A  TWO-READ  BOOK 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this feast of the Conversion of St. Paul  is, “A Two-read Book.”

I never heard that phrase before….

Last night before going to sleep I grabbed a magazine to read - just to get more tired.  It was an old 2007 copy of the Sunday New York Times Magazine. It didn’t come in yesterday with the snow,  so maybe that’s why I read this old issue. I might have read it years ago - and that’s why I saved it.

I began reading an interview of the hockey player, Sean Avery - who was playing at that time for the New York Rangers.

In the interview he was asked, the question, “Books You’re Reading?” and he answered, “Guns, Germs and Steel,” by Jared Diamond. He added, “A friend recommended it to me…” Then he said, “I think it’s a two-read book. I’m battling through it the first time, and then I’ll go at it again.”

I looked up on Google what the book was about. It’s non-fiction. It’s about geography and geology and a host of other complex issues. It’s about why Eurasian Countries have done better than African and Island countries.

Interesting …. However, I was more intrigued by the idea of a two-read book.

BOOKS I’VE READ MORE THAN ONCE

I asked myself about books I’ve read more than once.

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis was definitely a two, three, four re-read book. 

I remember I read a biography of Vincent Lebbe, a Vincentian Priest, Thunder in the Distance 4 Times.

I read With God in Russia two times at least. It’s the autobiography of Walter Ciszek, the Jesuit priest who got embedded in a Siberian Concentration camp. Fascinating read.

So too the book, The Road Less Travelled by M. Scott Peck. I read that at least 2 times and sections 3, 4 and 5 times. In fact I’ve listened to the audio take of that book a bunch of times as well.

So I’ve done re-reads  - the idea of re-reading something more than once.

 How about you? I’m sure we’ve done that with articles, poems, letters, cards. That’s easier than a whole book.

WHY THIS TOPIC TODAY?

First answer, I had to come up with a homily for this Mass and this thing I read about last night was fresh on my mind.

Next:  today we’re celebrating the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.

He did an about face on how he read Judaism, the Law, and what he was hearing about Christ and his new Way of doing Judaism and life.

And Paul tells about his change - his conversion - his about face - his confession in the Acts of the Apostles as well as in his letters.

And come to think about it, we’ve all heard and read over and over again the Letters of St. Paul.

And come to think about all this and to consider all this - many of us have  taken Bible Study Classes or talks on St. Paul.

In this homily I would say that the key point I would think is to write down what we learned - and then read and re-read what we learned and have written down.

Take Paul’s Letter to the Romans. I have read Karl Barth and Karl Rahner’s books on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. I’ve studied Stanislaus Lyonnet’s book on the Letter to the Romans - so too Martin Luther’s book on Romans - plus I’ve read and re-read St. Augustine’s take on St. Paul and his key messages - in Augustine’s Confessions - certainly another re-read.

Good.  Good boy. But till I can sit there and express clearly how I have grown - changed - been converted - when it comes something I read in Paul’s words or about Paul’s words, I’m all words.

Like that hockey player, I think we should realize how hard re-reads are - but if we re-read something we might get to the heart of his matter and experience significant changes - places where we are being called to  being changed.

CONCLUSION

Today we celebrate Paul’s conversion, his about face, his re-reading of the Law and the Prophets - especially what Christ and Christianity is all about.

A clear specific answer would be the Law and Practice of why we are going to Mass on the Sabbath.

Yesterday was a perfect example - with the big snow storm. The Archbishop of Baltimore said we don’t have to go to Mass because of the snow.  Was that common sense? Or would folks feel guilty by staying home and playing it safe?

Paul would scream what Jesus said, “The law is made for us and not vice versa - so stay home as the diocese screamed and save your car and your body from crashing. Amen.

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BOOKS

Martin Luther, Preface to the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Karl Barth, The Epistle to the Romans, translated from the Sixth Edition by Edwyn C. Hoskyns, Oxford University Press, 1972

Vincent Taylor, The Epistle to the Romans, London 1955

Ernest Kasemann, Commentary on Romans, 1980

Stanislaus Lyonnet, Epistle to the Romans