THE POWER OF PARABLE,
THE POWER OF POETRY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Fourth Sunday in Lent is, “The Power of Parable, The Power of Poetry.”

In today’s gospel we have perhaps the best known story of all time: the story of the Prodigal Son.

Or should I say, perhaps, one of the best known stories of all times – because other stories could be in the contest: the story of the Good Samaritan – the story of the Tortoise and the Hare, the Story of Adam and Eve eating forbidden fruit, Cain Killing his Brother and saying, “Am I my brother’s Keeper?” What about the Wizard of Oz or Casablanca or Don Quixote?

Whatever. The parable of the Prodigal Son is up there.

PARABLES
And we all know the English word that comes from the second part of the word “parable”: “ball. Parable is from the Greek words “para” and “ballein”.

A parable is a story thrown to us. Catch the ball. Catch the story. Catch the illustration.

Jesus was a pro at this – so too Aesop – so too every other TV commercial.

Those of you who know Father Jack Harrison – know he loves to preach using stories, illustrations, anecdotes.


Catch the story. Catch the ball. Catch the message.

THE STORY OF THE PRODIGAL SON

I love the story of the Prodigal Son. Did you catch it this morning? Did Jesus catch you with it this morning?

In my 45 years as a priest I’ve heard at least 1,000 people say, “You know, I would love to read the Bible. Where should I start?”


And 250 times I’ve said, “Read The Letter of James. If you don’t get that, you’re not going to get the Bible.”

And 750 times I’ve said, “Read the 15th chapter of the Gospel of Luke. If you don’t get the 3 parables in the 15th Chapter of Luke, forget it. You’re not going to catch the Bible.

We were taught that Luke 15 contains the theology of grace in a nutshell – in 3 short stories, 3 short parables – much better than a whole book of theology on grace.

The first 2 stories – the parable of the last sheep and the story of the lost coin – has God going looking for us and then finding us. And the third story, that of the Prodigal Son has God waiting for us to return.

That’s the way grace works. Sometimes God works this way; sometimes God works that way.

Parents do the same thing. Sometimes you scream and try to reach out to your kids who are being stupid and sometimes you wait.

Husbands and wives do the same thing. What method works best when you’re lost or being stupid?

Today’s parable of the Prodigal Son has the Father waiting for his son to return.

It’s a powerful parable. Catch it if you can.

Sometimes we’re the father. Sometimes we’re the younger son and we really mess up our lives. Sometimes we’re the older brother and we’re furious when someone in the family is allowed back into the family and there are no repercussions but forgiveness and a banquet.

TITLE OF MY HOMILY

The title of my homily is, “The Power of Parable, The Power of Poetry.”

I’ve preached on the parable of the Prodigal Son many, many times.

I’ve heard some great sermons on the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

I’ve heard some great retellings of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. I cry every time I hear Philip Yancy’s retelling of the story. He makes it a girl in Traverse City, Michigan is very angry at her parents and their rules and regulations and runs away. She goes to Detroit and ends up in prostitution and utter poverty. When she hits bottom she calls up her parents and all she gets is an answering machine. She calls again and once again she gets an answering machine. This time she says I’m taking a bus back to Traverse City at such and such a time – and on the bus home she says to herself, “If nobody is there in the bus depot, that means they don’t want me back, so I’ll get back on the bus and head for Canada.”

She gets off the bus in Traverse City, Michigan very slowly. Very reluctantly she walks into the bus terminal. It’s filled with banners and balloons and her parents and 40 aunts and uncles, cousins and friends, tooting horns and screaming, “Welcome home.”

Welcome home. In his version there is no older brother who won’t forgive.

The power of parable.

THE POWER OF POETRY

I’m a poet and have written over 1000 poems – some published in three books – two of them published –now out of print. I’ve always hoped one or two poems would make it big. Besides homilies, I have put some of my poems on my blog, because I have read some very powerful poems by others. So I know that some poems grab people – so my hope is that a poem or two will grab someone back home to grace.

The other day while thinking about this parable of the Prodigal Son, I wrote a new prodigal son poem – so now I have 3 of them. One of them is published already. So I decided in this homily to test out three poems that I have written on the Prodigal Son. The first embraces the whole chapter of Luke 15 – and the other two – just the parable of the Prodigal Son. Here comes poetry.

