HOW WE TREAT PEOPLE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 3rd Friday after Easter is, “How We Treat People.”

Today’s readings trigger for me the question: “How do I treat people?”

It’s easier to see how other people treat other people – as well as how they treat me – than to see how I treat other people.

I also think it’s a good idea to watch how people treat other people – and then to ask, “How am I in that same situation?”

SOME SAME SITUATIONS

For example, we all arrive at the check out counter and interact with another person – that is, unless we use one of those automatic type check out counters – which I have never used. At Giant, Office Depot, CVS, there is that moment when I get to the person with the cash register and scanner for what I’m going to buy. How do I interact with that person? Do I make comments? Do I check the person’s name and mention it at the end, “Thank you, Doris!” or “Thank you, Jack!” or “Have a good day, Melissa.” Or do I say nothing – just watching the register and get my stuff bagged and pay my bill or swipe my card and sign my name.

For example, we come to a dozen doors a day – as I like to say – and it’s a moment to be aware of whether another person is behind us or not. Or there are at least 3 moments every day when we are coming out of a parking lot and onto the street – or we come to moment when we have to decide to let a person in front of us or not.

For example, we’re with someone and our cell phone rings. Do I say, “Excuse me!” and answer the phone? Do I just let it ring? Do I reach in and just turn it off? Do I just start talking to the person on the other side and leave the person whom I’m with abruptly without acknowledging them?

So there are some same situations – some same examples of possible interactions with other people every day that we all experience. How do I treat people? Do I treat them as a treat – an experience I enjoy - or do I tend to retreat from them - especially if it's someone I don't enjoy being with?

TODAY’S FIRST READING

In today’s first reading Saul/Paul has an eye opening experience.

He’s hunting down, hounding, and harassing Christians.

Saul/Paul falls to the ground in a lighting like experience and he’s blinded – and then receives his first big eye-opening experience. He discovers in persecuting Christians he’s persecuting Jesus.

He hears the words, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

Write down on a piece of paper then put it on your refrigerator door this sentence: “The other person is Jesus.”

Then Saul/Paul is led go to Damascus to a place on Straight Street and he’s set straight even further. The blind man sees – and starts to get even greater insights. And in time Paul sees all as the Body of Christ. By the time he writes 1 Corinthians 12:12 to 30, he has the message down. It’s the same message we hear in Mathew 25:31-46. How I treat others is how I treat Christ.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s Gospel continues telling us about the Body of Christ. It’s part of the great sixth chapter in the Gospel of John on the Eucharist.

I am very grateful for all those preachers and teachers I started to hear since the 1950’s who said that the reverence we sense – the reverence we have towards the Consecrated Bread in Communion – we are called to have when we experience any member of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. I heard over and over again that we’re missing something if we don’t see the presence of Christ in the people on the Communion line, the check out line in the store, in traffic, in life. If we don't sense that,  we’re not there yet – in living the Christian life.

If we don’t see this we’re like Saul/Paul on the road the Damascus.

All those who have read the life and messages of Mother Teresa know this was her big message. She wanted her sisters to spend time in the presence of Jesus in the Bread in chapel – so they would see Jesus in the Flesh of all those they served.

It strikes me that people can sit in prayer in the Eucharistic Chapel for an hour and can’t spend 5 minutes with those around them in their own home – or on the road to many places like Damascus.

It strikes me that some people still come up for Communion and will only take the Eucharist from the priest and never if possible from the Eucharistic Minister who is not an ordained priest. Hello. Hello. Hello.

It strikes me that the tougher receiving of Communion of Christ is in receiving people – because unlike the Bread and The Cup of Precious Blood, people can bother us, annoy us as well as love us - and we don't want to receive their love or their "Hello".

Enough. Amen.

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Painting on top: The Conversion of St. Paul by Caravaggio, c. 1669