WE HARDLY KNEW YOU.

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 2^nd Tuesday in Ordinary Time is “We Hardly Knew You.”

TODAY’S FIRST READING - APPEARANCE

I got that title and this thought from today’s first reading from 1^st Samuel. The author has God saying  these profound words, “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him.”

That is referring to Jesse’s 7 sons that were presented to Samuel as a possible king and none of them had what Samuel thought God  was looking for. Remember Samuel was told by the Lord to go to Jesse - a man in Bethlehem - and anoint one of his sons king.

The Lord also says, “Not as man sees does God see - because he sees the  appearance -  but the Lord looks into the heart.”

So Samuel asks if there is anyone else?

That’s when they call for David, the youngest, the 8^th child - who is out somewhere tending the sheep.

When he walks in, the Lord said, “There - anoint him - for this is he.”

DAVID

This is now David is introduced into our Bible.

The year is around 1000 B. C.

The text from Samuel is dated between 630 to 540 B.C.

By the time the David stories are written down in the Jewish Bible that we use,  the spoken stories were first made better. The  legends took over - and the group that favored David gave him good press down through the years.

Whenever I read about David,  Richard Gere appears -  because he played David in the movie. That’s not bad - compared to Ernest Borgnine and also John Wayne both playing the part of the Centurion who says at Calvary, “Truly this  is the son of God.”

WHO IS THIS OTHER  PERSON?

Years ago - after John F. Kennedy’s death, there was a book called, “Johnny We Hardly Knew You.

I think of that book - it also became a song - as well as a movie: Johnny I/we hardly knew you -  whenever the question of who is this other person is or was.  

I think of my dad at times. He was an introvert - but too, too quiet - and I have questions I’d love to ask him. Daddy we hardly knew you. He was always there - the perfect gentleman - but I still have questions.

My mom and my only brother I knew the best, but not enough. My sister Peggy and I did not get enough chances to talk. The only one left, my sister Mary, I know the best and we’ve been working on this.

APPEARANCE

So this Bible text is relevant to me? How about you?

I’m not married, but I’ve been blessed that I have lived in a community most of my life as a priest. As a result I have been blessed to know some wonderful people.

Some obvious learnings are these:

We can be in the same house and not know each other.

We can hear people talk about someone we live and/or work with and we say, “We  hardly know you Johnny.”

I have done hundreds of funerals and I try to find out about another. I feel good when someone says, “You really captured her.”

I find out that some people can figure out another much better than others.

I tell myself - you better have people who know you.

I try not to judge others. I like the Native America saying more and more as I get older. Don’t judge another - until you walked a mile in their moccasins. And I add the last part of that word - and also say, Don’t judge.  You won’t  know another until you walk a mile in their sins.  As priest I have heard a lot of confessions - and I noticed in today’s first reading - “the Lord looks into the heart.”

CONCLUSION

This basic thought we all know. We’re surprised by it at times.

And the one story - and warning -  I have never forgotten is in the book, The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck. It should be read once a year.

A doctor got cancer and died.  He never told anyone.  People said how brave he was. His family was furious. He never told them.