COIN, SHEEP AND SON

Lost and found,
“Baa!” a whining sheep
caught in thick brambles,
a shiny coin
lost in a dark underneath,
underneath a carpenter’s table,
a pigsty scented son
in a far country,
all three waiting in
disconnection,
sheep and coin,
waiting and wondering,
a son hitting bottom,
caught in entanglements,
stuck in himself,
all alone in a dark mess,
a father back home waiting,
waiting, looking out each day
for his return, an older
brother who could care less,
the sheep, the coin, hoping to be found,
the younger son deciding to go home,
all three swept clean by grace,
all three embraced by kindness and love.

When found, celebrate.

THE LOST SON

Two brothers:
one stayed home,
so the other moved on.
But paths cross,
parents die,
and we all must meet each other
from time to time.

As the younger brother
was standing there
to the right of the casket,
his older brother
came in -- came in
and refused to shake hands
with either his hands
or his eyes.

Then the younger brother
turned to the casket,
turned to his dead father,
needing another embrace,
crying at the loss
of what might have been,
remembering the time
their father
tried to get them
to eat the fatted calf together.

PRODIGAL, OBVIOUSLY

Obviously I’m a disaster,
leaving home with big dreams,
never expecting my story
to end as this one ends: a nightmare.

Obviously, in the rush of youth,
I had to run – refusing to listen.
So here I am in this far country –
so all alone – so deep and dumb.

Obviously my money’s gone.
I stand here empty, banging
metal vending machines –
full but I’m empty.
Nothing gets you nothing.

I’ve hit hungry pig slop bottom.
Maybe I should head home.
Obviously my brother will
forgive me, but will my father?

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Painting on top: Prodigal Son by Rembrandt, c. 1669

Philip Yancy tells the Lovesick Father story in his book, What's so Amazing about Grace?, pages 49-51. The book is published by Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1997

Poem, The Lost Son, page 119 in Cries .... But Silent, Andrew Costello, Thomas More Press, 1981

OKAY, NOW I SEE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year A, is, “Okay, Now I See.”

How many times in our lives have we said, “Okay, Now I See”?

“Okay, now I see what you’re getting at.”

“Okay, now I get it.”

“Okay, now I understand.”

“Okay, clear as a bell.”

THE THREE SCRUTINIES

As you know last Sunday, this Sunday, and next Sunday, those who are preparing for entrance into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil, go through what is called “The Three Scrutinies.”

We’re getting closer and closer to Easter. They are getting closer and closer to a decisive moment in their life story.

Next Sunday is the Fifth Sunday of Lent; the Sunday after that is Palm Sunday; and then the Sunday after that is Easter Sunday.

Down through the centuries in our Church, the readings for these 3 Sundays in Lent – are the same every year for those preparing for Baptism and entrance into our Church at the Easter Vigil. All 3 readings for these 3 Sundays are from the Gospel of John – and they were called, “The Johannine Lent.”

For the rest of the church in years B and C – we have different readings. So I had a different sermon at the 9 o’clock Mass this morning – because we are in Year C.

For those who are here for these 3 Sundays when our R.C.I.A. candidates, we use the A Readings. At these 3 Sundays we are asked to look at 3 key characters in the gospel of John: The Samaritan Woman last week, The Blind Man this week, and Lazarus, the Dead Man, next week.

The 3 themes are Water last week, Light this week, and Life next week.

Last week our candidates scrutinized, examined, pondered Christ as Living Water. What am I thirsting for? What do I long for? What am I going to the well for? The Samaritan woman discovered down deep, she was thirsting for the Living Water – Christ – and only Christ can satisfy our deepest thirst.

This week they are to scrutinize, examine, ponder Christ as Light. We no longer have to walk in darkness. We can see the light. We no longer have to be blind. Christ can take away our blindness. Christ can help us see. Our candidates are seriously searching for deeper meaning in their lives – and they heard Christ say loudly and clearly in today’s gospel, “I am the light of the world.”

Next week they will scrutinize, examine, ponder Christ as Life – Risen Life – Resurrection – that even though like Lazarus we die, like Lazarus we can come back to life again because of Christ. Besides scrutinizing for the past year their deepest hungers and thirsts, besides scrutinizing their desire for light, answers, meaning, they are also facing the question of death, that this life has term limits – and Christ is the Resurrection and Life.

