THANK YOU, LUKE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 31st Thursday in Ordinary Time  is, “Thank You, Luke.”

If we didn’t have the Gospel of Luke - or if we had a gospel of Luke without this 15^th Chapter of Luke - and if someone preached on its theme for today - the preacher might be turned into the pope because of the content and its key message: Jesus celebrates communion - Jesus eats with sinners.

“Oh my God, did you see whom Jesus walked up the aisle to be in communion with!”

YOU CAN’T  TAKE IT WITH YOU

We’ve heard a hundred times in our life that we can’t take it with us.  I don’t know how it works after death, but as of now, I’m going to take with me the 15^th Chapter of Luke.

Of course, what happens after death is out of our control - obviously!

As I was reflecting on today’s gospel I remembered about a time when I was praying. I was half asleep or half awake or half something. I imagined that I died. I  meet God.  I say to God, “I’m expecting You to be the God that Jesus talked about in Luke 15 and if you’re not like that, the hell with you.  I’m going to go find that God.”

Ooops! Having blurted that out woke me up big time. I went, “Uh oh!” putting my hand over my mouth for saying such a thing to God. Then I halted and said, fully awake, “Well, if you are not the one Jesus talked about in Luke 15 - I mean that: the heck with you!” Noticed I softened it up a bit when I was more awake - moving from hell to heck. Yet, that’s the God I expect to meet when I die. I’m banking on you, Luke!

THE EXCOMMUNICATORS

Reading today’s gospel - especially its opening sentence - I sense what was happening in Luke’s community - was what happened to Jesus as well as Christians down through the history of our Church. There have always been people who thought certain people shouldn’t be in church - certain people shouldn’t be in communion with Jesus and the community. Yes. That's what I'm saying here. In the history of the world, there have always been people who are excommunicators.

Without knowing who they were and what I said that was offensive, I’ve had people point their finger at me - and shaking their finger at me in the parking lot - yelling something at me. I think they were saying, “You’re wrong! You’re in the wrong space. You shouldn’t be here!”

Sticks and stones will break my bones and names will always hurt me as well.

I have learned in my mind to simply say, “Hi!” or “Peace!” or say nothing - especially when someone seems to want to excommunicate me from their Church or their vision of the Church - or from “Who’s Right?” or what have you? I have to be careful not to do the same thing in return. I think Jesus learned to turn the other cheek - from many rejections - way before he was smacked around on the night before he died - as well as the following day.

Laugh! I know Jesus Christ and I'm no Jesus Christ.

I sense that Jesus ran into this full time - this urge to exclude people from communion with each other. And Jesus experienced the ultimate excommunication. They killed him. They way of the crossed him till they had pushed him outside the city of Jerusalem. They excommunicated him. They refused communion with him. And from his wooden pulpit - the cross - he said, “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.”

Wow! We all need to learn to say that prayer every day!

ALL

Recently with the new translation of the central prayers of the Mass - the Canon - those in charge changed the words “for all” to “for many”.

If a priest doesn’t go along with this and is turned in - he won’t be excommunicated - but he might be in trouble.

There are two traditions on this: those who push for “for many” and those who push for “for all”.

I say what’s in the book - “for many”  but I’m aware that different bishops around the world disagree with this “for many”. [1]

It feels strange to me every time I say “for many”, because I’ve been saying “for all” for all these years.

But I sense all this is deeper than that. I’m not sure about this, but I sense that Luke was more wide open than Matthew.

I sense that is because Matthew was writing  mainly for Jewish Christians and Luke mainly for Gentile Christians.  We hear in the New Testament readings various struggles about  the uncircumcised from the circumcised. I’m sure you noticed that in today’s first reading from Philippians 3:3-8a.

If we read the New Testament we certainly get a feel for the struggles about intercommunion of people with people - insights with insights - theology with theology.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

So today’s gospel - the beginning of Luke 15 -  begins with the words: "The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.'"

There it is - the shock, the anger, the attempt to not allow Jesus to be in communion with sinners - to eat with them - to welcome them.

So in Luke 15,  Jesus tells 3 stories - 3 stories of welcome - 3 stories of Jesus loving sinners: the story of the Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and the Lost Son.

The third story - which we didn't hear today -  that of the Prodigal Son - ends with a note of sadness - the elder brother would not welcome his brother home. He stayed outside and would not come into the banquet that the father threw for his found son.

I’ve heard that same Elder Brother in various churches not wanting younger brothers - people they judge to be sinners - to be there. I hope all brothers and sisters - when we meet each other - at least in heaven, we’ll reach out and be in communion with each other - and celebrate the Great Supper of the Lamb with each other.

CONCLUSION

Let me close with one more moment from my life that has impacted me ever since. It’s a personal example. I hope you are in touch with your personal examples about your God experiences.

Once upon a time I was making a holy hour of prayer in front of Jesus in the tabernacle. I was by myself. And once more - like many people in prayer - I spaced out.

Once more, somewhat out of it, I had a moment of grace. I imagined Jesus the Good Shepherd, standing there with me as a lost sheep around his neck. I felt tremendous grace and light - because in the experience I sensed that the underbelly of a sheep is smelly of urine, etc. yet Jesus wrapped me around his neck and had a great smile on his face.

I was loved - no matter what. I was the Lost Sheep and Jesus found me.

Later on I realized the tabernacle door had on it an image of Jesus - the Good Shepherd in bright bronze.

Later on I realized this experience was  not far fetched. It’s Luke 15. So that’s why I said I’m taking Luke 15 with me into heaven. Thank you, Luke. 

OOOOOOO

Notes

[1] "Bishops Irked by Vatican Interference," by Christa Pongratz-Lippit, The Tablet, October 20, 2012, page 31; "Letter from Rome," Robert Mickens, The Tablet, May 5, 2012, page 31