OPEN  OR  CLOSED? 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time [B] is, “Open or Closed?”

There is a question mark after that word “closed”,  so I’m asking a question this morning, “Open or Closed?”

In many stores they have a turnaround sign on the door.  On one side of the sign it says, “Open” and on the other side, it says, “Closed”. It's easy to flip from one to the other.

I remember reading an article once - an article which was actually a big long questionnaire - asking if the reader was an open or closed minded person.

I would think we want to claim that we’re open minded - especially when pushed - as in pushing a door to see if it's open or locked.

BOTH

So we walk down the street - or we come to the door of a store. The sign is turned toward the street. If  it says, “Open,” we say “Good.” If it says, “Closed,” we say, “Ugh” or “Bad.”

I think we do the same thing when we look at people’s faces. There’s a message there. Sometimes a face says, “Closed” and we say, “What’s new?” Then we go to someone whom we think is more open.

Kids want those car keys or to stay up later or to go out with so and so.

Kids know which parent to ask.

People know which priest to ask.

People know the best time to approach another.

On vacation with my brother and his girls, he would say, “Always get on the line that has the big girl serving.” And they would say, “Dad!” but that’s the line they would get on too.

I’m reading about the Synod in Rome that just closed. On first appearances,  it looks like priests are going to get a lot more calls - because that was one of the solutions about remarriages, communion and all that. See your priest.

When someone from some parish somewhere calls and asks about a question they have, if it needs a face to face meeting, I tell them to go to Sunday Mass - get a good look at the priest and ask yourself, “Is this person approachable.”

I remember working with a priest in a retreat house. He  was a good guy - quiet - but a good guy. He's dead now, so I can tell this story. One day he blurted out to me, “Oh my God, I just realized how lazy I am. I walk around with a book in my hand so people will say, ‘He’s too busy. I better ask someone else.’”

Uh oh! I’ve heard many people say to me, “I know you’re busy.”  When I hear that I wonder if my face has a “Don’t bother me - can't you see I'm very busy” sign on it. Uh oh!

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s first reading from Jeremiah has God described as a deliverer. God will lead. God will bring back the blind and the lame, mothers with child, people crying - an immense throng of people.  God will console them. God will guide them. God will lead them to brooks of water. God will put them on a level road. No one will stumble. It closes with God saying, “I am a father to Israel. Ephraim is my first born.”

Today’s second reading from Hebrews continues telling us what Jesus as high priest is like. Jesus represents us to the Father. Jesus deals patiently with those who are ignorant or make mistakes.  Jesus knows weakness. Jesus takes on his back our sins. Isn’t Jesus the kind of parent, spouse, brother, sister, friend, priest, that we’re all looking for.

Today’s gospel has Jesus walking by and the blind man of Jericho, Bartimaeus, calls out to Jesus walking by, “Son of David, have pity on me.”

The crowd screams at him to be silent. They are basically saying, “Shut up!”  They are telling him to be closed mouthed..

Jesus’ ears are open. Jesus stops. Jesus says, “Call him over.”

The surprised crowd change and say, “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.”

The blind man throws “aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.”

Jesus says to Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?”

Jesus says to us at every Mass, “What do you want me to do for you?”

He replies, “Master, I want to see.”

There it is in 5 words the reason why we come to church, “Master, Rabbi, I want to see.”

BEHIND OUR BACKS AND WITHIN OUR MINDS

Behind our backs there are all kinds of people who describe us as follows:

·       “He’s blind.”

·       “She doesn’t have a clue.”

·       “He doesn’t get it.”

·       “She just doesn’t understand - what I’m screaming within.”

Inside our minds we’re screaming:

·       “I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

·       “I don’t get it - what’s going on in my family.”

·       “Help! I need someone.” [Beatles Song]

·       “I need to figure this out.”

·       “Where do I go for answers?”

Then sometimes we get an insight - an eye opener. The sign on a door in our mind reverses from “closed” to “open”.

PIVOTAL - TURNING POINTS - DISCERNING MOMENTS

This week - for homework - jot down the key, pivotal, turning points in one's life.

What were the factors - who were the players involved? Describe those moments to yourself.

It could be the birth of a baby. It could be falling in love. It could be a spouse saying, “We need to go for counseling. I’m not happy with what has happened to our marriage.”

It could be losing a job or losing our balance - and someone says, “Is something wrong? Do you realize how much you’re drinking?"

Life is filled with Annunciation moments. They didn’t just happen to Mary. Angels can sit next to us at work or on a train or a plane or on a bus or in a car pool - or at a bar or a barbecue - or all alone driving or when the last kid has gone to college. Now what?

Sometimes we have to learn how to say, "No" - and sometime we have to stop saying, "No" all the time.

Someone said, "The secret of happiness is learning how to say 3 words: Yes, No and Wow."

Sometimes we have to say, "No" - in order to really be open. Sometimes if we say, "Yes" all the time - the whole barn or zoo called me can be filled with too many animals.

The person who said the above added: and the secret of unhappiness is always saying, "If only" and "Maybe."

I want to see.

I want clues.

I want plans.

CONCLUSION

Today’s gospel ends with these words, “Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.”

Sometimes grace - insight - comes immediately - sometimes discovery as in a court case or a synod or a life - takes 30 days or 3 years.

The trick is to always pray - like every morning or every night, “Master, I want to see.”