ME  TOO,  O  LORD

INTRODUCTION

The  topic  of my homily for this Saturday in the First Week of Ordinary Time is, “Me  Too, O Lord.”

That’s a good short prayer when listening to the gospels. 

“Me too, O Lord.”

Or take a rosary.  Move through the 59 beads saying, “Me too, O Lord.”  It only takes – 3 or 4 short minutes. 

This thought comes to mind when I hear today’s gospel from Mark 2: 13-17.

It triggers for me the controversial topic of Intercommunion.

Who can and who cannot come for communion?

Being a priest for 55 years this year, I’ve noticed lots of things when it comes to who’s who and who’s receiving communion.

HOW TO HEAR THE GOSPELS

Let me snag just one.

I was taught the following principle:  to understand the gospels think the years 60 to 100 more than the years 30 to 33.

To understand the gospels, think about the audience being Christians more than Jews.

The stories and teachings happened in Jesus time, but all is geared for the Christian communities.

So, today’s gospel has a scene where Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners and some scribes and Pharisees saw whom he was eating with – whom he was associating with – whom he was in communion with and they complained.

And he said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.  I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

The fact that this story is in the gospels, tell me that the

early Christian communities had people doing to each other what people were doing to people in Jewish synagogues and temples and homes when Jesus walked about.

And there are people in our churches and Christian communities today who are like the scribes (those who could write, the educated ones) and the Pharisees (the righteous ones.)

Me too, O Lord.

There are people today – in our churches – who see their brothers and sisters going to communion – and complaining  – instead of seeing the gospels – as looking into a mirror at oneself.

Me too, O Lord.

Every time I’m with family or friends I hear about people leaving the church because of blasts from the pulpit or the pews.

I think of this new movie The Irishman – from the book, I Heard You Paint Houses. It has stuff in there about Russell Bufalino from the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania – up there near Scranton/Wilkes Barre – a guy who was in the Mafia – who might have been in on the murder of Jimmy Hoffa.

Well he came to a retreat house in the Poconos before I was stationed there. He came on a retreat and some men complained that he was there.

“Well,” the rector said, “Why wouldn’t we be happy he’s here?”

Me too, O Lord.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

As an aside I laughed when I heard today’s first reading from the First book of Samuel 9: 1-4,  17-19; 10:1.

Saul’s father, Kish, had some asses who ran off and Saul was sent out to find them.

If I was a teenage boy in church – and I was sitting next to buddies – I would be elbowing them - when I heard they went out looking for asses.

Well keeping with my theme, feel an elbow every time you hear the gospel – feel Jesus elbowing you as you hear about all kinds of different characters.

In other words, I’m deaf, dumb, blind, a Pharisee, a Lost Sheep, a Lost coin or son.

CONCLUSION

I need to be in communion with Jesus. I need to eat with Jesus. I need to eat with and eat  up Jesus. Amen.

Me too, O Lord.