CHOOSING 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this First Sunday in Lent  [A]  is, “Choosing.” 

C  H  O  O  S  I  N  G  …. 

The other day I noticed that the first word for this year’s retreat theme is the word “choosing” – as in “Choosing to Live in Peace.” 

Choosing …. 

Our hope was to present ideas – images – hopes – dreams – stories - prayers – talks -  thoughts about peace -  that are in every human heart – to see the benefits of peace - that we choose -  to want peace – to  be peacemakers – to make life sweeter for each other. Obviously, by being here since Friday evening, we hope you said to yourself inwardly a bunch of times,  “That’s just what I want. I want peace for my family. I am going to go home now and try to make peace happen – at home – at work – in my jobs – in my groups – with my neighbors – in my being.”

A homily …. An attempt to bite into the readings for today.

TODAY’S FIRST READING  IS ALL ABOUT CHOOSING

Did you notice today’s first reading is all about choosing?

God says: “First couple – I made you this enormous garden.  I planted some beautiful trees in this garden – with some delicious fruit.”

But there’s the catch. There’s always a catch – in every story and movie and novel  – there is always a catch. That’s not novel. There’s always a catch – in hopes of catching you.

God says, “You can eat from every tree in the garden except this one tree: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

There’s always forbidden fruit.

There’s the devil – the cunning serpent – sliding and slithering around – in the garden – whispering in the first couples’ mind and heart and being.

Don’t take. Don’t eat. Don’t swallow everything.

The serpent asks the why question.

Why not? Why can’t you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the center or the garden?

And the serpent gives answers: You will become like God. You will know what is good and what is evil.

And the woman saw that the fruit looked delicious. It will give wisdom, so she bit and she gave some to her husband – and he ate and it worked. Their eyes were opened – they realized they were naked and sewed fig leaves together and made loin clothes for themselves.

This is one of the  world’s most important stories – one of the world’s most basic stories.

Yes, we learn more from biting into mistakes than we learn from same old, same old, tree called everyday life.

Years ago, Bill Cosby told this same story in his own way – and please God – he learned down deep the lesson he was telling.

Bill Cosby said that when we were kids, we heard our parents telling us we were having guests tomorrow – and they were going out tonight. They told us that they bought 2 cakes. They told us  kids we could  eat of this cake here but not of this cake here. This cake is for our guests who will be here tomorrow evening.

And the obvious happens.

As soon as mom and dad leave, the kids head for the forbidden cake.

They took and age and their eyes were opened.

They were growing up.

They learned from the forbidden sweets.  They learned guilt. They learned blame. They learned lying. They  learned fear.

They learned nakedness.

They learned time: mom and dad will be coming home.

They learned death – their parents are going to kill them.

They learned they were not their parents.

Oh my God, they are home. I can hear the garage door opening.

The tree of life – the center – the steady – the everyday – life –security -  is still there – but once we bite of the wrong- once we bite from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil – all is changed.  The normal – the norms – the regular has been forgotten.  That becomes the central reality of life – and death.

Nakedness is consciousness.

Choices have consequences.

Choices make us blind to the regular tree – the tree of life.

And from now on we remember our sins, mistakes, the dumb – the dumb choices – the regrets of our lives.

So, today’s first reading from Genesis is about choosing – with an ancient primitive story about the forbidden fruit – perhaps an apple -  how we discovered naked evil and how we try to cover over our mistakes with all kinds of different fig leaves.

TODAY’S SECOND READING IS ABOUT CHOOSING

Today’s second reading from Romans continues the conversation.

Because of Adam – and Eve - and Moses and all people -  sin entered our world – and continues in our world.

Today’s second  reading from Paul to the Romans tells us that pattern is still around.  Sin brings death

Today’s second reading from Paul to the Romans  also tells us about the new Adam – Jesus Christ – who by his death on the tree – the cross – the new tree in the middle of our lives – the tree that Bad Friday showed us the naked Christ – the naked us when we sin – when we blame others – when we scream out – Crucify him!

Today’s second reading from Paul talks about grace – acquittal – new life – and we have learned  from this new Adam – this new us – to come to this tree – in this garden – and hear Jesus at every Mass moment – of togetherness with each other – to take and eat of this new fruit and food – the body and blood of Christ and discover hint of resurrection – new life.

We can choose to make that Bad Friday – Good Friday.

TODAY’S GOSPEL IS ALL ABOUT CHOOSING

Today’s gospel is all about choosing.

The devil  - still around – still whispering – whispers 3 big temptations into Christ – the New Adam’s ear.

They are there in today’s gospel   every year as we begin Lent.  Matthew, Mark and Luke – give us their shadings of the story.

Like the Adam and Eve story – we listen and compare them with similar stories and moments in our life.

Knowing the naked self – we know we have to work for our daily bread – for ourselves and each other. Knowing the naked me – we know we have to be the servant of all – and life is not to be served – but to serve each other – to feed and wash each other’s feet. Knowing the naked self – we know that the world in all its magnificence is for all – not just me – and if we open our eyes we will see that’s the way God made it – and gives the world to us each day – it’s  like coming up the aisle and being handed communion – we receive the wheat from the fields and the grapes from our vines.

CONCLUSION

The theme for this year’s retreat was: Choosing to Live in Peace.

Christ is and Christ teaches and Christ calls us into these great messages and realities – called Peace.

Hopefully we all Choose to Live in that Peace – and we go home and go through the walls – of the upper rooms – the minds of all those we know – and bring what Christ did – in every Easter moment: Shalom. Peace!