Thursday, February 6, 2020

February 6, 2020



TWO  BY  TWO


INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 4th Thursday in Ordinary Time is, “Two  By  Two.”

I take that theme from the opening sentence in today’s gospel, where Mark has Jesus summoning the twelve and then began to send them out two by two …. [Cf.  Mark 6: 7—13.]

Looking at our lives as religious, was it your experience that trips with one other guy were much better than trips alone?

That’s the simple thought of this short homily – if it’s even a homily.  It’s more a few observations about going it with others being better than going it alone.

MY EXPERIENCE

Looking at my life I did a lot of driving alone – but I don’t remember those trips compared to great conversations I’ve had with one other guy.

I worked for 8 ½ years on the road preaching with a guy named Tom Barrett. We mainly preached in  small towns in the mid-west – working out of Lima, Ohio. We preached parish missions and it was much better with another guy.  We could compare notes – get the other guys take on pastors – and talk about the parish mission we just gave on the way home.

One February we did a parish mission in Paulding, Ohio, population around 3,500  people and we went in separate cars. It was a snowy Saturday afternoon. It was less than an hour away from Lima.  Tom didn’t arrive for the Saturday night Mass – getting hit by an 18-wheeler milk tanker on the way there – ending up almost dying. He was in a coma for 3 weeks – and in the hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana for 75 days.

It showed me loud and clear that I didn’t want to be what we call a Lone Ranger.

I was novice Master for 9 years  - serving 9 different classes. The first year I did it, we had 22 novices and 2 novice masters. It was out in Oconomowoc,  Wisconsin. It made life much easier working with another guy. Then we got a new provincial –who  ended that bringing me back east.  He had a complaint about our St. Louis Province for pulling out of our major seminary.  

Some of you might be as old as I am – 80 – so maybe you had some crazy religious life stuff in your formation experiences. Being in charge, I  avoided the crazy stuff  we had before the Second Vatican Council.  If a guy’s parent got sick or what have you, guys couldn’t go home.  I had the chance to change all that, so I pushed a guy who was going home to see a sick parent, to take another guy with him if he was driving.

I have found car conversations a significant part of my life. How about you?

Last year in May and June when I was recovering from triple heart bypass, I was in a place like this. Many evenings after supper I would take my walker down to see my classmate Tony who doesn’t have much more time  to live. He has cancer in his throat. Looking back now, I’m realizing it was a blessing connecting with Tony on.  We had a chance to ask each other, “How was it?” as in, “How was your life?”

Tom the guy I worked for 8 ½ years in Lima, Ohio giving parish missions is also there – cancer as well. I’d see him one to one in the afternoons – but
Not enough.

CONCLUSION

My major learning – God said it first – it’s not good to go it alone.  Go two by two.


1 comment:

Mary Joan said...

I remember your preaching at St. Mary's on the two by two theme .
As a widow , now , for almost 14 years , it is so true .

Going it alone is very difficult . I am thankful for a network of friends who are supportive , but nothing compares with the day in day out of your life partner .

Thank you for reminding us again and again .........