That third scrutiny is next week with the story of Lazarus – who died.

THIS SUNDAY’S R.C.I. A’s READINGS

Let me get back to this second week and its readings.

This Sunday’s special R.C.I.A’s. readings certainly have the theme of seeing in them.

The First Reading from the First Book of Samuel has the message, “Do not judge from appearances – because the Lord looks into the heart.”

The Lord says to Samuel, “Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”

And as Samuel first sees Jesse’s 7 sons he says to himself, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is here before me.”

Surprise! He isn’t.

“Don’t judge by appearances.”

Then we hear the message: there are two ways of seeing – as we see and as God sees.

After seeing all 7 of Jesse’s sons and realizing the chosen one is not here, Samuel asks the question, “Are these all the sons you have?”

And Jesse says, “There is one more!”

Surprise.

“It’s the youngest. He’s not there. He’s out tending the sheep!”

And when David is brought to Samuel, he hears the Lord say, “There – anoint him, for this is the one!” Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed David in the presence of his brothers. Next comes one of the great lines of scripture, “from that day on, the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David.”

The Second Reading from Paul to the Ephesians has the seeing theme when it uses the image of light and darkness. Without light we cannot see. When we get up at night, don’t we turn on the light to see where we are going?

Paul says, “You were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.”

Then the closing words from today’s second reading – which some scholars think is a verse from an early baptismal hymn, “Awake O sleeper and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

And the gospel – the very long gospel from John about the Blind Man that we heard this morning has this theme of seeing big time.

It’s a long story and I hope you saw yourself as the Blind Man – that faith comes gradually. Faith takes time.

The blind man after he begins to see – is scrutinized over and over again by the Pharisees and he holds his own.

I hope you noticed that it’s in the second time he runs into Jesus that he is really scrutinized by Jesus. Jesus asks him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answers, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” And Jesus says to him, “You have seen him, and the one who is speaking to you is he.” And the blind man who now sees says, “I do believe, Lord.” and he falls down and worships Jesus.

Then notice the Pharisees at the end – still don’t see – still don’t get it.

Also notice in these three gospels, there are a lot of questions – one of John’s favorite tricks or techniques. Questions and questioning are the tricks and techniques of scrutinies.

CONCLUSION
Hopefully, we get Christ.

Hopefully, we realize he's the shepherd out there who is waiting to be asked inside our lives.

Hopefully, we noticed Christ too is born in Bethlehem – he’s the last Son, anoint him, choose him.

Hopefully, we have moments in our lives when we see.

A man in our parish who is a convert to Catholicism told me his moment was at the Atlantic Ocean – at the water – when he saw that Christ was the fullness he was looking for - as wide and as deep as the ocean in front of him. I’m sure he could relate to the woman at the well in last Sunday’s gospel.

Others I’m sure can relate to today’s main character, the Blind Man, and say, “Now I see. Now I believe.”

And I know a man in our parish who came back to the faith after many, many years because he came to a funeral here at St. John Neumann and he realized that he was going to die – like the person in the casket. And like Lazarus, and he wanted to wake up after his death, knowing Christ before he died.

Our R.C.I. A. candidates are scrutinizing these 3 characters.

I love it that the word scrutiny comes from the Latin word for “trash”, “scruta”. They have sorted – sorted through their life – finding out what’s worth while and what is to be thrown away.

My closing prayer for our R.C.I.A. candidates is from today’s first reading. For those of you who will receive baptism this Easter vigil, for those of you who will be confirmed this Easter Vigil, when you are anointed with the sacred oil, like when David was anointed in today’s first reading, I pray that the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you as well. Amen.

Painting on top: Jesus Heals the Blind Man, c. 1308-11 by Duccio di Buoninsegna 1255-1319, Siena

SEEING:  

WHAT ELSE

ARE WINDOWS FOR?

Quote of the Day:  March 14, 2010


"Thanks to the interstate highway system, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything."


Charles Kuralt, On the Road, 1985

IT'S EASIER TO SAY,
"I UNDERSTAND!"
THAN TO UNDERSTAND.

Quote of the Day:  March 13, 2010

"If you are sure you understand everything that is going on, you are hopelessly confused."

