HALF DEAD
OR FULLY ALIVE?
OR FULLY ALIVE?
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Half Dead or Fully Alive?”
10 QUESTIONS
Here is a self-test of 10 questions – that hopefully triggers some inner itches – inner movement – inner hopes – inner awareness – inner jumps and jump starts in one’s spiritual life:
1) Which words better describe me, “Half Dead” or “Fully Alive”? or, “It all depends”?
2) Of all the people I have met in my lifetime, is there anyone who really intrigued me – because they seemed to have the secret of life – so much energy – compassion – wisdom – love – or smarts? Please explain.
3) Is there any person I’ve met that I’m glad, I’m not that person? Ooooh! That’s an “Oooh!" and "Oh no!” question.
4) What were the ten top or ten key moments in my life so far – roads I’ve taken – roads I haven’t taken – roads I should have taken? That’s sort of the same as bridges I crossed, bridges I burned – bridges I built – but in today’s gospel, the image is a road.
5) What have I figured out about life so far? Secrets? Learnings? What was the source, cause, trigger of each secret or learning? Meeting the right person or wrong person? Moving to ____? Working at _____? Going to school or going back to school? Funeral? Wedding? Book? Movie? Song? Experience? Hurt? Celebration? Vacation? Talk? Sermon? [Please God at least one sermon in a lifetime – had something that hit me.]
6) Am I glad to be the age I am – and love most moments of the life I’m living today?
7) What gives me life and what kills or drains or wipes me out?
8) Have I ever been half-dead – and someone or something happened that brought me back to life? Please explain.
9) Have I ever brought someone who was half-dead back to life?
10) Have I ever thought about writing my autobiography? What would be the chapters? What would be the title? What would be the sections I would love to write about? What would be the chapters I would be nervous writing about? Would anyone want to read my story? Do I have some people whom I would want to read my story?
So that’s my 10 question self-test. If one or two questions grabbed you, great – and if you want to look at them slowly, I’ll put all this on my blog. Just go to St. Mary’s Parish Annapolis Web Site – under "Religious Education" or in the Google search box, type, "Reflections by the Bay."
TODAY’S GOSPEL
I began this homily with questions, because today’s gospel has a scholar of the law standing up to question Jesus.
He asks Jesus a question: “Teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus asks him two questions in return. This is basic rabbinic give and take. Jesus asks him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”
The scholar of the law answers, “You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus says, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”
In reply, the scholar asks Jesus another question. “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus answers with what some call the most important story in the scriptures – or in the world: the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
It’s the Golden Rule in story form and the Golden Rule is in all the major religions. It’s very simple. I'm a tiny bit nervous, because as I reflect upon our first reading for today from Deuteronomy [30:10-14], I just hope I don't gum this basic story up with my complicated questions.
Then notice Jesus ends the parable with a question: “Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”
And the man answers, “The one who treated him with mercy.”
Then Jesus says, “Go and do likewise.”
THREE PERSONAL STORIES
First story. I am in New York City – in the main office of the Post Office. I’m with one of my nieces and we’re in this big room where there are about 30 desks – and every desk has a person who is very quiet and motionless. My brother, who worked for the Post Office out of Washington D.C., was working on changeover process for this department. He had asked us to meet him there and he gave us a tour of the place – and then go out to eat. It’s about 3:53 in the afternoon. My brother points to a big clock on the wall and says to me, “If you ever have anyone say to you that they don’t believe in resurrection, tell them what you are about to see in 7 minutes. That clock is going to hit 4 PM and you’re going to see the dead come back to life.”
Second story. I’m in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, and it’s my first year on a job called, “Novice Master.” I began to notice every morning after prayer, we’d all march downstairs for breakfast, and all 22 novices would be rather drowsy, dead, or sleep walking. However, on Saturday mornings, especially if there was a trip to Chicago or Madison or Milwaukee, those going would be fully alive and bouncing. There was a message there for me. It’s the title of my homily for today. “Half dead or fully alive?”
Third story. I’m stationed in a parish in New York City – Manhattan – the Lower East Side. It’s my first assignment. An old lady, Josie Miller, who was called a “shut in” – a horrible phrase – had called me. I went to see her and she told me about a little girl over on the West Side of Manhattan who was being abused by a couple who were supposed to caring for her. I think the guy was her father. She gives me the address. Not knowing anything, I go there and get in. I tell them someone told me to visit them. As I’m sitting there I hear the cry of a child in the bathroom. I go to the door – it’s opened. I walk in and there is this little girl sitting – crying with beating marks on her body – naked and in feces. I walk out and tell the couple I’m going to call social services as soon as I get home. This was before cell phones. I did and the little girl was removed. I never followed up – other than Josie telling me the little girl was in a foster home and is doing okay. What ever happened to her? What ever happened to those who didn't care for her and those who did care for her? That was around 1968.
BACK TO TODAY’S GOSPEL
Was that a true story in today’s gospel? Scripture scholars tell about that road from Jerusalem to Jericho being very dangerous. When I was in Israel in January 2000 one of my hopes was that our bus would take the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. We were told that if there was no report for rain, we would take that road. We did – but in the opposite direction – from Jericho to Jerusalem. It was dangerous looking. It was narrow, twisty, and in many places, it had high banks of tan sandy dirt on both sides – and no shoulder on the road. Obviously bandits could leap off the sides right on top of anyone they wanted to rob. Except for macadam, the road looked like it was the same road for the past 2000 years at least.
CONCLUSION TO THIS HOMILY
The story of the Samaritan has many conclusions – and I’ve preached on it many times in many ways. In this homily for today I am asking you to see yourself on that road – in the story of your life from the place you were born to the place you’re headed.
Ten questions – or one question: Which of the persons in the story are you? Surprise! I didn’t know there were 10 persons in the story.
1) Have I ever been robbed – beaten up – gypped – fired – dumped and left half dead?
2) Have I ever robbed or hurt someone else – robbing them of their money, name, reputation or what have you?
3) Have I ever experienced a priest ignoring me – passing or rushing by me – not having time for me?
4) Have I ever experienced others ignoring me – or have I been the one ignoring someone – because I’m too busy or other things are too important for me to stop and help this person?
5) Have I ever been The Good Samaritan – the stranger – the one the priests and Levites wouldn’t talk to – and I stopped because I was moved with compassion and poured oil and wine over someone’s wounds and bandaged them and put that person on my donkey and took that person to an inn and cared for him or her.
6) Have I ever been The Inn Keeper whom the Samaritan gave two silver coins to the next day and said, “Take care of this person and if you spend more than I have given you, I will repay you on my way back.” Haven’t we all seen people in our life who have cared for others – aging parents, street people, etc.
7) Am I like the scholar of the law filled with questions – testing God and Jesus?
8) Am I united – in communion – with Jesus who went up that same road to Jerusalem and ended up being beaten up and killed himself? Am I in communion with this Jesus described and proclaimed in today's second reading so powerfully - Jesus who brings us into communion with the invisible God and invisible neighbor - into the fullness of creation - by pouring the blood of the cross into all wounds. [Re-read today's 2nd reading from Colossians 1:15-20]
9) Am I someone who has experienced being loved by another with all their heart, will all their being, with all their strength and with all their mind – a spouse, a parent, a child, a teacher, a neighbor?
10) Am I someone who has tried to love their neighbor with all their heart, will all their being, with all their strength and with all their mind?
Painting on top: The Good Samaritan (after Delacroix) - by Vincent Van Gogh - San Remy, May 1890
