THE BEGGAR 

AT THE BEAUTIFUL GATE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Easter Wednesday  is, “The Beggar at the Beautiful Gate.”

In the history of the world there have been many beggars – and if beggars are smart – and beggars can be choosey – they often pick beautiful places to beg.

We’ve all see beggars outside stores in the Mall. I just gave a guy a 5 two weeks ago – outside of Office Depot – and lots of folks have seen a lady with kids – begging out in our parking lot on weekends and we said to her to go to our St. Vincent de Paul – because this parish is very, very generous. We say this because they help as well as screen folks well – and a lot of people are truly stuck – and the economy is still “iffy!”

Beggars ….

TODAY’S FIRST READING

I chose to say a few words about the first reading – especially because today’s gospel will be the Sunday Gospel – not this Sunday – but the Sunday after that. It’s the story of the 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus – and we’ve all heard many homilies on that key gospel story.

Today’s first reading from Acts is the story of “The Beggar at the Beautiful Gate”.

I heard a homily on this text in 1968 and I still remember it. A priest at Most Holy Redeemer Church in New York City used this story in reverse. He used it to thank a rich donor – a man who didn’t have to beg – a man who had silver and gold – and gave a nice chunk to the church – and they were honoring this man for his many gifts to the church.

Most Holy Redeemer was my first assignment. I had finished my studies. I was now in ministry. I was starting to get my real education. Here was an old priest who taught me that scriptures can be used in surprising ways.

So I gradually learned that all these readings that were talking about people from a long time ago – can also be talking about people here and now in ways I never noticed before.

BEGGING

In this homily I’ll reverse what I heard in 1968 and say that we are the beggars.

We come to church – to this beautiful gate of heaven – to beg.

Question: What are you begging for today?

What did you beg for the last time you came to this beautiful place?

What will you beg for tomorrow?

We are all beggars?

St. Alphonsus – the Founder of the Redemptorists - is labeled as "The Doctor of Prayer"  – because he preached so often on it, He said the # 1 reason for prayer is to ask – to beg.

We come here begging for our children, begging for our world, begging for peace, begging that our leaders will lead and lead us well. We come here to beg for faith, hope and charity.

We come here begging for sight and insight.

St. Aphonsus also stressed action – some action – some movement – some motion on our part. The beggar has to crawl or get to the Beautiful Gate – in order to beg. He or she can’t stay in the shelter, the apartment – the cardboard box.

All have to hear the mantras: “Pray for potatoes, but pick up shovel.” “In a storm, pray - but row to shore!”

We come here to hear God and Peter and John and all the saints and all our wisdom figures say to us, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk.”

We come here to beg that we receive the power to rise from where we are and to walk in a new light.

Yes we have problems – family problems, health problems – and we need to beg for help if possible.  We also need to hear: Pick up a shovel. Start rowing.

We also come here to hear that we can help others to rise and walk with a new way of doing life. There might be people in our lives who need a good push to stand up – to get off their butts – out of their beds and move it. It might be a son or a daughter in their 20’s, 30’s or 40’s – or a husband who has become a couch potato. Move it. Rise and walk. Get out of the house and garden. Get out of the house and volunteer. Get into the garage and clean it up. Wake up and make our surroundings a more beautiful place to live.

Use the clicker to turn off the boob tube. Get out of your Lazy Boy chair.  Get into reality.  Rise and walk.

I remember a couple who prayed and prayed for their son – in his early 30’s - who settled in their home and wouldn’t work or move it. So they bought a trailer and headed west and came back a few months later and he was gone – and the door was closed. It worked. I guess the refrigerator and freezer eventually emptied out.

Sometimes solutions are not so beautiful – and the gate to freedom – is escaping or doing something strange  to be a desired action.

CONCLUSION

To be honest, I have trouble putting into words this issue of prayer and action, grace and self-help, how God works, how prayer works, but I would assume that the  bottom line message is: beg – pray – but also rise and walk. Amen.