Walter Mondale, 

Poughkeepsie Journal

March 26, 1978

TWO PERSONS WENT UP
TO THE TEMPLE TO PRAY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 3rd Saturday in Lent is, "Two Persons Went Up To The Temple To Pray."

One of the main questions in parish surveys is: "Teach us how to pray better."

Well, today's readings, especially today's gospel is a great place to begin.

HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR

Can I laugh - especially at myself? That's a good place to begin.

In today's gospel Jesus shows us that he has a sense of humor. He shows us as we are. Hopefully, we can laugh at ourselves.

Hopefully we can see ourselves as both of these two characters in today’s gospel.

Today’s gospel is a mirror.

When we look in a mirror - do we ever laugh at ourselves?

Can we see ourselves in the mirror? Can we see ourselves in the story?

FIRST MAN: PHARISEE
First of all, I am the Pharisee in today's gospel.

The Pharisee sees everyone in the temple - and he wants everyone in the temple to see him.

The Pharisee in me spots those who come down the aisle every Mass after the first reading - and we make those inner comments about their motives. "For crying out loud, why don't they sit in the back if they're late and not have the whole church turn and follow them down the aisle with their eyes?"

But can we spot ourselves as we are? Do I come to pray for eyes to see me?

Do I come to pray filled with ego, filled with "I" -- “I” in capital letters?

Do I come to pray to God -- but “god” in small letters. Am I all me, me, me -- for others to see, see, see?

And when I finally see myself as I really am, then this man’s prayer becomes so powerful. I love the first part of the Pharisee's prayer, “Lord, thank God, I’m not like the rest of people.”

Thank God, because hopefully the rest of this world, is not like me.

So a first teaching on prayer is to read this gospel story and turn a bad prayer into an excellent prayer in the long run.

"Thank God the rest of people are not like me!"

SECOND GUY

When we see that, when we see ourselves as we are, then we can end up as the second person. We can end up praying his prayer, “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.”

LAUGH
So this parable can help me to see ourselves and help us to laugh at ourselves. It can also help me to see ourselves and cry.

FIRST READING
The first reading asks that God come like the spring rains.

Pray for rain. Pray for the Reign of God to fall upon us.

Please God, at times in prayer we’ll have the experience of Teresa of Avila in prayer. Bernini’s sculpture of St. Teresa in Ecstasy in Rome is worth reflecting upon.

In deep prayer God will flow down on us like rain.

What a great image, God coming like a rain storm in spring.

What a great image.

Sometimes God comes like the dew on the morning grass, or the morning clouds, but dew soon disappears.

Teresa of Avila says ask for me. She asks for rain storms of Living Water.

Ask for the ocean!

Why not dream that when I pray I will get caught in a rain storm of God’s love and that I am soaked with God’s mercy and love?

When was the last time - when it was really raining - we walked outside and stood in the pouring rain and loved the feeling and the moment?

CONCLUSION

Today’s readings provide good stuff for prayer.

Today’s gospel gives us two persons and their prayers.

Both people give us two real prayers.

Let us pray. Let us pray these two prayers. Amen.

Amen. Come Lord Jesus.




Picture on top, the statue of St. Teresa of Avila [ 1515-1582], in Ectasy. If you get to Rome find St. John Lateran church and ask someone where Santa Maria della Vittoria is. Check out this famous work of art by Gian Lorenzo Bernini [1598-1680]. It's 11 feet and 6 inches high.

SERMONS: "TO SLEEP: 

PER CHANCE TO DREAM; 

AY, THERE'S THE RUB...."

Quote of the Day: March 12, 2010

"People don't come to church for preachments, of course, but to daydream about God."

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. [1922-2007], N.Y Times, April 30, 1980

IS THE FIRST MOMENT 

WE MEET GOD 

A LAUGHING SPREE?

Quote of the Day: March 11, 2010

"Thank God, I am still an atheist."

Luis Bunuel [1900-1983], Time, November 29, 1969 - He was born in Spain and died in Mexico. He was a moviemaker.

COMMITTEE

March 10, 2010

Quote of the Day:

"A committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours."

Milton Berle [1908-2002] , News summaries, July 1, 1954

HOW MANY TIMES?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “How Many Times?”

I want to preach on the theme of forgiveness – the obvious theme from today’s gospel.

