CALM, COOL,
BLUE SKY FEELINGS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 23 Saturday in Ordinary Time – September 11th, 2010, is, “Calm, Cool, Blue Sky Feelings.”

When I was growing up in Brooklyn, New York in the 1940's and early 1950's – our subway stop was the 59th Street Station. We lived on 62nd Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues. Two trains stopped there: the 95th Street train – now called the “R Train” – and then the express train which was then called, “The Sea Beach Express” because on Saturdays and Sundays in the summer, it was an express straight to Coney Island – no stops from 59th Street to the Beach. It went something like that – this is a long time ago.

During the week that train – now called the “N Train” became local if you were going in the direction to Coney Island – 10 stops. The first stop after 59th Street was 8th Avenue. It was outdoors. The train came out from being underground right after our stop.

Then my mom and sister and her family moved a bunch of blocks and 8th Avenue became our stop. When the train doors opened you stepped right into the open air and walked to the end of the platform to get to the stairs – and down to the streets.

Next came the Chinese and the Muslims – more Chinese than Muslims – all moving into our neighborhood – buying up some of the Irish, Norwegian, Swedish and Italian houses.

There I am in Ohio – somewhere around 2000 – driving somewhere in a car – and I’m listening to National Public Radio – NPR – and they were doing a piece on the Chinese moving into our old neighborhood – and they said the Chinese called the 8th Avenue Station, “First Blue Sky Stop!”

Now I had seen that station and stop a thousand times – and never, ever got the idea or the imagination to call it, “First Blue Sky Stop!”

Beautiful. Wonderful. Perfect. That’s what it was. We just called it, “8th Avenue” as the sign said.

Sometimes someone from the outside can give us a new perspective – a new way of seeing – something on the inside.

SEPTEMBER 11TH

When we were kids, 8th Avenue was the train stop right near where my aunt, Mary Red, lived. She had red hair and that was the only name I knew her as: Mary Red. Funny lady. She married Ernest Bowman, a Baptist from North Carolina, who became a Catholic – a guy with a neat, dry sense of humor – whom I always knew as my Godfather.

He had 4 sons – who had sons – who had sons one of whom was named Shawn Edward Bowman – whom I never met – and never will meet till Heaven – who was killed that day working at Cantor Fitzgerald – 101st floor – World Trade Center – September 11th, 2001 – with a wife home – pregnant. Those babies were featured last night on ABC News as Persons of the Week.

Now, how do we respond to tragedy and horror and things not going the way we would expect and want things to go?

Do we get red – ignite – burn? Do we become hot headed – furious?

Do we do the very thing that happened that day at the Pentagon, that field in Pennsylvania, and also that day to the Twin Towers – burn - destroy?

Do we burn flags – and people – books – and people in effigy?

Or do we build our lives on Jesus’ words – for example, “You have heard how it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But what I say to you is this: offer the wicked no resistance. On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well.’… You have heard how it was said: ‘You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But what I say this to you; love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you’ll be children of your Father in heaven….” [Cf. Matthew 5:38-48]

In today’s gospel Jesus says to build our lives on his words. And if you do, you will have a rock solid, strong foundation. [Cf. Luke 6:43-49]

Obviously these are words that would not get good ratings. Rather they are words that will get you crucified – or labeled, “Crazy” or “Stupid” or a “Dreamer”” or what have you – words that have a red spark to them – hot words – burning words. “Hey,” someone might say, “our flag isn’t all blue? It also has red.”

A CONCLUSION: COME TO CHURCH

I would hope people will come to this church when they’re red hot – angry – furious – and I would hope this place with its calm, cool, blue sky ceiling would give folks, “Calm, Cool, Blue Sky Feelings.”

I would hope people will come here to this church and do what Paul advocates in today’s first reading – coming here to eat the bread and drink the cup – and then we calm down – and discover our idolatries. [Cf. 1 Corinthians 10: 14-22]

I would hope that people would then leave this church and go forth and bring forth good fruit – like we heard in today’s gospel. Coming up with figs and offering them to others are better than serving thorns as Jesus tells us in today’s gospel.

By their fruits – you will know them.

Isn’t sharing an apple or watermelon – a pear or some cantaloupe – isn’t that better and much more blue peaceful than burning books – in a red fire – and then screaming and shaking fists and violent words at each other? Amen.