DOESN’T GET IT

INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Doesn’t Get It”.

How many times have we heard that phrase in various conversations:

· “My husband doesn’t get it.”
· “My wife doesn’t get it.”
· “My teenage daughter doesn’t get it. Flip flops cost money and she already has a dozen pair.”
· “The bishops…. They just don’t get it.”
· “The other priest …. He just doesn’t get it.”

THE POST RESURRECTION READINGS

Have you noticed that the readings at Mass after Easter talk about how the Jewish scriptures – the messages “through the mouth of all the prophets” as we heard in today’s first reading – how “everything in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled” as we heard in today’s gospel – are all about getting it or not getting it?

Different people got it; others didn’t get it.

Today’s gospel has the end of the story of the two disciples who left Jerusalem because they didn’t get it. They thought that was it – that “The End of the Story” the Last Page of the Story of Jesus was finished. Then on their way to Emmaus they met Jesus who broke open the Word – the Jewish scriptures – and they finally recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread – as well as in the breaking open of the Word.

There’s the two parts of our Mass – the breaking of the Word and the breaking of the Bread – the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

We digest ideas and food and drink in sips and pieces – slowly. It’s good to sit down and eat and talk with each other. Jesus often did.

In today’s Gospel Jesus breaks through the locked Upper Room and says to his disciples, “Peace be with you!”

They were anxious, troubled, filled with questions.

They didn’t get it – they didn’t get resurrection - even though Jesus told them what was going to happen before it happened, so that when it happened they would believe.

He had to nudge them a bit – come and eat with them – in today’s gospel eating a piece of baked fish with them. He was not a ghost. He was the Risen Lord of Life and History.

Have we gotten that yet?

We’re slow learners.

TITLE OF MY HOMILY

The title of my homily is, “Doesn’t get it.”

Haven’t we all been in the situation when someone tells a joke and everyone laughs – and we don’t get it – and so we fake it?

Haven’t we all been in a conversation with 4 or 5 people and everyone is talking about someone – or something – and we’re saying to ourselves, “I’m missing something here. I don’t get who or what they are talking about.”

Do women ask, “I don’t get it. What are you talking about?” more than men – if it’s true that men are less apt to ask for directions?

WHAT HAVE YOU GOT – WHAT ARE YOU MISSING?
Sometimes when we go shopping someone asks us, “What did you get?”

When you look at your life, what did you get so far?

When you look at your life, what are you missing?

Let me divide the rest of this homily into two parts – into those two questions: What have I got? What am I missing?

Let me start with the don’t get question first.

DON’T GET

I don’t get why there are people who deliberately try to send computer viruses around the world. I have guesses, but I really don’t get it. Is there a stereotype or a profile or regular motive of who does this?

I don’t get the economy, but I hope lots of somebody’s do.

I don’t get the United Nations. Either make it work better or try to change it.

I don’t get Islam. I mentioned this in a sermon a while back and a few people made suggestions. I finally finished reading the Koran – as well as various aspects of Islam. I don’t get the extremism. I know the Jewish Christian scriptures have God zapping and threatening people – but I think we’ve learned that often these are human projections onto God. I have a long way to go in this area. There are lots of things I just don’t get.

I don’t get why cigarettes are not banned. I get why people smoke. Pleasure. Addiction. Example. Habit. I get that cigarette sales raise tax money etc. I get that they make money for folks. I get all that – but people see those big smoke stacks here and there puffing out smoke and we’re glad if we live far from them – and then someone puts a smoke stack in their mouth and lets it into their lungs. I think of the old Bob Newhart monologue when Sir Walter Raleigh is introduced by the colonists to smoking. Someone says to Sir Walter, “You take this leaf that’s rolled up and you light it on fire till it starts smoking and you take that smoke into your lungs.” And he says something like, “You’re kidding.”


WHAT DO I GET?
There are also things that I do get.

I’m sure there are things that those who know me say behind my back, “He doesn’t get it.”

But there are things in my mind that I do get – things that I got?

What have you got?

I got the importance of “Thank you!” I fail at this at times, but I know the importance of those two words: “Thank you!”

I got the importance of affirmation. However, it has to be real – not fake or phony. “You lost weight, didn’t you?” “You really did a nice job on the new bulletin.” “The choir was really good this morning. Great job.” Appreciation. Affirmation. Recognition. Atta boys. Atta girls. Very important at home, at work, in church, in organizations, etc. You can never give enough affirmation. I have a caveat: I don’t think every team and every player in the league should get trophies or medals because somehow that kills awards.

I get the wisdom of Jesus messages about forgiveness, turning the other cheek, because revenge, retaliation, getting back, is never enough Revenge escalates. An eye for an eye – simply gives us blind or one eyed angry people.

I get that a breakfast, lunch or supper of left over resentments, regrets or regurgitated hurts can cause lots of heart burn – an inner burn there are not Tums or pills for.

I get that enough sleep, a nap at the right time, Sunday, Sabbath, Weekends, vacations, are not just necessary, without them we can become dumb, dull and drowsy. The Pharisees killed the Sabbath by making it so rigid by saying you could only walk so many steps and do only so many things; we kill it by making it too busy. It was made for us – not God. I can’t believe Jesus really said that, but he did. Today is for us. Enjoy!

I got the difference between experiencing something and only hearing about something. Now that’s a difference – to steal something Mark Twain said - between lightning and the lighting bug.

I got the wisdom of why Jesus used bread and wine and why he used the words “This is my body…. This is my blood….” that life is the Mass – that each day moms and dads say to their kids, “This is my body…. This is my blood … we’re giving our life to you.” That each day service people put their lives on the line for others. That it takes work to farm and grow wheat and grapes – and it’s a whole process to make them bread and wine – and it’s a whole process – of many changes – for wheat and grapes to become bread and wine – to become the body and blood of Jesus.

I got the reality that getting it – takes time – lots of time. As they say in AA and in many 12 step programs, it takes time for folks to get it. It takes time to hit bottom – to have things get so bad – that someone is willing to say, “I got a problem and it’s me.”

I get that sometimes to do nothing is smarter than doing something, especially if that something is stupid or it gets the comment: “Mind your own business.”

I get that sometimes it’s better to shut up and sometimes it’s better to speak up and sometimes we don’t know what’s up – so we don’t know whether to shut up or speak up.

I get that listening is more important than speaking – especially if we use other people’s comments to take over the conversation – and tell our stories – never really hearing what the other people in the room are about. Sometimes a room full of people is a room full of monologues and not one dialogue.

I get that prayer is conversation – and prayer can be a monologue or a lot of babble as Jesus said – so prayer is also a lot about silence and listening.

I get that time is relative. I love the saying: How long a minute takes depends upon what side of the bathroom door you’re on. Sometimes a ten minute homily feels like a half hour homily – and thank God people have watches. They tell you how long the sermon really was and they give a signal to the preacher, “Enough’s enough.”

CONCLUSION

Enough already. This week I suggest you make two lists: what you got and what you haven’t got yet. Amen.