IN  25  WORDS  OR  LESS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 26^th Thursday in Ordinary Time  is: “In 25 Words or Less?”

We’ve all have heard the question: “Can you tell me what you’re trying to say in 25 words or less?”

For starters - that usually causes pause - or hesitation.

TODAY’S TWO READINGS

I got the thought for this homily from today’s two readings.

In the first reading Ezra the priest  - as today’s reading from Nehemiah  8: 3  puts it, - is “Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate, he read out of the book from daybreak until midday….”

That’s a lot of words and that’s a lot of time.

As preacher I have seen at least a hundred times the watch looking gesture and signal.  “Wrap it up.” “Hurry it up.”  “Enough already!”

Did anybody do that to Ezra that day - when the reading went from daybreak till midday?  Oops they didn’t have watches.

In today’s gospel Jesus disciples are to give a message. It’s 4 words: “Peace to this household.” [Luke 10:5.]

In both readings the next thing that happens is to eat and drink.

There’s the Mass in short form: words and food.

That’s our every day: words and food.

Isn’t that what we do every day: in the daily mass called our household? We eat and we talk. We chat and chew.

5  BRIEF POINTS

ONE: ABRAHAM LINCOLN

On November 19, 1863, two men gave an address at Gettysburg Pennsylvania Cemetery.  Edward Everett gave a talk that had 13,687 words in it. It took about 2 hours.  He was followed by Abraham Lincoln who gave a 272 word talk.

TWO: SERMON LENGTH

What’s your opinion on sermon length? For a Sunday sermon? For a  Weekday sermon?

THREE: RELATIVITY OF TIME

As Einstein put it, time is relative. How long a minute takes depends upon what side of the bathroom door you’re on.  How long a sermon takes depends upon who’s speaking.  There’s actual time and “feeling time”.

FOUR: LEARNING FROM TV

Back in the late 1960’s at a New York priest’s  meeting someone asked for volunteers to give 2 religious  talks for WPIX - Channel 11. One was to begin the day; the other to end the day. They were to be exactly 3 minutes. The first was at 5:27 AM till 5:30 AM and the second was from 1:30 AM till 1:33 AM. It took me 3 times each time to be exactly  3 minutes.  Good learning.

FIVE: LEGACY

At the Water Gate Ezra - speaking for the future of the community - goes for a few hours. Could you spell out in 25 words or less your legacy - what you see is the meaning and purpose of life or what have you?

CONCLUSION

This sermon took 3 minutes and 30 seconds and was 499  words exactly. How long did it feel? Did I say anything that had a grab?