MERCI BEAUCOUP

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Opening Mass for this 2015-16 St. Mary’s High School year is, “Merci Beaucoup”.

That’s French for “Many thanks.”

If you’re in Paris or in a French restaurant say, “Merci beaucoup” to the waiter if it’s a great meal - and he or she will say, “Merci beaucoup!” if you leave a good tip.

When we were growing up my brother Billy was studying French in high school and he loved to yell French phrases at me. When I’d come into our bedroom he loved to say, “Ferme la porte.” Translation: “Shut the door.”  As a result of that I understood the French command, “Ferme la bouche”. Translation: “Shut your mouth.”

To this day I still remember that shut the door command when I walk into rooms - especially when it’s expected of me to close the door.

If this sermon works, I would hope some of you will find yourself this week, next week, and for the rest of your lives opening your mouth and saying to others when you feel grateful, “Merci beaucoup.”

THE MEANING OF MERCY

The French word, “merci” means thanks.

It also means, “Mercy!”

The English word, “mercy” means pardon, help me, show some compassion, bear with me, be kind to me, give me a break,  please understand my situation, be lenient,  be tolerant….

However, its background is much wider and deeper and has many more meanings.

The Latin word, “Mercedes” means wages, rewards, pay me, ransom me, ….

It goes back to coming up for a word for “paying for someone” - “rescuing another”.  In a restaurant, the meal is over, who’s taking the check? Someone takes the bill and pays for all - and all say, “Merci!”

In our parish and in our high school and grammar school, the theme for this year is, “Be Witnesses of Mercy.” This year’s theme comes from the writings and thought of Pope Francis.  Show mercy.  That we be merciful towards those we need to forgive. That we be merciful to those who are stuck. That we give the coins of our pocket or some cash out of our wallet to those who are begging on our streets.

And hopeful the other says, “Merci beaucoup” or “Thanks” or “Gracias.”

Another word for what we doing this morning is, “Eucharist” - which means thanks to God.

As I said the other night at the high school Athletes’ Mass, “We see athletes on TV after a great play - raising their index finger and pointing to God. Give God the glory.” 

Well a Mass, this Mass, is our way of pointing to God and giving God the glory.

It’s a way of saying to God, “Merci beaucoup.”

THEME FOR THIS YEAR

You can see signs on our lawn - outside of school - outside our churches - that the theme for this year is to be a witness of God’s mercy.

That means this year we forgive each other. That means this year we are grateful for each other. That means this year we show mercy to others.

So this year say, “Merci beaucoup” to our maintenance people, to people who wait on us, to people who hand us a movie ticket, to those who referee our games, to those who teach us, to our parents.

This year is a year to witness the gifts of God surrounding us.

Here we are in this green setting. Here we are by the water. Here we are together on a beautiful September morning.

Let’s give God a shout out: “Merci beaucoup.”

PICTURE OF A KID

As you know there is a major crisis going on right now in Europe and the Middle East. People are escaping Syria and all kinds of other places - besides all the people from Latin America who are trying to get into our country.

On the evening news last night and in our papers today there is this picture [show picture] of this 2 year old boy, being picked up by a Turkish soldier on a beach. His father and his mother and his brother and he had gotten into a smuggler’s small fiberglass boat that held about 12 people. They wanted to to try to get to the island of Kos in Greece and then make their way to Vancouver in Canada or Sweden.  The small raft overturned and the small boy Aylan Kurdi and his brother, Galip, and their mother, Rehen, drowned. Only their father, Abdullah Kurdi lived -  but he is in despair.

Hopefully this picture and the scenes of thousands and thousands and millions of people on the move around the globe will turn the hearts of people to show mercy to these families and folks trying to find a new life.

Obviously that’s what mercy means.

We’re told in today’s gospel to turn the other cheek, to go the extra mile, to give the shirt off our back.

The call of God is that we be people of mercy - not just to opening and closing doors for others - but to open and not close our eyes and our wallets and our countries and our hearts to others.

And others in turn will not only say, “Merci beaucoup” but they too will open up their lives to others and on and on and on.

CONCLUSION

This year let’s show mercy and compassion to each other.

This year, let’s show gratitude to each other.

This year, let’s do things that will get others to say, “Merci Beaucoup.”