FOR  THE  SAKE  OF  TRANSPARENCY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for you teachers for this new high school year - 2018-2019 - is, “For the Sake of Transparency.”

I don’t know when this principle or mantra or slogan became a value - used at meetings and brought up and into relationships.

I don’t know if teachers and school staffs pause before a new school year and look at what they are thinking - hoping - wondering about for this new year a-coming.

We’ve been here before - but some days are different than other days. We  go through some of the same doors each day - but some entrances are different than other entrances.

Not every day is the same.

There is the last day of school in June and the first day of a new school year in September.

What do teachers think about the day - the weeks after - a school year ends.

How was your day is not the only question in life?

How was this school year that just ended?

What will this new year of school  be like?

When I’m watching some of these pre-season football games and a team has a new coach, how does the coach see this team, this new season. If he was on some other team and he was cut, what did he learn from that experience - and how will he see a new year - a new coaching experience?

In other words what were our learnings.  A new year can trigger that question. 

For the sake of transparency what are your thoughts right now.

FAVORITE QUOTES

“For the sake of transparency” is one of my favorite quotes.

Do you have any favorite quotes?

I don’t know what this day for teachers and high school staff will be like - but if you have some small group sessions - share your favorite quote.

If they have any coffee breaks, share your favorite quote.

For the sake of transparency, this is where I’m coming from.

One of my favorite quotes is: “The power is in the coffee break.”

One of my favorite quotes is from Kojak, “Talk to me.”

One of my favorite quotes is from Kojak, “Who loves you, baby?”

One of my favorite quotes is from Kojak, “Do you want a lollipop.”

If you watch NCIS you know that Sloan, the therapist, offers lollipops as well.  “What color do you want?” For her it’s a psychological test.

One of my favorite quotes is, “Be who you is, because if you be who you ain’t, then you ain’t who you is.”

For the sake of transparency,  let me state that again, “Be who you is, because if you be who you ain’t, the you ain’t who you is.”

For the sake of transparency we can also say, “Be where you is, because if you be where you ain’t, then you ain’t where you is.”

I don’t know where you are right. Sometimes it’s hard getting back into the swing of things.  I went to bed too late last night - I was watching the movie, “The Pelican Brief” so I found it difficult getting a homily for this morning.  

One of my favorite quotes is, “The greatest sin is our inability to accept the otherness of the other person.”

That’s true in a school, office, place of work, and classroom, and our families and our groups.

It’s a new school year, for the sake of transparency, a possible resolution could be, “Let’s see each other in a new way.”

Our theme for this new year is all about seeing.

The blind man or woman in the gospel prays, says, “Lord, that I might see.”

For the sake of transparency, it’s hard to see people. Their weight, color, age, language, clothes can block us from seeing and sensing the other.

For the sake of transparency, it’s easy to judge others - and we can’t see through the other to see their mind - heart - and personality.

We haven’t read their autobiography. They haven’t told it to us - so we make them a biography - our reading of the other - and we don’t listen to their audio autobiography of themselves.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel - Matthew 23: 13-22 - has Jesus seeing through the Pharisees - those who want to appear goody goody and the scribes - those who could read and write and thought that made them better to a degree.

For the sake of transparency religious leaders can be hypocrites - actors - trying to change everyone to their way of thinking and being.

For the sake of transparency, Jesus says guides can be blind guides.

For the sake of transparency - Jesus said we can go for the gold - but we get caught up in the glitter - and miss out on what and who are the real gifts in the room are.

Jesus says, “We swear to ourselves, we have it right - when we are all wrong.”

Jesus says, there is a garbage dump - right there in  Jerusalem - and it’s called Gahanna - translation  “hell” - because it stinks of burning garbage and dumped stuff - and that’s where we can be living.

Get out of hell - and be free.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

Today’s first reading is from 2^nd Thessalonians - written and sent some time around 50 to 100 AD - the year of the Lord.

It’s more gospellly than today’s gospel - in that it gives more good news.

It has some good stuff for this new year.

This new year be peaceful with each other.

This new year be thankful for each other..

This new year have faith - may it flourish

This new year - check out how you judge - judge with God’s judments.

This year bring about the kingdom of God here at  St. Mary’s.

This year - we’ll have sufferings of different sorts - help each other with them.

This year, have a good purpose.

One of those can be, to be transparent - open - clear with and to each other.

CLOSING

Today is the feast of St. Monica - mother of Augustine - who really got messed up in his head - but he  was smart.

For the sake of transparency, she stuck with him - prayed for him - and then for the sake of transparency - he gave the world his inner stuff - his confessions - so that all of us can be transparent and give our best to the world. Amen.