DO  YOU  SEE? 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 1^st Friday in Advent is, “Do You See?”

“Do You See?”

NICEST PERSON YOU EVER MET

One of the nicest  persons I have  ever met was Teddy Meehan.

I ask you today: Who was the nicest person you ever met? Whom did you learn from? Who influenced you? Who gave you some of your thoughts and ways you see and do life?

Often it takes years of distance to realize who this person or persons were?

Like if you were on a mountain and all the people you ever met or knew were down below in the valley - standing there. Look at the crowd. Some people would be big like Macy Day Parade balloons - much bigger than the people around them. Who is the biggest person? Or persons? Name 3 or 5.

If you have a computer or a ball point pen, write down their name -  and then type or write down a list of why this person or persons means so much to you.

I would put down the name, “Teddy Meehan.”

He was a priest - a teacher we had in the major seminary - and I ended up living with him for 6 years in the major seminary - while studying to be a priest and then 8 years - years later.

His real name was Francis Meehan, but everyone called him, “Teddy” because he had buck teeth like Teddy Roosevelt - and he actually looked like Teddy Roosevelt.

DO YOU SEE

He taught us Church History - but I learned mainly about seeing from him.

He saw all people as equal. He saw the little guy - and the neglected - the forgotten - and the unnoticed - but he didn’t use categories. He was with the person he was with.

In class as he taught us history, he would say over and over and over again, “Do you see?”

He was asking us if we saw what he was seeing.

He wanted to be understood.

Don’t we all? Don’t we all?

And when others don’t see what we see, don’t we have our hands on one of the great causes of loneliness.

Different guys would with little drawn ballpoint pen sticks on a page in their note book each time Teddy would ask, “Do you see?” One, /, two /, three /, four / five - which would go over the first four ball point pen sticks.

5, 10, 15, and on and on and on.  One class he said, “Do you see?” 256 times.

“Do You See?”

THE BLIND CAN SEE AND THE SEEING CAN BE BLIND

We all know that the blind can see and say, “I see.” By that I mean: as in “I see what you’re getting at.”  And those who see can be very blind.

Do you see what I’m getting at in this homily?

TODAY’S GOSPEL

In today’s gospel we hear about two blind men crying out to Jesus, “Son of David, have pity on us.” [Cf. Matthew 9: 27-31.]

They want to see.

Don’t we all?

TODAY’S FIRST READING

Today’s first reading is from Isaiah. He shows up quite a bit in Advent - and many other times of the church year. [Cf. Isaiah 29: 17-24.]

Isaiah saw what was missing and he filled in the blanks.

Isaiah was a dreamer.

Did you ever meet someone who could look at something - and see possibilities?

Picture someone seeing a garbage dump and at the same time see dump trucks showing up - and all the garbage is removed. Next come bull dozers and graders and new soil and trucks with green grass sods to cover all the dirt. Then see a softball field. Next see  swings and slides and climbing bars and a basketball court - and kids running everywhere - celebrating life in that park.

And all you see is a garbage dump.

In today’s first reading Isaiah sees an orchard  becoming a forest - the deaf hearing readings from a book - the lowly being lifted - the blind seeing - the arrogant gone - evil disappearing and those who don’t get it, getting it.

DECEMBER 2, 1980

On this day, December 2, 1980, 4 women - Maura Clark, Ita Ford, Dorothy Kazel, and Jean Donovan were taken to a cow pasture in El Salvador. Two were raped. All 4 were murdered.  Maura Clark and Ita Ford were Maryknoll Nuns, Dorothy Kazel was an Ursuline nun, and Jean Donovan was a 27 year old lay missionary from Cleveland.

They were there because they saw poor there.

They were killed because military folks and rich folks didn’t like what these 4 women were seeing.

Jesus said that’s going to happen if you open your mouth.

Listen to the Beatitudes and you’ll see that Jesus saw different than lots of folks. Isaiah did too.

SALVADORANS IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY

Let me say something now that the elections are over. If I said this before November 8^th, people would complain that I’m politicking from the pulpit.

We have lots of people in our area from El Salvador. Do you see them?

Some are legal; some are illegal.

I don’t see that either way. I see them as human beings trying to live a great life with their kids.

Do you see them?

They are painting houses. They are working lawns. They are in restaurants. They are cleaning homes.

Do you see them?

That’s the title of my homily: Do You See?

I see them and I think of my mom and dad who came to America when they were young - to get out of poverty.  My dad worked lifting supplies coming into the National Biscuit Company in Manhattan, New York City. My mom cleaned hotel rooms in the Adams Hotel in Boston and then became a maid and a cook in a wonderful home. Both had little education. Both were very smart. Their 4 kids all got a great education - college, etc. etc. etc.

ADVENT

Advent is the time every year - and every year - we should be getting better in how we see life - and others - and ourselves.

Do you see?

CONCLUSION

Let me close with a neat parable or story about the priest I mentioned in the early part of this homily.

One time I saw Teddy spot a fly trying to get out the window on the second floor of our major seminary. He carefully took the buzzing fly in his hand carefully. He walked across the corridor. He went into his room. He opened up that window and let the fly out on that side of the building. I asked him what he was doing. He said, “Oh the fly wanted to get to  the other side. He wanted to get out and then fly all the way up to the roof so as get to the other side - so I helped him.”

Do you see what that story means?