LIFE IS 

A ROLLER COASTER

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Life Is A Roller Coaster.”

Life is a roller coaster, ups and downs, and then all around.

At 12 or 13 years of age - 8^th graders - a bunch of us boys used to love to take the subway train to Coney Island, Brooklyn, N.Y.  for a few hours - head for the Cyclone roller coaster - go on it a bunch of times - go to Nathan’s for a hot dog and orange drink. Then we would walk down to see the water - but not go in. Then we’d head back to the Cyclone  for another ride - laugh - head for the train - and get back home - a nice Saturday afternoon in warm weather.

Looking back now, that adventure, was a metaphor for life.

Sometimes we’re just rolling along - no ups and downs - just getting along in life - a few twists and turns - some stops - like a subway train ride. And sometimes we feel like we’re on a roller coaster. It’s all ups and downs - and all arounds. And sometimes it’s neither. We’re checking out the scenery or we’re enjoying a hot dog and an orange drink -and not too much is happening.

LENT

Lent - it’s an annual time to look at our life. We do this on New Year’s Eve and Day - but how long does that last?

Lent - what’s your metaphor for how you see life? Lately, it has been feeling like a roller coaster for me - lots of action - lots of adventures.

Lent - it’s here - we had Ash Wednesday a few days ago - and this year it goes till early April - Palm Sunday is on April 1^st this year - and Easter the following Sunday, is April 8^th.

Lent - Spring - 2012.  I was wondering if we’ll appreciate Spring this year - because we’ve had such a sweet and easy winter. It still could snow and get cold - but this week we’re into March. How much does weather - and geography - mold - form and shape us?

Once more: what are your plans for Lent this year?

People have expressed gratitude for the Lenten Booklets - so some folks have some spiritual reading as part of their Lent.

The latest issue of America Magazine has a piece on “What  Are You Taking Up?” On the cover it shows some kids and staff from Sacred Heart School in Wallington, New Jersey, watching a big barn fire of blessed palms from the year before. The old tradition was to get the ashes for Ash Wednesday from those burnt palms. Today we get ashes for Ash Wednesday in tiny see through plastic bags from somewhere. The magazine article features 4 suggestions for action and reflection to take up during Lent - in contrast to the old saying, “What are you giving up for Lent?” 4 writers suggest: 1) The Asceticism of Truth. Take long walks, find quiet places, and face the truths about yourself and life that can set you free. John Kavanaugh, a Jesuit at St. Louis University, says, “Stop pretending. We are as fragile as dust.” 2) Gerald Schlabach - a theologian in Minnesota says, “Love the Enemy in Your  Pew.” Liberals, conservatives, gay, straight, old, young, listen to each other. 3) Margaret Pfeil an assistant professor at  the  Notre Dame says “Feed the Hungry With Local Food.” 4) Thomas Massaro a Jesuit at Boston College says, “Get to Know Your Legislators.”

What’s in your plans for this Lent?

There is a notice on our sign up board back in the rectory to sign up for hearing confessions on Wednesday Evenings in Lent. It’s “The Light is On” program that will be in all the parishes of this diocese and many dioceses. Is that in your plans for this Lent?

The article in America is suggesting 4 things. I just mentioned two things: some spiritual reading and the sacrament of confession or reconciliation.

Then there are fasting, praying, and alms giving as the 3 traditional practices for Lent.

LIFE

How about taking some time to look at one’s life? How’s it going?

I was at celebration at the Naval Academy on Friday afternoon for a Captain retiring from the Navy. I had the opening and closing prayer - so that was a piece of cake. What I liked was I had a chance to listen to two talks: one about  someone and the other by the person himself about his life. Summing up one’s life - at different points in life: good idea.

It hit me loud and clear about the power of comparisons. What’s it like to live in all kinds of different places - here, there and everywhere, all around the world? How does that impact one’s family - one’s spouse and kids? Adjustment. Adjustment. Adjustment.

Sitting there I realized I have also lived in lots of different places as well - but I didn’t have to worry about a family being uprooted. So finally a benefit for celibacy. I've lived in Wisconsin, Ohio, up by Lake Erie in Pennsylvania as well as in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, Upstate and downstate New York, New Jersey, Washington D.C. and 2 different places in Maryland. Once more how do changes, movements, geography, weather, homes, different assignments form who I am?

