WHAT DO YOU WANT ME
TO DO FOR YOU?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “What Do You Want Me To Do For You?”

That’s one of those questions we use all our life. “What Do You Want Me To Do For You?” “Can I help you?” “What do you want?” “What do you need?” “What are you looking for?”

Today’s gospel presents a significant scene for us to look at.

A blind man hears that Jesus is walking by – and he screams out, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.”

The blind man’s name is, “Bar Timaeus”. “Bar” meaning “son” He is the son of Timaeus.

As an aside, this has nothing to do with my sermon, isn’t language and life fascinating? In English and many other languages, that word “son” goes after a name – as in Johnson, Nelson, Peterson, Jackson, Michelson. In Polish, “ski”, the word for “son”, goes after the name, as in “Kowalski”. “Kowal” means “smith”, so Kowalski means “son of a smith" or “blacksmith”. In the past, when it comes to names, it doesn’t look like daughters meant as much as sons. I haven’t done more than an inch of research on this – so I’m saying this with a bit of hesitation. Then in other languages the “Son” comes first. In Irish, English and Scottish. “Mac” or “Mc” or “Fitz” means “son”. I also read that “O” – as in “O’Hagan” or “O’Donnell” or “O’Malley” means "grandson of." I had never heard of that before.

So here in today’s gospel, the Hebrew word “bar” comes first. We have heard the word “bar” if we’ve ever received an invitation from a Jewish friend to attend a “bar” mitzvah for a son or “bat” mitzvah, for a daughter. A 12 or 13 year old Jewish girl or boy is moving into adulthood – and is now responsible for keeping the commandments and doing acts of kindness.

Okay, Bar Timaeus – the Son of Timaeus – screams out for help.

And Jesus stops and we have the great question, “What Do You Want Me To Do For You?”

And Bartimaeus replies the obvious, “Master, I want to see.”

And Jesus tells him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” And Mark concludes, “Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.”

PRAYER METHOD
If you want another simple way to pray, find a quiet spot in your home, and just sit there for a few moments of quiet. Realize you are in the presence of Jesus – who is with us all days even to the end of the world. Then hear Jesus say to you, “What do you want me to do for you?” Think! Then make your request. Tell Jesus what you want.

When I studied and then taught Jesuit spirituality, it was the same basic formula. Whether you take 10, 20, 30 or 60 minutes for prayer, ask this question of yourself, “What do I want or desire?” Then after reflecting on that, comes the kicker question, “What does Jesus want or desire of me?”

What do I want to see?

What does Jesus want me to see?

The key word and theme is “want” or “desire”.

Remember Hannibal Lecter – the sick and psychotic character in the movie, The Silence of the Lambs, what he asked Clarice, “What do you covet?” “What do you want?” “What do you desire?”

THIS SUNDAY WE WANT YOU TO SEE AND THEN DO SOMETHING

This Sunday we want you to see and then to do something.

This Sunday we are making a request at all the Masses.

This Sunday we have one desire.

It’s not a request for money.

We want you to see something and then do something.

I was thinking, our sermons often don’t have as clear an action step as today’s homily has.

Since Annapolis is the state capital city for Maryland, the Maryland Catholic Conference has an office in downtown Annapolis – over there on Francis Street – not too far from Ego Alley.

The office is there for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Washington and Wilmington, because all three have parishes here in Maryland.

The Maryland Catholic Conference is the state level of the U.S. Catholic Conference.

The Maryland Catholic Conference advocates Catholic teachings concerning different issues – such as:

“Supporting life at every stage, reaching out to pregnant women, and ending the destruction of unborn human life.

“Giving all families access to quality educational choices, and supporting Catholic school students and teachers.

“Preserving the safety net for low-income families, immigrants, and other vulnerable populations.

“Repealing the death penalty, and

“Upholding marriage and the family.”

There are other issues, but that’s one list.

Now here’s what you can do. In the benches there are brochures from the Maryland Catholic Conference. Inside it has a registration form.

Please fill it out.

After you fill it out, please put it in the collection basket today. There are pencils in the benches as well.