PETER’S QUESTION

As you know from listening to the New Testament Peter had at least one brother – and his name was Andrew. So when Matthew tells us this story about Peter mentioning his brother, I’m going to listen two times more to this story than other stories.

Peter comes up to Jesus and asks him, “Lord, by the way, when my brother wrongs me, how often must I forgive him? Seven times?”

What? If the brother was Andrew, what did he do to bug Peter? Andrew – such a quiet, background type of guy in the gospels. The only time you hear about him, it’s good stuff.

Andrew should have been the one who asked Jesus that question.
But nope, it was Peter, and once more he puts his foot in his mouth.

Trying to impress Jesus, it seems he wants to appear the really good guy. The Rabbis said, “Forgive 3 times. That’s how many times you need to forgive your brother before you let him have it.” So big hearted Peter makes it 7 times.

Jesus laughs and says, “77 times.”

Others translate what Matthew has by saying Jesus said, 70 times 7 times. That’s 490 times. That calls for a lot of patience and good counting.
Either way, the Greek text can be – 77 or 490. Either way it’s a lot.

Some think Matthew is connecting this to an ancient text in Genesis – 4:24 – where if you think Cain was bad in killing his brother Abel –Cain’s only going to get 7 times vengeance for what he did. Worse, there is this descendent of Cain, a guy name Lamech – who was a really bad guy – he’s going to get 77 times vengeance for the blood he’s spilled.

Whatever, 77 or 490, that’s a lot of patience and forgiving being called for.
And in case Peter doesn’t get the message of forgiveness, Jesus tells this fascinating parable about the man who is asked to pay back a huge amount of debt. He whines and cries. He begs for mercy. He gets it. Then he goes out – meets someone who owes him peanuts – and he won’t forgive him. In fact, he has that servant put in jail – till he gets his money back.

Well, word got out. It always does. These kinds of unfairness always come back to haunt us. So when the master hears about this – he has the unforgiving servant brought back in and he says, “You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me for forgiveness, shouldn’t you have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?”
And the unforgiving servant is handed over to the torturers till he pays back all the owes.

CONCLUSION

I like to think that Peter got the message – because when he denied Jesus 3 times – when he ran away from Jesus – he didn’t do what Judas did. When Jesus appeared to him, Peter experienced forgiveness big time.

And I hope he went out and forgave his brother Andrew the next time he was ticked off about him – and the next time after that – and the next time after that – and I hope Peter kept a tab on how many times he forgave Andrew.

I say that because Andrew’s are always perfect, so I’m sure he never got anywhere near 77 times – or 7 times for that matter. Amen.

DUST 

Quote of the Day: March 9, 2010


“Dust is a protective coating for fine furniture.”


From John Taylor, “Fringe Lunatic” in Manhattan Inc. July 1986

CLEANSED

INTRODUCTION

Instead of a homily today, I wrote a short poetic meditation or reflection – based on the two readings for today, the 3rd Monday in Lent. In the first reading we heard the story about Naaman – the army commander – who has leprosy – and a young girl captured in Samaria and made a servant of Naaman's wife. She had a thought and expressed it, “If only Naaman went to where I come from in Samaria, I’m sure the prophet, Elisha, would heal him of his leprosy.” He goes – and is healed – but after some twists and turns in the story. And in today’s gospel Jesus refers to that story about Naaman the Syrian that is in 2nd Kings. Jesus says, “Here I am in your midst – and you don’t recognize me. I can heal you. I can cleanse you.” They reject Jesus – unfortunately.

So a poetic reflection or meditation called, “Cleansed.”

CLEANSED

Sitting there, standing there, some people still
feel sordid here – sinful here – unclean – as
if the skin of their soul had splotches, blotches,
scars and marks as well as written remarks –
on the palms of their hands – reminders –
bad memories – bad mistakes –
that they can’t silence – can’t erase.

That dumb move – that sin – that dumb relationship –
those wrong words – that family mess -
that they feel they caused – just yesterday, last year,
or so, so many years ago. Mess. Mess. Messy.

They come to Mass. They come to confession.
They do a hundred things to try to erase

or to buy off the mistake,
but right in their midst is Jesus – everyday Jesus –
the one who can cleanse them – heal them –
make the inner skin of their soul brand new skin –
like the glistening skin of a new born baby.

