INFLATION

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 20th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Inflation.”

It’s a word and a theme that can pull together both readings for today.

Inflate can mean to fill something up with air or gas – to make a balloon or a tire become full. Inflation can also mean to overinflate something – money or property or what have you – that it becomes over extended or over expanded – sometimes leading to a burst – as in a balloon or a tire or money or the stock market.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

In today’s first reading from Ezekiel 28:1-10, there is a burst of words attacking the king of Tyre. His name might have been Ithobal or Ithbaal II. He is king of Tyre which is doing very well financially. It had two ports and a great location. Business was booming – especially with it purple trade.

Money and power can go to someone’s head – making someone think they are a god. Everyone quotes Lord Acton’s words on this – words he wrote in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” [April 5, 1887]

That’s what Ezekiel is saying happened to this king in the city of Tyre.

Hopefully he had a mirror – a court jester – a wife and kids who could kept him human and humble.

This is a message for not just presidents and popes – but for all of us.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel from Matthew 19:23-30 has this same theme – emptying oneself etc. – that is, if we want to fit through the eye of the needle – and discover Christ and his Kingdom on the other side of the eye.

Obviously, a balloon or a camel cannot fit through the eye of a needle.

Obviously, a person who knows the answer – is more apt not to hear the question.

Obviously, a person who is first on line or in the front seat – is less apt to see that there are people behind him or her.

As one reads the gospels one begins to get the feeling that the Pharisees knew it all – were inflated with their self importance – and therefore didn’t hear, understand or receive Jesus.

BOOKS

We’ve all heard the saying, “Beware of the person of one book!”

Thank you Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul for giving us your different takes on Jesus.

I like to pause for a moment when I walk into a library – because it’s very humbling to know there is so much I don’t know.

On our Danube trip we visited the Benedictine Monastery of Melk and we got a guided tour of their library. While most of Europe couldn’t read, this place was a center of learning. The tour guide said there were 17 rooms in the library – with over 80,000 books. The guide books said there were 12 rooms with over 100,000 books.

There are many books and many answers to many questions.

Learning, listening, we can discover our emptiness – our poverty – our ignorance – all that we don’t know – and at times we can move up from last towards first.

A CONCLUSION - NAN-IN

When I read the readings for Mass, the night before, I look to an ikon of Christ on my wall and pray, “Help! Give me an insight. Bring me closer to what you’re saying.”

I also try to remember a story I heard a long time ago.

Once upon a time during the Meiji era (1868-1912), a Japanese Zen master named a Nan-in, received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!”

Then Nan-in said, “Like this cup you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”

Each morning – we are like the disciples at the lake of Galilee – who were fishing and catching nothing – and Jesus calls to us from the shore – where to cast out nets – and they caught a boat load – but there was more – they went ashore and caught Jesus for a great breakfast – and caught some more great words about life and love.

Photo on top - one of the book shelves at the library at Melk, Austria