I remember someone saying a long time ago that one year in a foreign country - provided it’s in a language other than one’s own - is worth 4 years of college.  Is that true? I would assume that the answer to that is: “It all depends.”  I wonder at times how my life would have been if my plans worked out. I became a priest to work in Brazil. Didn’t happen. Maybe my life would have been a lot more like a roller coaster ride if that happened. We can only image with the what if’s.

We’ve all heard John Lennon’s words a dozen times, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

Life …. death …. there are 5 more funerals on our board that are coming up. It’s seems that a lot of people are dying. Have you been to any funerals lately? What were you thinking? What were you feeling? It can be like today’s first reading: one’s whole world is flooded out with tears and pain - and we need a Rainbow.

Yesterday,  I was at two funerals. The first one I was the priest at - the second one I attended. 

The first one was for a wonderful woman named Roberta Hart. She used to come to the 12:10 weekday Mass at St. John Neumann's - till she got sick. What an opportunity and a grace to try to help a person deal with sickness and then to help a family deal with the death of their mom. At the wake  on Friday afternoon, I looked at the pictures and the video and heard comments about a wonderful woman.  I had seen her a few months ago for an hour - at Genesis in Severna Park. Once more William Sloan Coffin Jr’s comment about being a minister or a priest hit me. He said the greatest gift is being invited into the secret garden of another’s soul. This one had cancer. Life. Sometimes it’s a roller coaster. Sometimes it’s a train. Sometimes it’s a bed in a nursing home. Then yesterday  morning at the Mass I got to hear a granddaughter - speak for a whole bunch of grand kids - and I heard her take on her grandmother. Then I got to hear a daughter speaking for 5 brothers and one sister tell us how she saw mom and mom saw life and her kids.

These are the things that form and inform me. These moments are great spiritual reading.

Then I shot back to Saint Mary’s to attend a second funeral. It was for Rita Esker - the mother of one of our priests. Rita was alive and kicking my first few years here at St. Mary’s. It was one more moment to reflect upon life - my mom and dad - where I came from - and their funerals.

OUT OF ELECTRICITY

Near the end of the second funeral Mass, I began saying to myself, I have to run upstairs now and come up with a homily for the 4:30 Mass - 1st Sunday in Lent Mass.

A feeling of tiredness came over me. I’m said to myself, “I’m on the bottom of the hill on the roller coaster ride called today.”

That's where that image came from.

What to preach on? What do you need? Where are you right now in your life? What’s your metaphor for your life right now?

As I thought about the past few days, metaphors for life hit me. 

I was thinking about the nice afternoon walk I took on Thursday - my day off. I was out the front door of St. Mary’s - ran across Duke of Gloucester - down to Ego Alley - and then through the Naval Academy. It’s great doing this around 4 PM - because all these young people in the Naval Academy are running, running - practicing lacrosse now - throwing a Frisbee, a football or having a catch. A group were playing Danny Boy with brass instruments. Life. Oh to be young again….

But sitting there after the funerals,  the image from that Thursday afternoon walk that hit me was ice cream cones. There were lots of folks licking ice cream cones. I thought: is that a metaphor for life? Is that a possible metaphor for a homily?

How would these questions sound?  Looking at your life right now are you just starting with a brand new full ice cream cone - 2 scoops - and you’re just starting to lick away? Or is your ice cream cone almost finished and your hands are sticky and you forgot to get a napkin? Or did your kid drop and plop his ice cream cone - and she’s screaming and you hand her yours? Or you’re diabetic - like me - and I know there’s sugar free ice cream - but it’s really not - and you say, “My ice cream cone days are over. Ugh.”

CONCLUSION

We’re at the beginning of Lent. What are your plans? Jesus headed into the desert for 40 days - as today’s gospel puts it. Matthew and Luke use great imagination what Jesus went through.

Mark - the earliest gospel - simply says that the Spirit drove him out into that desert and he was tempted by Satan. Sounds like it was some roller coaster ride,  if you ask me - but the gospels also say, the angels ministered to him. I’m sure there were no Nathan’s Hot Dogs and Orange Drink or ice cream there - but it sounds like there were some moments that weren’t as tough as the others. Best of blessings on your Lent his year. Hop on the train. Hope it doesn't become a roller coaster. Amen.