WHAT SOME PEOPLE 

GO THROUGH

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 4^th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “What Some People Go Through.”

TODAY’S READINGS

Last night when I read today’s readings I  said to myself, “Oh no, these are tough and rough readings.”

In the first reading from Hebrews - Chapter 11 - verses 32 to 40 - we hear about women experiencing the death  of loved ones -  hoping for resurrection. We hear about people being tortured, made fun of, mocked, beaten, chained and imprisoned. Some had stones thrown at them. Some were sawed in two. Some were put to death by the sword’s point. Some had to crawl and wander the earth wearing just the skins of sheep or goats. Hebrews says, “They wandered about in deserts and on mountains, in caves and in crevices in the earth.”

The only thing that helped them was their faith - still they were in horrible situations.

So in reading that, that’s why I thought about what some people go through - and I don’t know if we can stomach some of that horror at 6:45 in the morning.

Then in the gospel - Mark 5: 1-20  - we hear about this man who lives in the midst of tombs - and he screams out at night - beating himself with stones.

He’s filled with demons - a legion of demons - till Jesus enters his life and sends the demons into a herd of pigs who  run down a hill and dive into the Sea of Galilee.

Ugh! So that’s why I thought and I kept thinking about what some people go through.

I also kept thinking, “I don’t have it so bad. I don’t have it so bad.”

ON THE CRUISE

Two weeks ago some of us were on a cruise to South America for 17 days.  When we were off the ship and on buses for excursions,  I noticed in the big cities people lying against walls or under trees in a park. As Jesus said, “The poor are always with us.”

Seeing the homeless triggers lots of thoughts in me - including guilty - doubly so - when on what I call a “fat cat cruise” - and we visit a city.

When we were on the big wide muddy La Plata River going into Buenos Aires,  I found out this was the river the government took some protesters and opposition leaders up in a plane and dropped people to their death in that river. The so called “Madres de la Plaza de Mayo” - are still pushing and struggling to gain access and information - about what really happened to their sons especially. This happened between 1976-1983.  The numbers killed go from 9,000 to 30,000 kidnapped and killed.

TV AND RADIO

Next ….

When I watching public TV the other day - the day before the Right to Life March in D.C. I heard Representative Chris Smith from New Jersey speaking about the millions of babies killed, ripped apart, murdered just here in the United States - when aborted. Ugh. He’s been a voice for the voiceless in the womb since the 1981.

I was also listening to public radio the next day and I heard about a Hungarian woman in her 90’s - one of the last of the survivors of Auschwitz - who as a little girl - got off the train in Auschwitz with her mother and family.  Her mom was sent immediately to the gas chambers - and this young girl at the time said, “I didn’t cry.”

I didn’t see these things personally, but these moments trigger thoughts about what others had to go through - and still go through around the world.

WHAT TO SAY

What to say about any of this violence that people go through?

I don’t know.

Today’s gospel tells me Jesus came into our midst and walked with us in these horrors - and experienced them himself as well - with his death on the cross.

Hopefully, the pain and suffering of others hopefully helps us to become more compassionate and understanding.

Hopefully, we will not add to the cruelty of people towards people.

There is a famous American Speech, called, “The Cross of Gold Speech.”

It was about a time in our country when people fought over having gold and silver backing our paper money.

There is a line in that speech that I have thought about at times. The speaker, William Jennings Bryan, says, “I shall object to bringing this question down to a level of persons. The Individual is but an atom; he is born, he acts, he dies; but principles are eternal; and this has been a contest about a principle

Hopefully when it comes to health care, immigration, abortion, prisons, people’s sexuality, basic human respect, we will be much more concerned for people while at the same time that will be our main principal in life. Amen.