MAKING PEACE

WITH  LIFE AND DEATH

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Good Morning

 

The title of my homily for this 25th Friday in Ordinary Time is, “Making Peace With Life and Death.”

 

Our theme this weekend is Choosing Peace.

 

To retreat, to escape to the sea, to the ocean,  to think and pray about serious stuff and then to go home a better person on Sunday than when we arrived here on Friday evening – that’s a good plan – a good goal - that's the hope for those who come here to San Alfonso Retreat House.

 

This year to go home more peaceful and to become better  peace makers - is the more specific plan.

 

KOHELETH

 

 I got this theme and thought from today’s first reading [Ecclesiastes  11: 9 tp 12:8].  It’s from a little used book in the Old Testament or Jewish Scriptures called Koheleth or Ecclesiastes.

 

It’s best known because that’s where the text, “There is a time for this and a time for that” comes from. The Byrds made it into a song – and we’ve all heard it read at many weddings and funerals.

 

It begins, “A season is set for everything, a time for every experience under heaven. A time for being born and a time for dying. A time for planting and a time for uprooting the planted….”  Check our chapter 3 of Koheleth.

 

It’s considered by most as a part of the wisdom literature in the Old Testament. Because the writer – Koheleth – can be pretty pessimistic – some Jewish rabbis have wanted to drop the whole book  out of their Bible.

 

But it has survived – I think because – life has some tough stuff to think about.

 

Today’s first reading begins by telling folks to enjoy their  youth.

 

Especially because it’s going to fade.

 

One translation of today’s opening words goes this way, “For youth and black hair are fleeting.”

 

Koheleth goes on to say, things can get shaky. Those around you – for example women – get older.  The song is going to end – even from the birds. Almond trees and grasshoppers are going to lose their amazement. The silver cord is going to snap and golden bowls and pottery and jugs are going to drop and crash – and everything turns to dust eventually.

 

One commentator on Koheleth says that he says the one thing  we can be sure about – when it comes to life – is death.

 

We can be  much more sure of that – than if there is life after death.

 

San Alfonso – St. Alphonsus – wrote a whole book on this called Preparation for Death.

 

Kierkegaard – the famous Existential writer and theologian is said to have kept a copy of that book by St. Alphonsus on an end table next to his bed.

 

As we go through life  - we have to stop – and deal and think about death from time to time – especially when we lose family members and loved ones.

 

We know we have to make peace with the reality of death – especially our own.

 

We had Father Bill Gaffney’s funeral here yesterday. During it, I was thinking what will my funeral be like? Does everyone do that at funerals – or do you have to reach a certain age for that to happen,   Father John Collins invited up to this podium a niece named Patty. I figure my niece and god-child Patty will be invited up to the podium for my funeral. Last year she was the one who showed up at 4:45 AM to take me to the Washington Hospital center  for a triple by-pass.  She was there all day – especially when I came back to consciousness at 9:30 PM.

 

Life has many realities to ponder: Cancer. Aging, Heart. Arthritis. Dementia.  Self and others.  We have to make peace with those realities and more.  

 

Acceptance is the key.

 

Prayer is key.

 

God is with us is key.

 

Faith in an afterlife is key.

 

Talking to each other is key.

 

Denying aging and time limits – is not the way to go.

 

Denial of these realities can cause angst and agita – grumpiness and grouchiness.

 

ELEVATOR TALK

 

The title of my homily is: Making Peace with Life and Death.

 

The other day I heard someone refer to the Elevator Talk.

 

I had forgotten that saying.

 

It means -  can you say what want to  say – if you had to say it – on an elevator ride – say to the 3^rd floor.

 

In other words: spit it out. Make it clear. Put it in a quick title.

 

So is the secret of peace – is the secret of life -  making peace with death.

 

I could say that on an elevator ride.

 

I would rather talk about life and come up with the secret of life is a quick bullet point.

 

I would say it’s giving not taking.

 

I learned this in a diner – way back.

 

We were sitting there - 3 or 4 of us  - and some guy three booths back started screaming at someone.  It was a woman. It was either his wife or girlfriend. He stared yelling: “All you do is take, take, take. Well I’m sick and tired of you and I’m out of here.”

 

And he walked out – right by us – and I didn’t see him paying.

 

I never forgot that moment.

 

If I had to give an elevator talk on the secret of life it’s that memory: Am I a give or a taker.  

 

Be a giver.

 

CONCLUSION

 

Today we Redemptorists celebrate the life of a Bavarian German Redemptorist priest – Blessed Kaspar Stangassinger -  who wanted to be a missionary – but only worked in a seminary – and died at 28.

 

He was one of 16 kids  – in quite a big family.  His family and his Redemptorist brothers had to deal with a tough death like that.

 

How was his life summed up – enough to make him a saint.

 

It’s this: He was a giver.

 

Today the church also celebrates the life of Cosmas and Damian  - perhaps  twin brothers – as the legend goes – from around 287.

 

They became doctors – and got the nickname – “the silverless ones” – or  “the unmoneyed ones” – because they didn’t charge.

 

They gave. They didn’t take.

 

They were martyrs – during the Diocletian persecutions – perhaps because a non-Christian doctor was jealous of their reputation as givers.

 

Like Jesus in todays gospel they were given over to death – because of the way they did life. [Cf. Luke 9: 43b-45.]

 

Tough stuff:  but what a way to go.