But no, they don’t know this Jesus who heals.
Instead they keep him outside the church
of their soul – or dump him out of their lives like
some people dump dying or dead cigarettes
out the window of their car –
and then they drive away –
as if they hadn’t been to church at all.

But Jesus rises from these rejections every time.
He still hangs around churches. He slips into ears
as words of challenge or into people’s souls
as bread and sips of wine. He still appears as
other broken people and sometimes we see him
as we help someone else and we are healed.

And the rest of us – Oh let’s hope
we’re like that young servant girl
who whispered to someone,
“If only he or she went to see the Prophet.
If they do, they can be healed.”

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2010 - 3 Monday Lent

WHAT IS TRUTH?

Quote of the Day: - March 8, 2010


"But it's the truth even if it didn't happen."

Ken Kesey [1935-2001], One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, 1952

IT’S A MYSTERY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “It’s A Mystery.”

Have you ever been asked a question and you answered the other person by saying, “It’s A Mystery”?

In other words, “You don’t know.”

The older I get, the more I say, “It’s A Mystery.”

In fact, is that the sign of reaching old age – or the age of wisdom – the day we say, “It’s A Mystery!”?

SOME THINGS

Some things can be figured out – and it would be a cop out to say, “It’s A Mystery.”

Or it could be laziness – and we just don’t want to take the time to understand the difference between a 6 cylinder and an 8 cylinder car - or how to change a digital watch - with all those buttons on the side - and the directions are incomprehensible - and there is no little kid around to ask.

Or we know but we don’t want to tell some little 6 year old kid how babies come about or how come some parents make kids go to bed at 8 o’clock while other parents with kids the same age make them go to bed at 9 o’clock – or why some seem to have no set time for kids' bed time?

So some things can be known and some things are mystery.

Like earthquakes. We know why they happen – but we don’t know when they are going to happen. But maybe in the year 4010 they will know exactly when an earthquake is going to happen. What will that be like?

OLD SONG

There is an old song, “Ah Sweet Mystery of Life ….”

Some mysteries are sweet – like the beautiful day we had today. And some mysteries are not sweet. They are bitter. Like all that snow we had two weeks ago – unless you wanted all that snow – and you got out of all that school.

So life is both sweet and not so sweet, bitter, and sometimes bitter sweet.

Why do some birds go south every winter and some don’t?

I have no idea.

Why do some kids have all the brains – and the rest of us are B and C students – and we try and try – and this kid who never seems to study – gets A’s every time?

Why does life seem so unfair at times?

And why do I get the break at times? I’m on a long line at K-Mart – and every line is long – and surprise – the check-out counter next to me opens up just that minute and I’m last on the line and the lady signals to me – and I’m the only one who sees her and I walk over and now I’m first on line.

I think of Jesus’ words, “The last shall be first….”

But why did this happen to me today?

“It’s a mystery!

Yet they say great athletes – and musicians – and snowboarders – get that way because of practice, practice, practice - or merging talent with practice.

TODAY’S FIRST READING: MOSES

The Moses story in the Book of Exodus, the second book of the Bible, is quite mysterious.

As a baby all baby boys in Egypt are to be killed – that is, if they are born of Jewish parents. Why do people kill other people?

It’s a mystery.

Yet we can take some time to figure it out – at least we can start with ourselves. Why do we hurt brothers and sisters? Why do we hurt friends? Why are we selfish at times? Why do we pick on people who are different?

It’s a mystery – yet we might be mind lazy – or we’re jealous – or we think we can feel better about ourselves by making fun or persecuting someone different from us.

Anyway – Moses is put in a basket and floated on the water towards the Pharaoh’s daughter – and because everyone loves a baby – why – we just do – and Pharaoh’s daughter saves and raises little Moses.

So far so good.

Then Moses grows up and one day he sees an Egyptian hitting a Hebrew and Moses goes crazy and kills the Egyptian and then looks around to see if anyone sees him. Then he hides the dead body in the sand. The next day he finds out he was seen and so he runs away. He heads for the hills.

Here he had everything – next he has nothing – so he becomes a shepherd in the desert and in the hills.

Now - finally getting to today's first reading ....

One day while shepherding Moses has a great vision – way up there in the mountains.

He sees a bush. It looks like it’s on fire – but it doesn’t burn down.

