D Q

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 5th Monday after Easter is, “D Q”.

Coming home last night from Mr. Steve Beard’s graduation in New Jersey, I was driving down 301 on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and missed getting to D Q – Dairy Queen – on that road by 8 minutes. It closes at 10 P.M. They have this neat Sugar Free ice cream bar called a “Dilly Bar”.

I wasn’t quick enough.

The title of my homily is, “D Q!” In this homily it stands for “Do Quickly!” But of course, don’t speed. Don’t get a ticket.

FIRST READING

This morning I looked at the readings for today and I was struck by the incident there in the first reading from Acts when the people of Lystra called Paul “Hermes” and Barnabas “Zeus.”

I was struck by that word “Hermes. I think it was the name of a typewriter. What ever happened to typewriters? I had heard one of our priests who teaches “Preaching” talking about Hermes now and then.

I typed into Google, “Hermes” and I got all kinds of stuff.

Hermes is the Greek God who delivers messages – amongst other things. He’s also called “Mercury”.

All very interesting. The question: should someone mention this kind of stuff in a homily. Should I entitle this homily, “U I” – or Unnecessary Information – or “U I I C” – Unnecessary Information In Church.

Well, in the Jewish and Christian tradition angels are the ones who deliver messages.

Then I got the thought of entitling this homily, “FTD” – because I remembered as I looked at all the Google information that Hermes or Mercury is that guy I’ve seen in the florist’s business.

Then I really got sidetracked or distracted, wondering about the background of FTD. I’ve seen that image of the statue running – with fast feet – and I assumed it meant we’ll run flowers for you to someone else somewhere fast.

Yep.

FTD first stood for Florists’ Telegraph Delivery back in 1910. You could send flowers on the same day by using florists in the FTD network. In 1914 they started using the Mercury Man as their logo. Then in 1965 FTD became Florists’ Transworld Delivery.

It’s a multi-million down idea and company and cooperative.

A MESSAGE FOR TODAY

I still didn’t have a specific homily idea.

Okay, so Paul is “Hermes” here in today’s first reading – Acts 14: 19-28 – because he’s going around fleet of foot proclaiming good news.

Aha.

When we studied preaching, it was called, “Hermeneutics” – with the name “Hermes” in it. I never realized that till today.

Just as I was doing this mini-research for this homily or hermeneutic moment, I get a phone call from a guy named Joey in N.J.

He told me that he was in a car accident a few years back, so he had to retire. Now for the past two years he’s taken on a job in his parish of coordinating bereavement.

Then he explained why he was calling. He was being a messenger.

He gave me the name of a gal named Mickey whose husband I knew. He died suddenly last week. He suggested, “Why don’t you drop her a note?” I said, “Good idea.” Then he quickly said, “Do you have a pen and paper handy?” Then he gave me her address in New Jersey.

He’s good.

I got back to this homily. I have a busy day ahead. I’m just back from a burial at Hillcrest – and I got a bunch of things to do today.

Because of his insistence, I said to myself, “As soon as you get back from St. John Neumann, write that note.”

Then I said to myself, “D Q! Do it quickly!”

Then I said, “Okay, make that the title of your homily and push that idea.

CONCLUSION

So as a homily message to myself and also to you today, “Is there anyone in our lives who would appreciate a phone call, an e-mail, flowers, or a card?” Surprise them! They won’t call us a god or Hermes, but they might say, “You’re an angel!”

D.Q. Do Quickly.