TEARS TELL SECRETS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily this morning is: “Tears tell Secrets!”

When was the last time you cried?

What was going on?

LITANY

Tears give us information.

Tears tell us about family and various kinds of relationships.

Tears give us the mood people are in.

Tears bring out the tissues or the handkerchiefs.

Tears tell us what we love and what we value and what is important.

Tears tell us whom we love and whom we value and who is important in our life.

Tears tell us about our joys and sorrows.

Tears tell us about our fears and hopes.

Tears tell us what tears us apart.

Tears tell us what we can laugh about and what we can cry about.

Tears show up at funerals and weddings. I was at a funeral yesterday and the son - talking about his dad - stopped - and started to cry. A daughter had a reading. She began to cry.

Tears tell us that something deep is going on here. Sometimes we know what it is; sometimes we don’t.

So as we wipe away our tears, bottle them. Take them to prayer. Then look at them. They will tell us a lot about ourselves.

Tears tell secrets.

THE GOSPELS

When we read the gospels, we hear that Jesus cried.  However, people seem to have a thing for trying to find scenes in the gospel where Jesus is laughing or where anyone is laughing.

I was wondering about this.  Is it important to find people enjoying life—laughing?

Is it important to find others joyful, happy, laughing, peaceful .

We also spot it, when we see people sad - mad - and not glad.  

I’m sure you have seen a particular painting or picture  of Jesus where he is  laughing. It’s a best seller, popular picture of Jesus. It’s a gift shop best seller.

Today’s gospel has the question: “Who are you looking for?” “What do people want or need? What are they getting at? What are they looking for?

Are people looking for emotions, feelings, affections?

If we can laugh, we can cry. If we can cry, we can laugh.

So Jesus laughed! 

Better, Jesus cried.

Jesus cried and cried and cried. Everyone does. Read his life. Read your life. Read anyone’s life. Let us listen to each other’s tears. If we would only shut up. We could hear each other’s tears falling on the wooden floors of our souls. Let us listen, let us feel, let us hear our each other’s tears. Let us begin by hearing our own.

Tears tell secrets.

JESUS

Jesus cried over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). Jesus cried when Lazarus died (John 11:36). In mid-afternoon, hanging on the cross, Jesus cried out in a loud voice (Matthew  27:46).

TODAY’S GOSPEL

In today’s gospel, Mary cried.

Tears tell secrets. She loved Jesus. She finally met someone who gave her unconditional  love. Jesus was her value system. Jesus was her life. She finally met someone  who saw her as a person —someone—not something—not a role—not just a sister—not just one more person on the planet or in the village. She was Mary!

She knew!

She knew Jesus!

She could cry!

She shed tears.

His death was tearing her apart!

Today’s gospel opens with prayer words, “Mary stood weeping beside the tomb. Even as she wept, she stooped to peer inside.”

PRAYERS

Prayer is about tears.

Prayer is about getting to our deepest values—the stuff we can cry about—the stuff we fear—the stuff that we fear losing.

Then somewhere along the line, we discover that prayer is about a WHO and not a WHAT.

The what’s and the where’s and the how’s and the when’s can all be replaced. The WHO’s can’t.

Thank God for resurrection.

Prayer then is about the question the gardener asks in today’s gospel, “Woman, what are you weeping? Who is it you are looking for?

Prayer is about responding: “Rabboni”

Prayer begins with the “Who?” question before the “What are we praying for?” question

Then we’ll go forth telling each other with tears of joy, “I have seen the Lord!”