LET THE DEAD

BURY THEIR DEAD

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 13^th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Let The Dead Bury Their Dead.”

In yesterday’s gospel, we had Luke’s version of this same saying and scene we have in today’s gospel from Matthew.

At least 5 people - if not 7 people - made comments to me about this text. That means they heard it. Some thought it was too tough. Some wondered why it was okay in yesterday’s first reading for Elisha to go home and kiss his parents goodbye and then come follow Elijah - and then Jesus seems to be saying the opposite.

On Saturday morning, one of the men of the parish who visits our jail on Jennifer Road read the readings for yesterday with some of the Catholic prisoners and what hit a few of the men was,  “Jesus is too harsh!”

I read several commentators on the text and most say they are not sure just what Jesus was saying, other than saying, “Stop putting excuses in the way of following me. Drop everything and start following me - and start living and proclaiming the kingdom.”

It could also be a local saying - or everyday proverb - that everyone would get. You don’t have to be knitting of sewing - for someone who is putting off going to the doctor - or fixing a leak in their house - to hear, “A stitch in time saves nine.”

It doesn’t have to be raining - for someone to hear the saying when they are having lots of troubles, “It’s raining cats and dogs.”

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY

I noticed in marriage preparation literature - folks talking about not letting one’s family get in the way of one’s marriage.

Couples might mess up their relationship - when one is spending all their time with their parents or sister or brother - to the neglect of one’s own spouse.

Couples with children - better not neglect each other - by not noticing the other - just the kids.

Balance, awareness, communication - along with dedication are called for.

A DEATH IN THE FAMILY

A woman once said to me that she had a choice when her husband died - to jump into the grave with him - and pull the grass over her - or mourn, cry, and get moving again.

Any of you who have had a long sickness in the family - know how draining that can be.

This week - 150 years ago - 11,000 died at Gettysburg. I have to read Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address again with today’s gospel in mind.

Being a priest - I’m aware how much closeness to one’s family - especially when a parent is sick - is a factor. It’s also difficult when one is far from home. It adds to the difficulty factor when one is an only child. Being a priest one hears the stress and the anger at times when one person in the family feels they are doing everything for an aging parent and the other brothers and sisters are doing nothing.

It’s often not simple - but very complex.

Of course it is human to bury one’s parents and mourn one’s dead. Hey Jesus said in the Beatitudes, “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

So when Jesus says something tough - like “Let the dead bury their dead”  - we need to know there are other sayings of Jesus to look at.

CONCLUSION

When Jesus died - there was Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus - asking and showing up to bury him. Most of his disciples were buried - as if dead - in the Upper Room. So Jesus had someone to bury him. Then the women went to the tomb - so the gospels are very aware of the human need to bury the dead - and hang around tombstones. [Cf. John 19: 38 to 20: 29]

We have to balance all that with the need to not get buried by death - but to come to live with Resurrection and hope - for living life to the full now and in the hereafter - not in some tomb.