TWO BY TWO
Two by two
Christ sends us. (1)
It’s not good
to go it alone. (2)
Two by two
he sends us –
male and female
he sends us –
wife and husband
he sends us –
friend with friend
he sends us,
to proclaim
"The Kingdom of God is at hand!"
to bring about that Good News,
to share the Good News
that God is aware of all of us,
that God loves us,
that God desires us to
love one another.
Two by two
God sends us.
God does not want
to go it alone.
Two by two
he sends us
to leave the safety
of our own shores
and sures, (3)
out into the waters
out in the Ark called, "Church",
out in this shaky craft
filled with such a strange
cast of characters,
with the waters rising,
with the rain raining,
till it stops and we drift
and shift wondering about
what’s next – sending out
a raven and then a dove,
till we see the olive branch of hope
in the dove’s beak,
the Good News that
there is land, there is a future,
[with God there is always a next,]
and then we land and can plant
the dreams of God again
and again and again. (4)
Two by two
he sends us,
lambs among wolves,
beware and being aware
of serpents with scorpions,
speaking peace
hoping to meet and receive
peace and hospitality in return,
but if that peace
is not returned,
that it will come back to us,
so that we can move on
to the next town,
without carrying the dust
of their streets, not even
between the toes of our feet.
Two by two
he sends us,
because the harvest is big,
but the laborers are few –
moving with quickness
not weighed down
by money or sack or sandals,
just the “Peace” the "Shalom" of God
in our step, in our words,
and in the skin of our smile.
Two by two
he sends us.
Jesus is always about
the vertical and the horizontal.
The me and God message
needs to be with the
others and me message –
and that makes for a plus.
Oops, it also makes for the cross,
because those who want
to go it alone, don’t go for
all this reaching out,
this need to be signs of peace
with both God and this strange person
next to me in church – but especially that
person there on the road
going from Jerusalem to Jericho,
the hurting other
whom we want to run by
on our way to the temple
to be with God alone. (5)
Two by two
God made us:
mom and dad,
egg and seed
God made us,
dust and dream (6)
rubbed together
and here we are,
Adam and Eve,
you and me.
Now that’s Good News.
Say “Amen” if you get it,
otherwise, I’m out of here.
I hate to do it,
but I'm out of here,
because if you want a me
without the we,
I’m going to have
to shake your dust off me,
with the hope some day,
some way, you’ll realize
you can’t go it alone as a me.
Surprise - the Good News is
this earth is a circle and
we’ll be back to talk to you again.
Two by two,
the seventy-two returned
rejoicing – laughing and singing –
because even the demons
are subject to Jesus’ name.
And Jesus said,
“Don’t rejoice because
you have the secret on how
to overcome spirits and make
them subject to you,
but rejoice because your names –
[notice the plural “names”] –
are written in heaven.” Amen.
Rejoice, "The kingdom of God
is at hand for you!" Amen.
The pictures on top are from the 2010 school Mass on our back lawn - here at St. Mary's. The two musicians on top are Ceil Ambrosetti and Matt Martelli. The two priests are our pastor Fathers Jack Kingsbury and Blas Caceres - with a halo of holiness. And the kids and teachers are at the moment of the sign of peace - which is always an interesting moment at any Kids' Mass.
This weekend here at St. Mary's Bishop Herbert Bevard of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Thomas in the American Virgin Islands and Father Pat Lynch a Redemptorist in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, spoke as a twosome at all the Masses here in St. Mary's Parish, Annapolis, Maryland - one at St. Mary's - the other at St. John Neumann's. So instead of having to create a homily for today - the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, I sat down and wrote this reflection on today's gospel, Luke 10: 1-12, 17-20. It lacks the give and take in my brain with a community of people in church - which I noticed is contrary to the message of this gospel - that stresses the importance of two by two.
(1) Cf. Today's gospel, Luke 10: 1-10, 17-20
(2) Cf. Genesis 2: 18
(3) Cf. Luke 5:4
(4) Cf. Genesis 6: 5 to 8:19
(5) Cf. Luke 10:25-25-37 - Notice in the Scriptures and especially the Gospels the coupling of the two commandments of loving God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength and our neighbor as ourselves. [Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12: 28-34; Proverbs 3:1-35; Matthew 19:16-22; Matthew 25: 31-46; Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:1-18; Leviticus 18:26-30; Proverbs 19:16-17; Galatians 6:2
(6) Cf. Genesis 2:7
