STRAIGHTFOWARD 

OR 

SIDEWAYS SPEECH? 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this first Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Straightforward Or Sideways Speech.”

Another title could be, “Direct or Indirect Speech.”

QUESTIONS

Is most communication sideways, indirect, backdoor, giving the other time to discover or notice or figure out the message?

Is 99% of communication body language and 1% words?

Is most communication unconscious speaking to unconscious - and we only figure out who the other and what they are saying 25 minutes or 25 days or 25 years later?

How many times have we heard in the past 25 years someone saying in a sermon the following words attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, “Preach the gospel; sometimes use words.”

STORIES

Two of my favorite stories are basically the same story.

The first is from The Fiddler on the Roof when Tevye asks his wife, Golde, if she loves him.”

She gives a list of all the things she’s done for him for 25 years of marriage - cooking, cleaning, but he still asks, “Do you love me?” She won’t give a direct answer - but moves to, “I suppose I do.” Then both sing, “After 25 years it’s nice to know.”

The second story is also from Broadway. In a play a little girl is whining that nobody around here ever tells her that they love her. Someone says, “You’re wrong. Last night at supper you aunt said that she loves you.” The girl says, “She did not. When did she say that?” The speaker says, “She said, ‘Don’t eat too fast.’”

TODAY’S READINGS

Today first reading - Hebrews 1: 1-6 triggered this homily.

The writer says that in the past God spoke in partial ways.  The writer says that God speaks in partial ways and in various ways. Then he says that God speaks directly through his Son. The author also uses the word “imprint”. I didn’t get a chance to look up what the Greek word is - but I’m sure it has the idea that if you see footprints, someone was there - if you see fingerprints on the glass door, someone was there. Then the author of Hebrews adds the verb “sustains”. God sustains all.

If you want to get in touch with that last theme of “sustaining” - read The Book of Job - especially The Lord’s Speech - Chapters 38-30. It tells us about how God is keeping the vast enterprise - this big house going. This is a powerful theme to keep exploring. This planet is around 4.5 billion years old. There’s a message here somewhere.

Today’s gospel - Mark 1: 14-20 -  is an example of straightforward and direct speech.

Jesus comes up to four fishermen,  Peter and Andrew, James and John, and says, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Straight Forward Or Sideways Speech.”

Today - let’s open our eyes and our ears and see and hear Jesus’ calls to us - calls that are direct and indirect, straightforward and sideways.

Today, we’re already saying a lot with our feet by being here. It’s indirect and sideways - but God understands all languages.