ME OR YOU?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 20th Wednesday in Ordinary time is, “Me or You?”

Every day provides several opportunities where the choice is, “Me or You?”

Am I self centered or other centered?

Coming out of the parking lot or a parking place, coming out of church or a room or a building, the choice is often there: me or you?

TODAY’S READINGS

In today’s first reading, Ezekiel 34: 1-11, he goes after the leaders of Israel who are not in it for others – but for self.

Ezekiel message is clear: priests, shepherds, leaders, parents, all – are called to serve others not self.

In today’s psalm – Psalm 23 – we hear that the Lord is a Good Shepherd – in contrast to how Ezekiel describes so many shepherds in Israel – who are only in it for self.

Jesus reflected on this theme – because he refers to it rather clearly and rather often as well.

In today’s gospel, Matthew 20:1-16, the owner of the vineyard is concerned about people who don’t have work so as to earn their daily bread. Then when he’s quite generous with his money to those who just worked an hour or a few hours – the others are angry at his goodness and generosity to everyone.

There is a message and a challenge here for all of us: thinking of others – being concerned about others – putting others ahead of ourselves.

How many times have we heard the saying, “A person wrapped up in themselves makes a very small package.”

THE WALKING INTO A CONVERSATION SITUATION

One of life’s regular scenes is, “The Walking Into A Conversation Situation.”

We’re sitting there with a few people and someone is right in the middle of telling a story and someone walks into the room or into the scene.

There are two kinds of people: those who walk into a situation calmly and quietly and stand or sit down and catch what folks are talking about and there are those who immediately take over and turn the conversation in on themselves – or on what they want to talk about.

We just got back from a boat trip on the Danube. Three of us are on the top deck and it’s within the first hour of our trip. We found nice chairs to sit on and the scenery is spectacular. One of the three of us starts to tell a story and the other two of us are listening.

Suddenly this guy comes up the stairs onto the top deck and heads right for us and jumps into our tiny circle and starts talking – and taking over – and he tells us how he was a cab driver in New York City and how this is his first cruise. Finally he takes a breath and the other person in our tiny circle comes back to the story she is telling. This guy then immediately interrupts her and starts telling another story.

I say to myself, “Uh oh, this is going to be a very small boat.”

Obviously, life doesn’t have scripts that are handed out – that we have to follow. Obviously, life on stage is mostly improvisation.

However, there are niceties – and the Golden Rule – and courtesies – and the wisdom of checking out the scene.

There are two kinds of people at a buffet table. Those who take a plate and start putting food on it immediately and those who walk around the buffet table and see everything that is on it. Then they get a plate and put on their plate what they want.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Me or You?”

I like the gospel text – the words of John the Baptist, “I must decrease. He must increase.”

I like and don’t like Jesus’ words about the grain of wheat must die and dissolve – otherwise it’s just a seed of wheat – but if it dies – it can become delicious bread.

The message is: want to be a delicious person? Zip your lips. Open your ears. Put others first. If you want to make relationships last, put the other in the relationship first.