HOW FAR  AM I FROM 

THE KINGDOM OF GOD?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time B is, “How Far Am I From The Kingdom of God?”

TODAY’S GOSPEL

The second last sentence in today’s gospel is a statement from Jesus. Jesus says to the scribe, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” [Cf. Mark 12: 28b to 34]

The last sentence in today’s gospel is, “And no one dared to ask him any more questions.”

In this homily I’m daring each of us to ask Jesus this question: “How Far Am I From The Kingdom of God?”

This could lead to another question:  “Just what is this Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven that you, Jesus, are often talking about?”

If you’ve ever left the United States for a vacation or a trip, you know the feeling on returning of coming to the custom’s desk - usually at the airport - or at the border - and you pass your passport over to an officer. You stand there as he or she looks at your passport - your picture - you - and then a computer screen. Then there is a pause. Then there is that wonderful message, “Welcome home!” You’re back in the good old U.S.A.  Then you get home and you come into your house and you feel, “It’s good to be home.”

So we know when we’re home. We know when we’re in our own state and when we are in our country.

But do we know when are we in this kingdom of heaven that the scribe in today’s gospel is not far from?

Would Jesus say to us: “Welcome home. You’re in the kingdom?” or would Jesus say, “You’re not far from the kingdom of God” or would he say, “You’re far from the kingdom of God”?

That question is the gut and the genesis of this  homily.

THE KINGDOM: NOT ONE OF OUR USUAL STATES OF MIND

On a scale of one to ten, ten being the highest and best, if we were asked, "How good am I as a member of God’s kingdom?".  most of us would become silent.

I don’t hear myself or most of us using that word "kingdom" or asking that question. However, we do see ourselves or identify ourselves as being members of various other kinds of categories:

       o       Ravens or Redskins or Steelers Fan

       o       Marylander

       o       Catholic

       o       Christian

       o       Independent, Democrat, Republican

       o       Annapolitan

       o       Married, Single

       o       Rich, Poor, Middle Class

       o       American - American citizen

                                     

We could possibly rate ourselves on a scale of one to ten on those categories - but how good are we as a member of the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven?

I know I hesitate when I think about this question - because I’m not that sure of the criteria. There are no t-shirts to wear, bumper stickers to put on our car, games to watch, coffee mugs to drink from - with the words, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

I’ve heard people say from time to time, “I’m not that good a Catholic!”  Or “I try to be a good Christian.” To say that implies we have an idea in mind what constitutes a good Catholic and a good Christian and we sort of know how we’re doing.

Then there is that “uh oh!” state we wonder about - if we’re living in it: the state of grace. That’s an “Uh oh!” We have glimpses of what that is all about.

But today I’m preaching about being in the state or mystery called, “the Kingdom of God”.

If we read the Gospels we often hear about being a member of the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of heaven.

What’s it like to be in that kingdom - so we can compare ourselves to the model - or get an estimate on how we’re doing?

I don’t know if the scribe in today’s gospel wanted to enter Jesus’ group or Jesus’ view or Jesus way of doing life. I don’t know if the scribe - meaning someone who was educated - understood what the Kingdom of God meant.

Another question: fill in the blank.  I see myself mainly as a ___________?

I think that’s a great question - hey I made it up. I would think that what we fill in that blank with would tell us a lot about ourselves.

Would the answer be “human being”. I see myself mainly as one more human being on this planet and there are lots of us. Or would we fill in the blank with one of these words as our #1 answer on how I mainly see myself: mother, father, husband, wife, plumber, lawyer, accountant, kid, teacher, lover, friend, Christian, Catholic, son, daughter, grandparent, cancer survivor, lonely, satisfied, rich, lucky , blessed.

If we come up with the #1 way we see ourselves, then we could rate ourselves on a scale of 1 to 10 - 10 being the highest and the best.

IN THIS HOMILY

In this homily I want to push and press for the category of being a kingdom member as a possibility for how we see ourselves.

In today’s gospel we hear about a scribe - someone without a name. For starters we only know that he can read and write. Then we find out that he asks Jesus a big question: “Which is the first of all the commandments?” 

Had he been watching Jesus? Did he hear about Jesus? Did Mark put this question in here because all of us down deep ask that question all the time - and most of the time - without knowing we’re asking it?

What’s it all about? Where am I? How am I doing? God - are you satisfied with how I’m living my life? Oh my God, I’m scared about all this down deep at times.

And Jesus answers the man by quoting the Shema - the great commandment to Israel: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”

The Shema - the Great Commandment - which we also heard in today's first reading from Deuteronomy 6: 4-5 was put on a tiny piece of parchment - rolled up - and put in a tiny box - the Mezuzah - and that was nailed to one’s door frame - as a reminder. Here’s the plan. Here’s the message. Here’s the key. Here's how to live life.

Then Jesus added a second commandment - also from the Jewish Scriptures: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” [Cf. Leviticus 19:18b]

Public speakers often say, “If you can’t put your message on a matchbook cover or a calling card, you don’t know your message!”

There it is - there’s the plan. There’s a plan. And it can fit on a tiny piece of paper.

But does it put us in the kingdom of God? Does it put a smile on God’s face when we live that plan, that message? Does it put us in the state of grace? Will that bring us basic joy?

We have to answer these questions. We have to spell out the implications of the two great commandments Jesus mentions in today’s gospel. We have to score ourselves on how well we are doing.

The metaphor or image or word I like for the Kingdom is Dream. The Kingdom is the Dream of God for all his children for all creation.[1]

CONCLUSION

My goal for this homily today was just to ask the question - and to ask each of us to put ourselves in the skin of the scribe. We can read and write. We can listen. We can think.

