We have the power to lay down our life for those we love. We have the power to die to ourselves so others can rise.

Wouldn’t it be great 50 years from now, someone hearing a sermon on this same topic would think of us as they say to themselves about us:

She always said “Thank you!”

He always said, “It’s so nice to be with you.”

She always said, “I love you” so beautifully – with so much real sincerity and authenticity.

He was humble. He could ask for “Help!” He didn’t have to know it all or do it all.

She was always so positive – so caring – so wonderful – as she talked to us with so much joy. There was always music and laughter and peace in her voice.

Amen.