HAD A
THEOPHANY LATELY?
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Had A Theophany Lately?
That’s a question.
Better ----- I better
explain what a theophany is - before I ask the question.
A theophany is a God experience.
Theophany - spelled T H E O P H A N Y - theophany….
Theos - meaning God - as in Theology
- words about God....
Theos - the Greek word for God -
becoming Deus - in Latin - becoming the origin of words in English like “Deity” or “Deism” or as the
Spanish often say, “O Dios mios!” “Oh my God!”
Phaino - spelled
P H A I N O - phaino….
Phaino - meaning
to shine - to bring in the light - to become evident - to appear - as in the
word “epiphany” or the word “theophany”....
The title of my homily is, “Had A Theophany Lately?”
TODAY’S READINGS
In today’s readings we have stories about different people having a theophany.
In the 1st reading, Isaiah has his in the temple. In the 2nd reading, Saul, who becomes Paul, mentions his conversion. It happened on the road to Damascus - when he falls on his face - and
realizes his blindness in persecuting Christians. And in today’s Gospel, Simon
and has his at the
lakeshore - when he and his companions experience their call to switch from catching fish to
catching people.
Awesome is the experience. Horror can be part of the
experience. Sorrow can also be part of the experience - as I begin to realize my life has been so terrible - or I haven’t
lived up to my potential - or I haven’t really used my gifts. I feel like I’ve
caught nothing in my life. My nets are empty. My net worth feels like zero.
Comparisons and contrast have been part
of many people’s conversions.
Coming into a holy place can trigger thoughts and feelings of unholiness. That's one reason churches are built big and beautiful. How many people who have been away from
church and God for years hesitate before walking into a church for a funeral or
a wedding? Back benches are back there for this reason. Churches have pillars to hide behind. Jesus’ parable in Luke of
the Public Sinner in the back of the temple - with head bowed - in contrast to
the Pharisee who thinks he’s holy - bragging with head up high up front is
right on target [Cf. Luke 18: 9-14]
In today’s first reading Isaiah in the temple realizes that
such horrible stuff has come out of his mouth. We can relate to that - with
cursing or gossip or putting others down - without really knowing who they are.
Isaiah pictures an angel - part of the Seraphim - flying down with hot embers
in tongs - and touching his lips - burning, singeing sins away from his
sinful lips, mouth and tongue.
In today’s second reading Saul realizes his smallness - can’t
believe that God would call him - that God’s grace could claim him and lift him
up and be his light.
In today’s gospel, Simon - whom Jesus renames Rock, Peter -
in shock - seeing the gleaming shining nets full of fish - almost to breaking
point - tells Jesus to leave him
immediately. Various people in the early sections of the gospels tell Jesus,
“Get out of my life! Don’t bother with me!”
Don’t we all at times do just that consciously or
unconsciously? Comparisons and contrasts can crush us.
Comparing themselves to God - smallness is the theophany -
our tininess and inadequacies are the first part of the epiphany - the
theophany.
QUESTION
The title of my homily is, “Had A Theophany Lately?”
Andrew Greeley - the priest sociologist and novelist,
professor and writer - often spoke about the research done in this area - that
lots of people have mystical experiences - God moments - out of body
experiences. How do they know that? They
ask people!
As priest I have heard lots and lots and lots of people tell
me about their God moments.
As priest I like to ask people, “What have been your God moments?”
After this homily, I’ll now sound a bit more profound and
professional - as I’ll ask, “Had A Theophany Lately?”
Better, talk to each other about your life - your ups and
downs - but especially those moments when it all made sense. Moments when and
where we met God and experience God’s grace - when we were able to say the
great words of Paul in today’s second reading, “But by the grace of God I am
what I am and his grace has not been ineffective.” Or the old translation which
many of us knew: “My grace is sufficient!”
Sometimes people see rainbows in the spilt gasoline -
especially when spill and disaster hits their life - and they say after the
initial feeling of “Bummer!” - “It’s all okay! It’s all in your hands O God.
Sometimes people laugh. Sometimes people cry.
Sometimes people experience God while listening to music or
reading the scriptures or praying the rosary - or looking at the stars at night
- or spotting the moon out the kitchen window - just before going to bed.
I have heard people tell me that they experienced God when
the plane began to shake high in the sky - or while walking the beach in the
morning on vacation - or in their experiences of love with and for their spouse
- or becoming pregnant and experiencing the birth of a child - at the death of
a parent - a 25th or 50th anniversary - the birth of a
grandchild - gardening - raking autumn leaves - out on a boat in the Bay - a
great meal - volunteering at a soup kitchen - watching a flash mob YouTube
scene - seeing a family at Mass - all together 3 benches in front of us - can
be the main message of the Mass. It can be watching a dad pushing his child on
a swing - or standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon or getting off the boat
on Grand Cayman Island - or simply touching a casket at
a funeral after receiving communion and saying to a friend who has died, “Thank
you!”
Talk to each other. “Had a Theophany Lately?”
SIMON PETER WANTED CHRIST TO DISAPPEAR
In today’s gospel Simon Peter wants Jesus to disappear.
Sometimes when we really see ourselves - as we really think
we are - we want God to disappear. We
might even want to disappear.
Sometimes people are shocked that another can love them - and want to marry
them - or be willing to forgive them - because of a mess in their lives.
Sometimes people hire us or compliment us - but we know they
don’t know who we really are.
Maybe they do - maybe they see us and love us as we are -
and we don’t.
Or maybe they have deep down hope for us.
I’m still wondering for a good 30 years now the following
quote: “A man marries a woman; a woman marries a project.”
Is that true?
Does that work?
If true, what happens if it doesn’t work?
What about God and us?
Are we simply loved - or are we a project or are we both?
This is the year of Luke and I love Luke Chapter 15 because
the 3 stories there: the Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and the Lost Son. All speak
of unconditional love.
In fact I think when we experience God’s unconditional love
for us, that moment is a theophany moment. I have memories of that love one
moment in a chapel in upstate New York -
another one on an 8 day directed retreat
in Wernersville, Pa. and another one while back packing in the Rockies - and
each moment is as clear as remembering a
car accident - and those experiences are etched in the cement on the sidewalk
of my memory. Experiencing God’s overwhelming love is was overwhelming glimpse
of our forever God.
How about you? What have been your Theophany Moments? Name the time, the place - to each other. We
know them.
CONCLUSION
Lent starts this coming Wednesday - when ashes are rubbed in our face - and we
hear words like, “Remember you’re just dust and into dust you’re going to
return.” Bummer.
Now I don’t think the goal of life is to make God moments,
God experiences, the goal of life - in the here and the now.
I think loving God and our neighbor and ourselves each day
is.
However, when we live life to the full, sometimes God shows
up when we come to church like what happened to Isaiah that day in the temple.
Sometimes God shows up on the road to Damascus - and we’re
just driving along alone - and all is good
or we’re in a traffic jam or crash or we get a ticket - or we see a great flock
of birds flying over a cold snow specked February field - and we go “Wow!”
And sometimes God shows up when we’re fishing or trying to
reach one of our kids - or when we’re trying to make a sale.
Surprise. Watch those sunrises and sunsets - and wonderful
moments in between.
Surprise. Why wait till we wake up on the other side of death for our first
theophany?
