SEEING  OURSELVES  

IN  ANOTHER

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 34th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Seeing Ourselves In Another.”

One of the more interesting things about us human beings is that we see ourselves in one another.

We compare. We contrast. We judge. We imagine. We could be wrong - but we still do this.

Other people are mirrors.

We see another’s house, car, clothes, looks, and we refer right back to ourselves.

Another is thin; we feel we are not.

Another is generous; we feel stingy and cheap and not that giving a person.

Another has a big house and a fat wallet and we don’t - so we down neat and down beat on ourselves.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

I was trying to come up with some ideas for a homily for today and I noticed one commentator saying that Jesus looked at this woman in the temple and saw himself in her.  I had never heard that idea before.  I never thought of Jesus comparing himself to anyone. I have heard the opposite that we compare ourselves to Jesus.

Here’s this poor widow who offers all that she has.  Jesus said that she gave more than all the rest….

Jesus saw that’s what he was doing with his life and was about to do with his life. He was going to be emptied out - and poured out - on the cross. He would be naked or almost naked - with beating marks - all over his body.

If St. Alphonsus had a chance to work on the big crucifix up here in our sanctuary, people would be shocked to see how bloody St. Alphonsus would make it. Woo. Messy. Messy. Messy. Bloody red welts and cuts covered his body.

When Jesus walked through Palestine did he see lambs - cut for the suppers - for dinners - Passovers and everyday meals?

SO LIVE

I have not been a parent, but I’m sure parents hope their kids pick up their good qualities - serving their kids, giving, caring for - and that goes down generation after generation after generation.

My dad used to take us to the park every Sunday - to give my mom a break. I noticed my brother used to take his 7 daughters into Washington D.C. most Sundays to give my sister-in-law a break. And I see these daughters giving of themselves so the other gets a break.

Yesterday I had 4 baptisms and this one baby - Anastasia - had this constant smile - and immediately looked at her parents faces to see if they had a similar smile. Smiles beget smiles.  Smiles are mirrors that hold the images of those we see in their faces.

CONCLUSION

One of the lessons we often hear is: trust the process.

Kids pick up what they see in their parents.

So let us constantly work to give our best to one another.