WHERE  ARE  YOU? 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 6^th Sunday after Easter [C] is, “Where Are You?

A LIFETIME QUESTION

That’s a lifetime question we often ask each other.

When we’re lost, we say, “Where are we?” or “Where am I”

When we’re talking with someone at a coffee break or a get together, someone asks us, “Where are you with so and so?” or “Do you think he’ll get the nomination?” “Do you think she’ll be elected?”

I was a wedding reception yesterday afternoon and the St. Mary’s Alumni ceremony last night and a 50^th Anniversary today and I was asked those questions at least 5 times - just standing there.

The “Where are you?” question is heard about place and space and state of mind and opinion.

Where are you right now: financially, spiritually, moodily, health, age, what have you?

THE BEAUTY AND THE WONDER OF BEING A HUMAN BEING

The beauty and wonder of being a human being is that we can have our butt in one place and our mind in another place.

When preaching I know people are in yesterday, last week, next week, next summer, 20 years ago.

When bored we get on board and fly to other planets.

When having a conversation, the story we’re telling is triggering the stories in the library of the other’s mind - and when we take a breath, the other jumps in.

Human beings sort of drift on the waters with the waves of thought in the room - just floating words and conversations - often without much depth.

Then there is the below the waters.

If anyone knew this, it was Jesus - the great observer of the human condition.

I often wonder why he left his inner room - why he left the carpenter shop in Nazareth and hit the open road. What triggered that exit, that exodus? Had he seen enough - for him to say, “I have to say something about what I’ve been seeing and hearing up till now.”

TODAY’S READINGS

In today’s first reading we hear about this fight in the early Christian communities about Jewish laws - about circumcision, meat sacrificed to idols or strangled, unlawful marriage and what have you. [Cf. Acts 15:1-2, 22-29.]

In the gospels we know it was Jesus speaking out about laws crushing people - that the Sabbath Law was made for us and not vice versa. He told the story of the Good Samaritan - how two people,  a priest and a Levite, didn’t stop to help a person who was beaten up and robbed and left half dead, because that would mean breaking a law.

Where are you? Where are you on the purpose of Law?  We know the recent big meeting in Rome on the family - marriage  - and human life together - differences in people - and people who are different from us - how we see - how we be - how we treat one another. Where are you on all this? Read the Pope’s recent Letter, Amoris Laetita, On Love in the Family,  and ask as you read, where am I with all this? Ask where have I been, where am I now, and am I being called to reconsider where I am?

Today’s second reading puts us in a future place. Am I a dreamer? Do I often find myself in the future - in the next life - in eternity - or are they only thoughts for the old or for folks at a funeral?  Do I have faith in another life - a new life after this life in the New Jerusalem, as the Book of Revelation puts it in today’s second reading. [Cf. Revelation 21: 10-14, 22-23] Or if we use Dante, am I picturing being in heaven; Paradiso - and hopefully I’m not in the Inferno - Hell - but first I have to get through Purgatorio.

Today’s gospel has Jesus telling us, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him or her, and we will come … and make our dwelling with him or her.” [Cf. John 14:23-29]

Today’s gospel promises Peace - God’s kind of peace.

Where are you?

Do we realize we can go within - into our inner room as Matthew puts it or dwelling place as John puts it here in today’s gospel?

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY AND FRIENDSHIPS

The Book of Genesis tells us that it’s not good to go it alone.

Life tells us that it’s important that we do life with others.

Where am I?

Where are you?

It’s good to talk to each other about what we have learned and are learning and are wondering about in our life.

I had a job once as a Redemptorist priest to try to get us priests to talk and listen to each other.

Difficult.

For the most part, it didn’t work.

We also tried to get people in parishes to talk to each other - and listen to each other.

Difficult.

For the most part, it didn’t work.

We also tried to get priests of other orders and congregations to talk and listen to each other.

Difficult.

For the most part, it didn’t work

We have all heard about Marriage Encounter - it’s still around - but nothing like its big days. It was an effort to get couples to talk to each other - to listen - to write to each other - to get into the other - and basically to ask the  question that is the title of this homily, “Where Are You?”

We joke about the question, “How was your day?”

Yet it’s a good question - if we mean it more than small talk - if we really want to connect with each other.

We smile when another, waves their hand in front of our eyes, “Where are you?”

It’s not good to go it alone.

It’s great if they really want to know where we are.

CONCLUSION

Get a piece of paper. Get a magic marker. Have a magnet.

Write on that paper 3 words, “Where are you?”

Then answer that question: Where are we as a couple? Where are we as a family?  Where are we when it comes to acknowledging each other - listening to each other - being with each other. Amen.