He hears a voice. He hears his name, “Moses, Moses!”

He answers, “Here I am?”

And God says, “Come no nearer. Take off your sandals. You’re standing on Holy Ground.”

The voice continued, “I am the God of your fathers, of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.”

Moses was experiencing big time, “It’s a mystery.”

Moses covers his eyes. Moses is scared – filled with big time afraid.

Moses hears God say, “I have witnessed the pain of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of complaint against their slave drivers. I know their suffering. I have come to rescue them from this land of Egypt and I’m going to bring them to a land of milk and honey.”

It’s not in our text today – unfortunately – but God says next, “I am sending you to them to tell them to come with you. I am sending you to the Pharaoh to go and say, ‘Let my people go.’” [Read Exodus 3:1-15 and not just today's reading, Exodus 3:1-8a-13-15.]
Moses asks this voice, this vision, this mystery, this God, “What is your name?”

And God says, “I am who am.”

Others translate this by saying, “I am who I am!”

Others translate this by saying simply, “I Am!”

QUESTION

Why didn’t God do this when the Jews were being killed by the Nazis?

Why didn’t God do this when there was that big slaughter of Armenians by the Ottamans?

Why didn’t God do this when there was that big slaughter of people in Rwanda?

Or why doesn't God do more about children that are abused?

Why is there sin and selfishness?

Why is their evil?

It’s a mystery.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Or take today’s gospel.

Why did Pilate – one of the head Romans in Palestine around the time of Jesus – beat up and kill some Galileans - a little know historical moment mentioned here in the Gospel of Luke?

Or why did a tower collapse at Siloam in the time of Jesus and kill 18 people?

Why does a earthquake happen in some places during the day when kids are in school and the school building collapses and a couple of hundred kids are killed and it could have happened at 2 in the morning and less kids would be killed?

Why? Why? Why?

I don’t know.

It’s a mystery.

I am serious about saying this. I am not trying to be flippant.

Okay, I hope when they rebuild Port-au-Prince in Haiti – they will do two things. If they know where there is a earthquake fault line, they won’t build over it – and when they put up buildings, they will use the best information they have to build somewhat earthquake proof buildings.

CONCLUSION

In the meanwhile, today’s gospel also talks about a fig tree.

Fig trees are supposed to give figs. If they don’t they should be dug up and not take up space – space where another fig tree can be planted – that will give a fig.

That’s no mystery.

Well, it’s a mystery to me why Jesus waited till he hit around 30 and then began to walk around healing, preaching, telling stories and challenging people.

It’s a mystery to me what Jesus saw when he saw people.

It’s a mystery to me why he healed this person and must have walked by other people who needed healing.

There is a story in the Gospel of Mark that takes place in the city of Bethsaida. Jesus heals a blind man. Jesus puts spit in the man’s eyes. Interesting. Then Jesus puts his hands on the man and asks him, “Can you see anything?” The man says he can see people but they look like trees. [Mark 8: 22-26]

To me it’s just like being in the eye doctor’s chair. They ask, “What do you see?”

I say, “I see blur.”

They do something and ask, “Is that better.”

I say, “Better.”

Well the blind man says, “I see men as trees – but they are moving.”

Jesus puts his hands on the man’s eyes again and he starts to see clearly. Everything is exact and distinct.

Why didn’t Jesus heal the blind man right away – like he does in the other blind man stories in the gospels?

I don’t know.

It’s a mystery.

Well, thinking about today’s gospel, at times I think Jesus saw people as trees – and some of them were doing nothing. They were trees that were just taking up space. Walk through any forest and you’ll see trees like that. Well, there are people who are like trees that are not producing – and those who know them – want to write them off – "dis" them.

But in this story Jesus gives this tree a second chance.

That’s why I love this story and love Jesus.

Jesus gives second chances.

Why?

It’s a mystery.




This is a homily for our young people's Sunday evening mass on the 3rd Sunday in Lent, C, March 7, 2010

P.S. This Monday morning, March 8th, 2010, I was looking for something online from NPR Radio - and surprise I found a neat 5 minute piece from March 5th - that has as its ending - some of what I'm saying in this homily. If you use Google as your search engine, type in the following: "NPR Weekend Edition - Poverty and Chastity for Every Occasion."