Please print. Print. Print. Print – so those reading it can see!

They want your name, address, and e-mail address.

They will not sell your e-mail address or regular address to anyone.

I always hesitate on that one – but that’s what they are promising. When I do these kinds of things, on my regular address I sometimes add a fake middle initial – and jot down whom I sent it to – to see when I get new “junk mail” or what have you, how they got my name.

Inside the brochure there is check list for issues and areas that you want to promote and push: education, family life, respect for life, or social concerns.

When an important vote is coming up, you will receive an e-mail alert – but only on the issues you checked off.

You will receive a pre-drafted message to send to your lawmaker.

Having your home address, the Catholic Advocacy Network, will give you the information on how to contact your specific legislators.

You can send the message as is or modify it to suit your way of articulating an issue.

Most e-mails will be sent between January and April – when the Maryland General Assembly is in session – but some alerts will be sent at other times.

A QUESTION

When our parish and all the parishes of this diocese were asked to preach on this for the Sunday sermon, I had a question. Do e-mails and letters have an impact on legislators?

This was the answer I received: when our Advocates go to see a legislator, say on Lobby Night, if there has been thousands and thousands of letters, that has a much bigger impact than 15 letters.

Obviously.

And it was added, it has an impact – not just on lobby night.

So that’s the answer I received. Those of you who serve and work in government and are in these areas know a lot more about this than I do.

A PERSONAL EXAMPLE ABOUT ADVOCACY

One evening, years ago I went to an Anne Arundel County Council meeting. One of the issues that Churches Without Boundaries was advocating was Workforce Housing legislation. If someone was putting up a new development, the idea was to make 12 or 15 % of the new homes, less expensive, so teachers, police, firefighters and others could buy an affordable home. These homes would be smaller – with less expensive insides, etc., so people who work in Anne Arundel County could live in Anne Arundel County. We went on a bus ride to see this kind of housing in other counties. When we were driving down different streets, we were asked which homes were the Workforce Housing Homes. Very few of us could tell. This legislation made sense to me. It was something good go to advocate. I know Churches Without Boundaries has a new name – but the purpose is for churches and synagogues to promote good stuff. Someone said that what we were advocating would probably lose – but it’s good to keep pushing. That evening about 20 people were speaking for this legislation and 2 were against. When I had my two minutes for advocating the idea, I said somewhere in the mix, “I heard that you have made your mind up on this so already, so I don’t know why we are speaking.” I noticed that got heads popping up – and the response – “No that’s why we are having this hearing.” It went down to defeat.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily or sermon is, “What Do You Want Me to Do For You?”

We’re asking you to see if this is what you want to do. Are there issues here that you want to advocate?

If there are, take the brochure in your bench. Print your name, your addrss and / or e-mail address. Then write your letters – starting with the form letter that you are sent. Study the question. Talk about the question with each other. Revise it till it speaks your faith, hope and charity. Then advocate. Find out if anyone is listening or reading letters.

Hopefully, our legislators and law makers want to see – not just what polls and letters are pushing for – but hopefully for what is right and sacred, just and helpful, for the common good of all of us – regardless of party and religion or non-religion.


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5 QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

1) Read today's 3 readings out loud - by yourself or with others - and then jot down themes or a word or two that jump out at you - for further discussion, study, wondering about.

2) Today's first reading from Jeremiah has the words "shout" and "proclaim". St. Teresa of Avila said she'd like to climb the highest mountain and shout to the world to pray. If you had one message that you could proclaim to the world in a Super Bowl TV commercial or on the evening TV news or from the highest mountain, what would that message be?

3) This Sunday was declared "priest awareness" or "pray for priests" Sunday. Do you see a priest shortage? If you do, why aren't folks looking at becoming a priest?

4) What do you see now - that you didn't see 10 or 20 years ago?

5) What life giving issue are you off on: more babies, education, stable marriages, a better environment, the arts, parks, jobs, unions, jobs, immigration, war and peace, death penalty, drug rehabilitation, jail sentencing, ________?



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The picture on top is a copy of the brochure that was in the benches of our church this weekend.