I  AM  PART  OF  ALL 

THAT  I  HAVE MET

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 19^th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “I Am Part Of All That I Have Met.”

That line is part of the poem, Ulysses,  by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

Ulysses, the king,  is looking at his life. He is comparing being at home with his wife - to being at sea - traveling - fighting - exploring - and he wants to get odyssey-ing again. He sees that his son Telemachus is capable of governing - but does not have the gift of exploring and conquering new worlds. So he can let his son do the governing here and he’ll go back to discovering new worlds and new adventures.

For some reason, when we read that poem in English class - way, way back when -  that line hit me and has become part of me.

Maybe it was our English teacher, Father Tom Rowan, who loved literature - and who was in Brazil as a missionary - maybe his travels made him emphasize that message of - always being open to new adventures.

SINCE THEN

So since then - I have kept that in mind - when it comes to what I’ll allow into my mind - if possible or when I’m conscious of it.

I wonder about shoot-em-ups when it comes to movies. I hope watching Kill Bill I and II and the Bourne movies and various other fast moving - bullets flying movies - I haven’t messed myself up.

When was it that someone in American Cultural essays said, “Garbage in, garbage out.”

Eat junk, you become junk.

But that’s looking at the negative…. I have also looked at the positive. Good stuff in, good stuff one becomes. So good music, good conversations, good vacations, good books. They can all become me.

TODAYS FIRST READING

I’m thinking all this because of today’s first reading - when Ezekiel is told to eat the scroll. He is told to eat the words of scripture. 

The message is obvious: let the word nourish, feed, and become us.

Did Christianity marry - words with bread - with Christ in the Eucharist.

And the word became flesh and dwelt among us.

Eating communion - eating Christ - eating the scriptures - eating the words of Christ - hopefully Christ becomes us.

As St. Paul said, “I live now not with my own life but with the life of Christ who lives in me. [Galatians 2: 19]

Hopefully by digesting a gospel reading like today’s from Matthew - that it hits us with the message of humility and to be like children.  And if we mess up, to trust that Christ the Good Shepherd will come looking after us.

So we hear the scriptures, we digest them, they nourish us -  they become us.

So too good example, being a good person, all help us to become good examples, to become a good person.

IT’S OBVIOUS - BUT WE FORGET IT

All this is obvious. However, we forget it - so it’s good to be reminded every once in a while.

We speak the language we heard from our parents. We take on their smile or lack of a smile. We pick up their customs and their values.

We become what we eat and hear - and surround ourselves with and in.

CONCLUSION

One experience I had brings this home to me.

 I had a long car ride to New Jersey - and by myself- so I grabbed some old cassette tapes - that I hadn’t listened to in 20 years at least.

I listening to this tape and I hear the speaker use this great example.

I turn the tape recorder off. The speaker used this great example that years later I gave in a homily - and I thought I was so clever or original - that I made it up.

I ate that story and it became me.

So yes I am part of all that I have met.

Thank you for being here.