HEAR THE ORPHAN’S PLEA

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 15 Monday in Ordinary Time  is, “Hear The Orphan’s Plea.”

Right at the end of today’s first reading from the prophet Isaiah, 1:17, there is a short statement that hit me: “Hear the orphan’s plea.”

Isn’t that the way these readings at Mass work? Various requests, challenges, messages, urgings, pleas are presented. They tug us like a little child tugging at his or her parent’s leg. Then one or two intrigue us - or get us wondering. We inwardly say, “Hmm…. I wonder what that means.”  Or, “Woo. I have to think about that.” Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 10: 34 to 11:1 certainly has several statements by Jesus that gets us to say inwardly, “Wait a minute. What did you just say Jesus?” So today, those 4 words in the English translation of Isaiah 1:17 hit me: “Hear the orphan’s plea.”

ISAIAH

Did Isaiah spot a child on the street  begging for help? Or did his sister or brother-in-law die and leave behind 3 kids - who are now without parents? What orphan did he spot who had a plea?

I checked out the Hebrew - “SIPTU  YATOWM RIBU”-  and then the different ways those three Hebrew words are translated into English. It seems that the key idea is rights - the rights of orphans.

I would think in Isaiah’s time moms and dads - as well as kids - died much earlier and much more often than today. It would also seem that relatives and other family members would take in strays - and orphans - more than today. Today families are more scattered around the country.

Today there are less orphanages in this country and less children per capita. Some unwanted kids are aborted  - and people are having fewer children. And there are couples wanting babies to be adopted.

Question: Where does that text from Isaiah 1:17 take us? Better: how does it challenge us?

I had 4 baptisms yesterday afternoon at St. Mary’s at 1:45. Present were grandparents and great grandparents - and lots of other folks - sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, and lots of cousins - but from all over the country. So each of us has lots of connections - lots of people we’re related to.

At a baptism, at a wedding, at a graduation, at a birthday party, one person is featured - the one we’re there for.

What about all the other days in our life? What about the kid who feels all alone? Unnoticed, unheard, unconnected?

The text from Isaiah 1:17 certainly challenges us to be aware of all children - connected as well as orphaned.

What about those moving into second childhood. What about the elderly? What about those in nursing homes? What about the person in front of us when we’re on line? What about the person at the next desk at work? What about the lost and the lonely?

Several years ago, while in Denver, I remember coming around the corner one Friday morning - around 11:30 - and there was this big long line of younger men  leading to a hall next to a Catholic Church. I was to be at a wedding practice there that afternoon and a wedding there the next day. I went into the rectory and asked, “Who are those men next door?” The lady said, “Oh, they are here for a lunch. They are drifters and the homeless. We have a lot of them here.”  When I walked around down town Denver that early afternoon, sure enough, there were lots of homeless people.  Most were men.

I began wondering lots of wonderings: Who are they? Do their families know where they are? Do they have children here and there? How about ex-wives? Who is this fellow? Who is that fellow?

CONCLUSION

Isaiah’s words, Matthew’s words, Jesus’ words can get us thinking and questioning and also lead us to action. Who has a right to my attention and my glasses of cold water? Who needs my ear? In today’s gospel, we heard about family connections - mother-in-laws and daughter-in-laws. What about them? What about orphans?  What about me? Am I crying for human touch and love - and welcomes - and signs of peace - and not just at Mass?

Today’s gospel has a stress on putting Jesus first, but if I hear Jesus, he puts the other, the child, the person caught in sin, the sick, the stranger, the hurt, first. Do I hear their pleas?










Painting on top: "Girl in White in The Woods," [1882] by Vincent Van Gogh [1853-1890]. The painting is listed as being in the Kroller-Muller Museum, Netherlands