TOUCHING THE 

EDGE OF GOD 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 5th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Touching the Edge of God.”

Obviously we are here in this church to touch and be touched by God.

When we meet each other, we touch each other - a hand shake, a hug, a nod, a word, an eye to eye look - a smile.

When we have a moving experience, we say at times, “I was touched.”  Or, “How touching!”

Sometimes we touch our own heart - when we talk about being touched.

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s Gospel from Mark 6: 53-56 tells of crowds of people moving towards Jesus after he landed at Gennesaret - wanting to see him - wanting to be healed by him - and then comes the word, “touch”. 

Listen to the last sentence again: “Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.” [Mark 6:56]

Hapto is the Greek word used here: to fasten, to cling to, to have fellowship with, to be in communion with, to adhere.

Kraspedon is the Greek word used here - and it means the edge, the border, the hem, the tassel which could be part of a pious Jew’s garment.

The title of my homily is, “Touching the Edge of God.”

These people were there to try to get in touch with God to be healed.

Today’s first reading from the First Book of Kings brings us into the temple of Solomon - the temple that David failed to build. We move from the tent to the temple.[Cf. 1 Kings 7:1-7, 9-13]

That’s the history of so many churches and temples - moving from the temporary to the permanent.

Notice in today’s first reading - all the symbols and stuff of the temple - the ark and the angels, the stone tablets and the clouds. I’m assuming that’s the clouds of smoke probably from censors - but I’m not sure about that for sure.

SO WHY DO WE COME TO CHURCH?

So why do we come to Church - temple - Holy Place?

I’m assuming the answer is absolutely basic: to touch at least the edge of God and to have God touch us.

To have an edge….

I always remember a family getting out of their car when I was getting out of my car - here at a 12:10 Mass. I had never seen them before. I saw them inside. They looked worried. They said they were not from around here - but were just up at the Anne Arundel Medical Center and their mom was dying and they asked up there for the nearest Catholic Church.

They were doing just what the folks in the gospel were doing: needing to touch God - and be touched by God in return.

I didn’t have time to research the meaning of  the last part of today’s first reading - the comment about the dark cloud.

Let me repeat it. Let me read it again:

When the priests left the holy place,
the cloud filled the temple of the LORD
so that the priests could no 
longer minister                  

because of the cloud,
since the LORD’s glory had filled 

the temple of the LORD.
Then Solomon said, “The LORD 
intends to dwell in the dark cloud;

I have truly built you a princely house,
a dwelling where you may 
abide forever.”

I can imagine that. I can picture that. 

It also struck me that folks come to God more in times of dark clouds - than in bright clouds.

Having thought that I heard God laughing and saying, “Hello, it’s obvious, isn’t it?”

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Touching the Edge of God.”

A prayer:

               God the Father, we are here today 

               to touch and be touched by you.

               God the Son, Lord Jesus Christ, 

               we are here today to touch 

               not just the edge of your garment,

               but to receive you in communion 

               that you come into the center 

               of this temple, called me.

               God the Holy Spirit, be the cloud - 

               always over me in both bright times 

               and in dark times. Amen.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

NOTES:

Painting on top: Standing on the Edge by Denise Shea