INTRODUCERS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this feast of St. Philip and St. James is, “Introducers!”

I’m only going to look at Philip - not James - sorry to any James here. I want to look at Philip’s place in the gospels - and it’s not that much of a picture of him. I like to see him as “The introducer!”

FIRST INTRODUCERS

I have lots of weddings and one of my favorite questions is, “How did you two meet?”

And often in the description of how a couple discovered each other I hear the word “introduced”.  My best friend introduced us to each other. Or a cousin or a co-worker. Nice. I’ve heard a couple of times the story when a  guy said his girl friend introduced us to each other - and I dropped her - when I saw this one. Ouch! Maybe.

Introducers….

If we look at our life, we  can come up with people who introduced us to Tupperware, The Green Turtle, Bridge, Tennis, NCIS, Ball Room Dancing, or what have you.

If we look at the story of our life, we can come up with who introduced us to friends.

Introducers….

PHILIP

Good playwrights and good story tellers know how to use people to introduce other people or new situations into a story - small part people who bring about a change in the direction of the plot.

So in the Gospel of John that we heard today, we see Philip playing the role of middle man - the go to man - who brings people to Jesus. [Cf. John 14:6-14]

In the first chapter of John, we read about Philip introducing Nathaniel to Jesus.

In  the twelfth chapter of John, some Greeks want to meet Jesus - so they go to Philip who is the guy to go to - to have an audience with Jesus.

I’m sure those who know the present pope get calls from strangers to see if they can get an introduction to meet the pope.

And in today’s fourteenth chapter of John, Philip wants an introduction from Jesus to meet Got the Father. The Gospel of John uses Philip’s question to Jesus to see the Father - to have Jesus tell Philip a  basic or key message that he gave us: “See me, see the Father!”

OUR JOB AS CHRISTIANS

Our job as Christians is to introduce people to Christ.

How many people have become Catholic because of the good example of their spouse?

Question: how many people have we introduced to Christ - and Christ introduced them to the Father because of us?

My prayer at every wedding and every funeral is that someone here will be introduced to Christ, to religion, to God the Father, because of being at that wedding or funeral. This might be the only time they are in church this year.

Tomorrow we have First Communion at St. John Neumann - 2  different Masses - as well as in many, many, many churches across the world. I am aware that there is someone here who hasn’t been going to church for the first time in a long time. I pray that they will be introduced or reintroduced to Jesus Christ.

HORROR STORIES

As priest I hear horror stories - about priests. Someone told me they went to the first communion of a grandson and the priest announced with full firmness of voice from the pulpit: if you haven’t gone to confession in the past year, don’t even think of coming to communion today.  I remember one priest giving a talk on Birth Control at a First Communion Mass.  Recently, someone asked me a question about baptism: “Can a child who was conceived by artificial insemination be baptized?”  I said, “Of course!” Then the person who asked me the question,  said that a priest told my niece that her kid could not be baptized.  I would hope there is a lot more to the story than that. So I don’t know the rest of  the story. I figured something is missing in the story.  I figure some people at a wedding or a funeral or a baptism or a First Communion - who have dropped out - might have dropped out because of a hurt. As priest, I’ve heard lots of stories about priests who pushed people away from God and church and the sacraments.

My hope and prayer is always that we priests - and all Catholics - that we be introducers of people to God and Christ.

You’ve all heard the quote from St. Francis of Assisi. I’m still not sure if it’s true, but in a way who cares: “Preach the gospel, sometimes use words.”

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Introducers.”

Philip introduced people to Jesus - and Jesus will introduce us to God the Father.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life - as we heard in today’s gospel from John.

A twist in the story is the presentation of God by introducers or those who people look to for Christian example. I’ve heard various people tell me about their God - and as I heard their take on God, I have had to bite my lip - and my tongue - because the God they were introduced to is not my God.

Who is your God?  Who is Our Father?

Jesus tells us in today’s gospel that he is the way the truth and the life.

Jesus is the way to the Father. Jesus shows us the truth called God.  Jesus gives us the life that is God.

When people introduce me to a God who they think planned a baby’[s death - when I hear people think God’s maps out another’s life and puts horror stories in the script - when people introduce me to a vengeful  God - I say, “That’s not my God.. Then I introduce them to Luke 15 - and say, “Read all three parables and read them carefully.” 

ooooooooooooo

PAINTINGS: 

Top: The Apostle Philip by Durer, c. 1516

Middle: Apostle Philip by Ducio c. 1301

Last: The Apostle Philip by El Greco c. 1612