YOU’RE  STANDING

ON  HOLY  GROUND

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily  for this 15 Wednesday in Ordinary Time is, “You’re Standing on Holy Ground.”

Today’s first reading has this famous scene from the Book of Exodus - [3:1-6, 9-12] - when Moses has a God Experience. He’s on a mountain - Mount Horeb. He’s by himself - better he’s a shepherd with his flock - and God appears to him as fire flaming out of a bush.

It’s the famous scene of God calling Moses! It’s a pivotal moment in his life - as well as the history of our faith - the Jewish Faith - out of which comes Jesus - who will be called the New Moses - as well as the Good Shepherd.

I’m sure we’ve all sung and heard the wonderful hymn that comes out of today’s text from Exodus. The name of the hymn is: “Holy Ground”. I can’t sing, but the following words might trigger the sound and the feel of the hymn in case you heard it:

This is holy ground
We’re standing on holy ground
For the Lord is here, and where He is, is holy
These are holy hands

We’re lifting up holy hands
For the Lord is here, and where He is, is holy

QUESTION

As I thought about today’s first reading and that scene where Moses experiences God - and realizes he’s standing on Holy Ground - and he took off his shoes, a twist of thought hit me - a question that I thought was thought provoking. I don’t know if it would interest you - or would hit you - but here it comes.

A question….

Have you ever been in a sacred place and you experienced God in a special way? That’s the simple question.

ANSWERS

I asked myself, about places where I have been - places where I felt something special was here - something sacred was here - something different was here - compared to other places.

A variation of the question could be the reaction we’ve all had at times in our lives when we blurted out the opposite: “Isn’t anything sacred anymore?”

We might have said that when something sacred was violated - even as recent as these revelations in England of people hacking into other people’s phone lines. Isn’t anything sacred?

Then I began jotting down my responses to places that felt special - different - and somewhat sacred.

I think about entering St. Peter’s in Rome, Chartres Cathedral about an hour outside of Paris in France, Sacre-Coeur - the basilica on the hill -Monmartre - overlooking the whole of Paris, the waters of Lourdes, the World Trade Center, but only looking back afterwards, but it had a feel to it even before September 11, 2001.

I think about climbing up inside the Statue of Liberty, climbing Mount Alice in the Rocky Mountains - coming to the top of the continental divide. I think about walking down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, going into the inner center of Zion National Park in Utah, standing at the Lake of Galilee in Israel, plus the synagogue in Capernaum, climbing the possible Mount of the Transfiguration, as well as the possible place of the Agony in the Garden - these past few places in Israel.

I think of being in a few places that had great wooden floors.

I think of being in a couple of famous restaurants: Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, Jackie’s in Chicago, Hausner’s in Baltimore, Mama Leone’s in New York City, etc.

I think of the first time - age 7 - walking with my dad through the dark tunnel and then into the inside of Ebbets green baseball field in Brooklyn as a kid - 7 years old.

I think of the many churches I’ve been in and I thank God for whoever told me that you’re supposed to make 3 wishes when you walk into any church you’ve never been in before.

I think of the first time I dived off the high board at the deep pool Sunset Park in Brooklyn as a kid.

I think of walking into various hospital rooms where someone was dying - as well as and especially the NICU in Anne Arundel Medical Center.

CONCLUSION

Lastly, I need to finish this, because some of you have to get to work.

So let me make mention three last sacred places:

1) The Body - check out the stress on the Theology of the Body by Pope John Paul II;

2) The home - the family table, the marriage bed, a favorite chair, etc.;

3) The church. We can take a moment today to think of the holy places in this holy place. The Holy Pictures places, the tabernacle, the altar, the sanctuary. We know from Scriptures about the inner section of the temple - the Holy of Holies. It was the place where the High Priest could go once a year.However,  I wonder about that.  Was anyone sent in there to clean. After all cleanliness is next to Godliness (but I hope no one ever gets to see my room).  I think of the place of the altar. Some of us have seen in our lifetime the switch in practices regarding the altar area. We've seen the removal of the Communion Rail. People still clamor for bells - even though the priest now faces the people. People want a return to what they saw as sacred and it was removed. Talk to each other about all this - not as a gripe session - but as a moment to get in touch with what was sacred as well as what is sacred to you. Some don't give recognition to those designated with a title at Mass:  Lector, Eucharistic Minister.  There are different takes by folks on all this. I for one see as a very sacred moment folks after Mass talking to each other here in church - while for others this is a "No No!" I see the Body of Christ in communion with other members of the Body of Christ - connecting in communion with each other within the tabernacle of our bodies. I believe by reflecting on the sacred places here in St. John Neumann Church - the place where folks receive communion - the walking up the steps into the sanctuary - as coming up to holy ground. You are standing on Holy Ground.