EMPTYING  ONESELF 

The title of my homily - it will be short…. a page and a half - 14 pica - is, “Emptying Oneself.”

In today’s second reading - from St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians - we read the following about Jesus, 

“Christ Jesus, 

though he was in the form of God, 

did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.  

Rather, he emptied himself, 

taking the form of a slave, 

coming in human likeness; 

and found human in appearance, 

he humbled himself, 

becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

During this Mass, during this short sermon, take another sneak peek at today’s second reading from Philippians 2: 6-11.

This text is dated - to have been written between 54 and 57 AD.  That’s before all 4 Gospels. Moreover some scholars think  that today’s text - is part of an earlier hymn - possibly written in Aramaic - that Paul borrowed or used here in his letter. That would make all this - very early stuff about how Jesus was seen - and beginning to be understood - well before the written creeds and written gospels.

He was God - equal to the Father. He became human -  equal to us.

Christ -  Trinity - Divinity - Human.

Us - Human - but in Christ - because of Christ - we can slowly become Divine - entering into God - the Trinity.

After all - as the first book of the Bible, Genesis,  puts in in its first chapter, Genesis 1; 27, “God created us in the image of himself, in the image of God he created us, male and female he created them.”

Profound stuff…. Deep stuff …. Get this stuff - and stuff this stuff into ourselves.

This week, Holy Week, we deal with profound stuff.

First: hear the call - to empty ourselves of ourselves. Less selfies. More otheries.

This week - shut up - empty our mouths of our words and our stories - and listen to the others.

Holy Thursday is all about a meal. A meal is a great place to be in communion - holy communion - with each other.  A meal is a great place to listen to others, “How was your day?” “Moms, dads, brothers, sisters, kids, co-workers - friends - strangers - how is your life going? I’m all ears for you.”

Good Friday is all about suffering and the cross. Is there anyone around us who is suffering - dealing with a cross - family stuff, sickness stuff, death stuff, rejection stuff?   Make the way of the cross with them. Be there under their cross. Help them carry their cross.

Holy Saturday is all about silence. I don’t know about you and Lent 2017 for you. I failed again this year to make a Holy Lent. This week. This Saturday - take a good silent walk and sort out what has died within us or what has to die within us - what has to be emptied out of ourselves and what needs to rise.

Easter Sunday is all about resurrection and new life. Where do I have to rise as a disciple - a follower of Jesus?

To be continued….