BOASTING OR BRAGGING

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 11th Friday in Ordinary Time is, “Boasting or Bragging!”

The last line in today’s first reading is, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.”

Paul is the one who is saying this. Boasting or bragging are synonymous – and scholars are not sure just what the origins of both these English words are. Either is a good translation of the Greek verb, “KAUCHAOMAI” – which is used in our text today – 2 Corinthians 11:18. One Greek Bible dictionary says “glory in” would be a good first meaning. (1)

Glory in, boast, brag, we have all experienced people who are after the glory, people who are braggers and boasters. However, to be honest, don’t we all have something we’d like to brag and boast about.

What does our list look like: accomplishments, car, house, looks, money, where we've been, whom we met? What's in our trophy case?

IT’S FUNNY

Paul says in his letter here that he will only boast of his weaknesses.

It’s funny because he says that just after he has given us a list of all the struggles and sufferings and trials he has gone through. Of course he keeps adding, “I’m speaking foolishly or crazy here!” Yet he still tells us that he has had far more imprisonments, beatings, brushes with death, was beaten 5 times with 40 lashes minus 1, was stoned once, was beaten with rods 3 times, was shipwrecked 3 times, hungered, thirsted, traveled, much more than everyone else, and by the way, I’m not bragging about all that. I only brag about my weaknesses. Listen again to the last line in today's first reading: “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.”

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel – Matthew 6: 19-23 - doesn’t use the word “boast” or “brag,” but Jesus pretty much challenges us about stuff – which many use as things to prop themselves up to look better than others.

Then there are those who use a great body to look down on those who are overweight or what have you.

As I thought of that – for some reason I thought about eyes. In the vestibule of the church – after Mass – as people are leaving – when saying, “Good bye!” and “Have a great day!” I try to look people in the eye. It happens very fast, but I want to be able to boast and brag that I try not to be mechanical. Smile.

Well, in doing that, every once in a while, there is the person with amazing eyes – different eyes – stand out eyes. I’m sure you’ve met folks from time to time with fascinating eyes. I never asked that person, but I sense they know they have special eyes. I’m sure I’m not the only one who wants to tell them, “You have fascinating eyes.”

This triggered the remembrance of the girl on the cover of National Geographic in 1985 who had fantastic green eyes. Then I remember reading that someone went back a few years ago to the Afghan / Pakistan border area and found her. She aged prematurely – and that cut down on the beauty of the frame that held those eyes – her face – but she still had great eyes – and a photographer captured them again. I found the 1985 girl’s picture and put it on top. Check out the story on Google - if you want to see what she looks like years later.

So if you have great eyes, brag about them – at least in the mirror - to yourself once and a while.

Now back to my homily, after that distraction. Great eyes can be very distracting.

Jesus is far more interested in the inner eye – to get that right – and forever – the I who I really am – the real me.

Jesus challenges us to look at how we see!

Are we walking by the unseen? Do we see ourselves as better than everyone else? Do we see as Jesus saw?

CONCLUSION: ON SECOND THOUGHT

However, on second sight, I think I got the insight on why St. Paul brags about his weaknesses: they got him to realize he can’t solve his problems – only God can – and our weaknesses can bring us to our knees.

In AA or any of the 12 Step Programs that flow out of it – the first step is to admit our weakness over some addiction. The next step to ask a Greater Power to help us overcome that weakness. We need God - we need Group  – Community.

So isn’t that one of the reasons why we come here to Mass – why we come before Christ on the cross – the big sign of weakness – so that we can rise each day to a better Way to do life.  Amen.



NOTES

(1) W.E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Four Volumes in One, Zondevevan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1952.