DON’T GO THERE!

The title of my homily for this 33 Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Don’t Go There!”

Has anyone ever said that to you, “Don’t go there!”

Have you ever said that to yourself, “Don’t go there!”

Last night as I read today’s first reading, I found myself thinking, “Don’t go there.” [Cf. Second Maccabees 6: 18-31]

Then when I read today’s gospel, I thought, “Go there!” [Cf. Luke 19:1-10]

Obviously, our gospel reading is a story that is well known and well loved. Jesus spots Zacchaeus, the short guy, up the tree. Jesus then invites him down from the tree and invites himself into Zacchaeus’ life and home and heart and mind and conversion.

Then it hit me: did the people who put together today’s two readings put them together on purpose? It’s definitely a funny twist if they did.

If they thought what I began to think, did they say, “Don’t go there!”

In the first reading, the old man, Eleazar - is being forced to eat pork - forbidden food - otherwise it’s sure death for him. So those who knew him told him to fake it. “Nobody will notice.”

He responded, “My own people will notice and I’ll be giving bad example.”

So he goes to his death - by the hands of these foreigners who had invaded their land.

In today’s gospel, Jesus stops to talk to Zacchaeus - someone who was dealing with outsiders, a tax collector, a sinner, and when  people see Jesus going there to Zacchaeus they are surprised - perhaps shocked.

What did Zacchaeus serve at that meal? I wondered if Jesus ever ate pork.

We know the question of forbidden food was an ongoing question in the Early Church. Paul called Peter a hypocrite - because he contradicts himself at times on whether new Christians - who were non-Jews - had to take on the Jewish practices in the Christian community. Paul was saying, “Don’t go there!”

And we know Jesus comes down on the side that law is for us - not us for the law. And he challenged his fellow Jews often on the issue of following religious customs. As to taking pork, we don’t know.

Question: As priest do I have to more aware of what others think than if I was not a priest?

Another question: Would someone say of that question, “Don’t go there!”

I would answer, “Everyone - not just priests - have to be aware of the power of what one says and does. We are all responsible for what we say and do.” At work, on Sunday morning, in family, people know we’re Catholics, Christians, adults, and life has its expectations.

So we have to be courageous and we have to be prudent.

We have to be aware of consequences if we speak up - or if we don’t speak up.

So would I eat the pork? I don’t know. Probably - and with mustard.

Would I talk with the stranger up the tree? Probably.

Here in our sanctuary, above our old altar, we have a short guy, up on a pedestal.

When we Redemptorists stop to talk to St. Alphonsus and invite him down from his pedestal and into our minds and hearts, he challenges us.

He started the Redemptorists November 9, 1732, to reach out to stranger, the unwashed, the unreachable, the alien.

When he got this dream - others told him not to go there. He did.

When we Redemptorists preach on certain issues, people sometimes get upset. Don’t go there.

I know I’m a chicken - and nobody gets upset if I preach a ham and cheese kind of a sermon, but there are some "Uh oh!" hot topics. They are the, "Don’t go there!" issues.

I’ve only had a few complaints about sermons I've preached, …. so I often think I’m not doing my job.

Some Redemptorists do - and I admire them.

Once I was invited to give 2 weeks of talks to Redemptorists from two other  provinces in Tucson, Arizona. While there I noticed a notice on a bulletin board offering a day trip down to Mexico on a Sunday. I signed up - the only one. So the organizer - a Redemptorist priest who was stationed there - asked if he could bring two others with him. I said, “Of course!” They were a photographer and a reporter. I sat there in the 4 wheel drive listening. They were asking him all kinds of questions and he answered some questions, but he added each time, “This is off the record, right?” He was helping poor Hispanics - as well as fighting for bathrooms and breaks - especially for women in the big factories that had sprung up along the border near Nogales, Arizona and Mexico, after NAFTA. He added that he was being watched because of work with folks slipping over the boarder.

Afterwards I felt very proud that one of ours was doing what Jesus was doing - what Alphonsus our founder founded us to do: reaching out to those who are unnoticed and unwanted.

I am aware that if one preaches anything about illegals or people who have a life style that others don’t like - the pastor gets letters, etc. I am aware that people sit there in church or what have you thinking, “Don’t go there.”

Question: What's your take on the illegal immigrant issue? What are your sources? What's your take on the United States Bishops take on immigrants - as well as Vatican Documents on immigrants?

I finally have my take and I can voice it from time to time - knowing others have a different point of view.

I'd begin with anecdotes - aware that statistics and data - are listed as better than story telling - but story telling has the power.

Shortly after I got here - some 9 years ago - I remember going to a big wedding - and there were lots of people there - as well as lots of Maryland politicians and what have you. As I was sitting there watching the scene, I began noticing every waiter and waitress at the wedding looked Hispanic but one - a lady whom I thought was African American. I noticed her on the way out and said, “Hello” and she said, “No se habla Ingles.” I laughed.

And every time I read about roundups I go crazy - as well as laugh - because I ask, “Does anyone look at who’s cutting the grass around here - and who’s doing the dishes - and all these tiny jobs around here - all those jobs my mom and dad did when they came to America - those jobs that keep your costs down?

I remember sitting in a barber shop in Eastport and someone else was sitting there not knowing I was a priest. He said to another guy, “Hire Hispanics. They work cheap and they are great workers.”

So if anyone asks me about that question, I now have my anecdotes and my answers.

My first comment would be: "Don’t go there."

I would say that because I'm aware that at times the other person has their mind made up and they are not really asking a question.

If they persist, I might give my anecdotes and then say the following. I know where you can go.  Go to New York City and take a ferry boat to Liberty Island and see the Statue of Liberty. Then read what’s written there by Emma Lazarus. Then take another boat and go to Ellis Island. Check it out. Look at all the pictures - all those images that are part of what makes American great.  See if your name and your roots are there.

Tap Tap this plaque to make it readable.

Then I might tell the Sammy Davis Jr. comment. When you're on the elevator and it gets up to the top, don't forget to push the button and send it down to bottom - for the next group who wants to come up.