I AM 

THE WAY, THE TRUTH 

AND THE LIFE.

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 5th Sunday after Easter is, “I Am The Way, The Truth, and The Life.”

It’s a message from Jesus in today’s gospel.

There are several topics and themes in today’s readings: deacons, having Christ as the cornerstone of one’s life, see Christ, you’re seeing the Father, and seeing Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life that can lead us to our Father’s house for all eternity. I was wondering if any priest or deacon will tackle the second half of that last sentence in today's first reading: "even  a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith."

I am choosing to preach on the theme of seeing Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life. 

FUNERALS

In some parishes, like this parish, when someone dies, the family is asked to pick the scripture readings they would like for the funeral.

I’ve noticed various things can happen when a family is asked to do this.

The family gets a faith person in the family to do the pickings - someone everyone sees as a regular chuch goer and someone who knows what's what when it comes to these things. Or the whole family gets together and goes through either the Bible or the paperback booklet the parish provides for preparing a funeral celebration. The booklet has significant 1st, 2nd, and Gospel readings.

The same thing is asked of folks who are getting married. Neat.

Back to funerals. Then there is one of the those wonderful moments that I have experienced as a priest. Someone or a couple call and then come in and say they are planning their funeral long before they die. And they pick out the readings and music they would like for their funeral.

Because of that I sat down and picked out the readings I would like for my funeral – as well as the music. I would love to be in my casket and hear Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” and hear the Quaker hymn:

          “'Tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be free,
            'Tis a gift to come down where we ought to be,
            And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
           'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
           When true simplicity is gain'd,
           To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
           To turn, turn will be our delight
          'Till by turning, turning we come round right.”

How about you? What readings and what songs, hymns, or music would you like for your funeral celebration?

BACK TO TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel is a gospel text that people pick at times for a funeral – and I would assume it’s chosen because of the Resurrection overtones – the Eternal Mansions or Dwelling Places with the Father in it and I would assume that’s why we have this gospel on one of these Sundays after Easter.

The text in the gospel reading that resonates big time for me is: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

Suggestion: take your rosary and recite on the beads 59 times – one for each bead, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Try it. Saying it and praying it out loud, it took me –2 minutes and 47 seconds.

Or just use a decade of your rosary. Say 10 times on your rosary beads those words, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

I like to push using the rosary for many different things and people have come up to me afterwards and mention they have been using their rosary that way for the past two years or what have you.

The word will become flesh and dwell in you.

And maybe that text will become the number one text you will want for your funeral.

FURTHER SUGGESTION

Besides, “I AM” – and besides seeing and studying Jesus, one sees the Father, a further suggestion would be to reflect on the 3 key words in that saying of Jesus: Way, Truth and Life.

Jesus is saying that he is, “The Way, the Truth and the Life.”

Let’s look at those three as the meat – the beef – of this homily.

1) WAY

We all know what a WAY is.

We use the word all the time. Do you know a back way to the Bay Bridge and avoid as much of Route 50 as possible on a Friday afternoon – or evening? Would anyone catch me if I sneak out the back way of St. Mary’s parking lot?

Was Jesus standing on a road one day and pointed to the road below and said to his disciples, “I am the Way!” “I am the Road!” “I am the Path!”

That’s a theme in many religions and philosophies.

The TAO in Confucianism means “The Path” or “The Way.”

The Pythagorean school of philosophy in Greece used the letter Y for their symbol. You are walking a certain way and you come to a junction, a fork in the road, and you have to make a choice. Their message was to Choose Our Way!

Robert Frost has his famous poem, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and I took the road less travelled.

AA and the many programs that spinned off it stress 12 Steps. This it the way to recovery. Keep It Simple, Stupid. Take one step at a time.

Read the Gospels and the Letters of the New Testament and you’ll slowly discover Jesus’ Way to do life: love one another, forgive one another, see people, especially the unnoticed, feed people, visit the sick and those stuck, etc. etc. etc.

One name for the Early Christians were, “The followers of The Way.”

2) TRUTH

Jesus said he was the truth.

Jesus stressed honesty.

Don’t be a Pharisee or a Phony.

Avoid cheating. In fact, give extra.

Don’t live a double life. Be able to look each other in the eye. No hidden agendas.

I haven’t seen anyone in Annapolis with a parrot, but I still love the old saying, “So live that you wouldn’t be scared to sell your parrot to the town gossip.”

How many people have made it their life policy, “Honesty is the best policy!”

If you lie, you better have a great memory. If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember what you said the last time.

I love Jesus words, “The truth will set you free” and then I like what someone added, “but first it will hurt.”

3) LIFE

And lastly life.

Jesus is life. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we receive the Word and the Bread in communion – for life.

I learned from the Jesuits – the great principle of discernment.

Looking back at anything, if something gives me life, more and if something is killing me less. It’s as simple as that.

We know that when it comes to use of time and food and relationships.

Then there is the tricky part of the formula. Sometimes what looks good, something that looks like life – like that extra drink or third dessert, afterwards feels like ugg and ugly. And sometimes what looks painful or too much effort – like good regular exercise in the long run, we feel this was a good move.

CONCLUSION

Enough all ready. A long sermon can be draining. A short sermon can give life.