HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO US

THAT WE KNOW THAT SOMEONE KNOWS WE EXIST AND EXISTED?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this First Wednesday in Advent is a question, “How Important Is It to Us that We Know that Someone Knows We Exist and Existed?”

I got that question not from today’s readings, but from the Give Us This Day booklet that I know you all have.

On page 56 for this December 4^th, there is a short biography of someone I never heard of before: Sister Anuarite  Nengapeta - a Congolese nun and Martyr - dates 1939 to 1964.

Then a few pages later - also for today, December 4^th, they have a reflection on the Trappist monks of Tibhirine in Algeria who were part of the 19 Algerian martyrs - men and women - who were killed in the 1990’s.

MAGNIFICAT AND GIVE US THIS DAY

I don’t know how many of this type of booklets there are around the world - booklets that give the readings of the day - some prayers and some reflections.

I’m familiar with the Magnificat and this one, Give Us This Day.

Magnificat has lots of beautiful religious art - maybe expensive paper - and features stuff from ancient saints more than modern ones. 

Give Us This Day has more modern cartoonish type art - perhaps cheaper paper  - and the lives of modern Christian heroes.

I used Magnificat for years and now I’ve been using Give Us This Day the last few years.  I don’t know if there is an article somewhere telling the history, the niche, the audience for each of these two booklets.

For December 4^th, Give Us This Day triggered the question that hit me last night as I read the two descriptions of people like Sister Anuarite Nengapeta and the Algerian Martyrs.

I found more on the internet  about who these people were. That’s when several questions hit me: “Who Knows I Exist?”;  “How Important Is That to My Psyche and to Who and How I Am?”; and then the title and question of my homily came: “How Important Is It to Us that we Know Someone Knows We Exist and Existed?”

FOR STARTERS:  GOD KNOWS I EXIST

That is a basic teaching in Christian spirituality?

But at times we wonder: “God Do You Know I Exist?”

Did Mother Teresa ask that question during the 50 years she said she felt she was in the dark - and had doubts - most of the time?

Yet we wouldn’t be here in this chapel this morning if we didn’t have the faith to believe God knows I exist.

At a red light the other day - while driving -  I saw a squirrel dash across the street - and not get hit by a car.  At times I’ve said to God as I see a bird or a squirrel or a tree, “I believe you are totally aware of every bird, squirrel, tree, blade of grass, dead leaf on the street under a car tire.”

HOW ABOUT OTHERS?

The question that hit me for this homily is, “How Important Is It to Us that We Know that Someone Knows We Exist and Existed?”

All of us are from somewhere else.  Will someone on the planet wonder how we are doing today?  Did those 19 people who were murdered and martyred in Algeria get birthday cards?   Did their friends and those they served  know they existed?

Is the reason why some people leave religious life and marriages  because the other - the others - don’t give us a moment’s attention and the hope is that someone else out there will?

Can that need be measured, talked about, considered with each other?

MR ROGERS

I just saw the movie, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” - that featured Mr. Roger’s, who was on TV from 1968- 2001. He helped kids see that they exist and feel their feelings and know that they are important.

CONCLUSION

Today’s two readings feature crowds. We’re part of the over 7.5 billion people on the planet.

I was with my brother’s family for Thanksgiving week and I watched how everyone held, spent time with, touched a new born baby - the only baby at a meal for 43 people.  I was looking forward since Joey was born 7 months ago - to see him and hold him. I watched how everyone embraced him. I wondered what  was it  like when I first arrived. I wondered about the other 42 people in the room. Did they still feel loved, noticed, embraced, known, worried about - cared about?

Even if in time everyone in the room saw that we are  like the people climbing the mountain for food in today’s first reading from Isaiah 25: 6-10 or like the crowd in today’s gospel from Matthew 15: 29-37 - that some  of us are lame, some of us are blind, some of us can’t really tell others about how we feel and think - and yet we can touch Jesus - be in communion with him and be lovable and known and loved.

Today see and know the people you see and don’t know.