TWO  MULE-LOADS  OF  EARTH

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 28^th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year  C -  is, “Two Mule-Loads of Earth.”

That’s an image in today’s first reading from 2 Kings 5: 14-17.

Interesting …. Different …. Intriguing ….

Naaman, a Syrian army commander, gets a serious skin disease.  They call all kinds of skin problems “leprosy”  back in those days in the middle east: B.C. and early A.D..

The story mentions a young Israeli girl becoming a servant to Naaman’s wife servant. Good story…. She was captured in a raid on Israel.

The Israeli servant girl upon hearing from Mrs. Naaman that her husband has skin problems says, “If only he would go down to Samaria and ask the prophet Elisha there to heal him?”  He’s hesitant to do this.  He’s skeptical that it will work. Good story….

He goes reluctantly. He washes in the Jordan 7 times as told. He  is  healed and heads from the Jordan to go and see Elisha to  give him a gift .  Elisha says, “No - no gifts.”

Well, at that Naaman says, “Give me two mule loads of earth - so I can bring them back to Syria and use them as part of an altar in thanksgiving to the God of Israel, the God of Elisha the prophet. Good story.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel - Luke 17: 11-19 - also has a story about leprosy - 10 people who have leprosy - and they too are healed.

Most preachers for this Sunday will challenge all of us to be  grateful - thankful.  This gospel is used every year for Thanksgiving - taking the time to be thankful.

For a Sunday sermon or homily let me stress 3 messages.

FIRST GRATITUDE

The first would be gratitude - making sure we express gratitude to God for starters and then to others.

A key word in this Gospel in the original Greek is  eucharizein - eucharist - thanks. Notice it becomes -  the word we use the Mass - whose key message is to come here each Sunday and say to God, “Thank you.”

Luke’s gospel is for the Gentiles, the foreigners. So notice Naaman in the first reading - the one who is very grateful - is a foreigner - and notice in the gospel it’s the foreigner - the Samaritan - who is grateful.

SECOND MESSAGE

A second message from today’s readings is a question:  how do we treat the stranger or the strange folks or strange rangers - or the person who doesn’t look right to us.

How dare we do that, but we do that to one another. I know I do.

People with leprosy had to keep back - stay at a distance.  What’s that like?

I remember in one parish a lady asking me if she could skip Sunday Mass - because kids would stare at her - and sometimes say out loud,  “Mom …. Dad …. What’s wrong with that lady?”

She had cancer inside her face and she was missing her eye on that side - along with her right cheek.  What would that be like to be that woman?

What’s it like to be overweight - and folks stare at you and make comments.

I remember a gal saying to me: “My sister has given me 10,000 diets.”

I remember a good friend of mine - a fat priest - saying that  the same thing happened to him. Other priests called  him names etc. along also with giving him diets. He told me that fat people don’t need reminders that they are fat. They are calling themselves fat - all day long - every day of the year.

So this is my second point - how we treat those who look different than we do?

I remember getting a skin treatment once. The doctor asked when my slowest time for work was. “I said, January.”  So for 4 weeks in January,   I had to put this cream on my face. It pulled out all kinds of pre-cancerous stuff.  I ended looking like a pizza. Red blotches all over my face.

Well, one Saturday in January a lady came into confession. You could go face to face or behind the screen. I was hoping everyone would go behind the screen. Well this lady went face to face and didn’t look at  my face till she was finished. After the act of Contrition she looked me in the face and her face panicked.  As she stood up  I reached out my hand to wish her a peaceful next. Her hand was hesitant. She was sort of caught and sort of surprised.  After touching me she wiped her hands on her side.

I said to myself, “Great! Now I know how another feels when they are considered a person with leprosy. I said, “Great.  I can use that in a homily someday…

THIRD MESSAGE: “TWO MULE-LOADS OF EARTH.”

I figured out a family builder exercise.

Naaman was doing what we all do. We take souvenirs back from where we’ve been.  Refrigerator Door Magnets. Knick Knacks, a rock from the Grand Canyon,  Lourdes Water, Key chains.

Well everyone in the  family get a box and go through your house and load the box with souvenirs of stuff you got when you were on a cruise or what have you: then show and tell.

CONCLUSION: HOW TO GO HOME

So we come here to Mass to say, “Thanks”. Then go home as a  stubborn sturdy mule  - filled with the Love and Power and Grace of Christ.