Asking ourselves if we are members of the kingdom - widens the circle.

We know we’re members of the Church? We know we’re members of a parish - state - country. But being a member of the Kingdom - now that’s mystery - that’s wider. That challenges us to see the Church as a means to bring us into the Kingdom of God. [2] It makes the head person not the pope - or bishop - or priest - or who have you - but God our Father - and Jesus as our Teacher as he is in today’s gospel - at other times he’s our High Priest - as we heard in today’s second reading. It focuses that the scriptures, the writings, the Church, it’s teachings and teachers, are to challenge and help us to enter into the kingdom - which Jesus describes in many images and ways.

It also widens the circle to include all people - all religions - and all ways of life.

I picture the scribe in today’s gospel walking away thinking about that last statement from Jesus, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” What happened to him next? Did that comment from Jesus crush him or help him to become creative and enter into the kingdom of God - even it meant squeezing through the eye of a needle - walking the narrow way - move from being a goat to becoming a sheep - coming back and entering a Christian community?

We don’t know what happened to the scribe, but we can know what’s happening to us. Amen. 

NOTES

[1] Cf. The God We Never Knew by Marcus J. Borg, Harper San Francisco, 1997, pages 141-155; 133-137; 100; also read once more the "I Have A Dream Speech" by Martin Luther King Jr. August 28, 1963. It can be found on Google by just typing in, "I Have A Dream Speech," Martin Luther King Jr.

[2] Cf. Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Documents of Vatican Council II, # 45; Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church, Documents of Vatican Council II, #1

THY KINGDOM COME 

ON EARTH AS IT IS 

IN HEAVEN

Quote for Today - November 4,  2012

"If only we knew how to look at life as God sees it, we should realize that nothing is secular in the world, but everything contributes to the building of the Kingdom of God."

Michel Quoist

A SENSE OF COLOR

Do those who are blind from birth

make up for not having the gift

of seeing colors by having the gift

of hearing differing tones -  sensing

so many varying  sounds - or having

the gift of  and acute sense of feeling 

so many differences in the things 

we touch and feel: hardness, softness, 

dry, wet, cold,hot, this, that? 

In the meanwhile those of us 

who have the gift of sight

hopefully we see and celebrate

the rainbow of colors in the things

around us - seeing the blendings and twirls

and fadings and shadings on walls and

skin and flowers and all the colorful wonders

of this great big world we live in. Amen.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2012

COLORS

Quote for Today - November 3, 2012

“Why do two colors, put one next to the other, sing? Can one really explain this? no. Just as one can never learn how to paint.” 

Pablo Picasso

ORANGE

Orange: a notice me color….

Orange: highway cones and life vests….

An orange: delicious - great packaging -

encasing tasty pulp and juice

and vitamins - for the taker to enjoy

Orange: the sun sometimes -

the burning center of energy

for our earth - round - a circle.

Some of those ancients

had to have figured out this earth

was round - round like an orange -

round like the  moon as well -

sun, moon, both rolling across our ceiling.

Orange: - (a) the color of  passion 

but also (b) the color of rust. 

I prefer a - not b. Either way - orange -

the message is,  “Hey look at me!” 

© Andy Costello Reflections 2012

ORANGE

Quote for Today - November 2, 2012

"The majority of painters, because they aren't colorists, do not see yellow, orange or sulphur in the South (of France) and they call a painter mad if he sees with eyes other than theirs."

Vincent van Gogh, The Night Cafe, 1888, in Yale University

LIFE AFTER DEATH? 

IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for All Saints Day is, “Life After Death? It Makes a Difference.” 

This might sound like a homily for tomorrow: All Souls Day - because I address the question of life after death - which is at the heart of All Souls Day.

There are three kinds of people: those who believe in life after death; those who don’t believe there is life after death; and those who are so so, either or - or don’t know for sure - or don't think about it that often.

It makes a difference in one’s attitudes, one’s psyche, one’s behavior, one’s thoughts and feelings for here and now depending on what we believe about whether there is life after death or what have you?

Which of the 3 categories do you put yourself into? I don’t know about you - but I pause before answering that question.

Scientifically I don’t know. Physically I don’t know. My skin is already flaking a bit at times. I have my questions and my doubts. I smile, because if there is nothing after this life, then I’ll never know.

However, if there is life, I will enter into eternity as someone who is in the group of those who believe by faith in life after death.

Now I can’t prove there is life after death - but I can know there is life after death - by faith.

There are philosophers and theologians and writers who hold that there is  life after death. They say things like:  “We find believe in life after death in all cultures, therefore if it’s a human instinct, therefore there has to be life after death.”

Mark Link in his Homily Series gives this example: “Years ago Peter Berger wrote a best-selling book called, A Rumor of Angels. In the book, Berger speaks of ‘signals of transcendence.’ A signal of transcendence is something in this life that points to something beyond this life.  One of these signals of transcendence is the hunger in this life that points for something more than this world can offer.”

We can go there. That can help.  I find myself simply going to the gift of faith that I have received from my mom and dad and parish and Church and say, “I believe in eternal life with God.”

I make that leap of faith. And I’m assuming that God will catch me when I make that jump.  The image I like to use is this. It’s winter. It has snowed. The city sidewalks are  mushy black  and white snow and ice. I come to end of the sidewalk - so as to step down and cross the street. But there is melting water and snow and ice right there at that curb - and if I want to cross the street I have to make a leap - and hope I don’t land on ice and fall on my butt. Faith is coming to that point - but it’s night - and we don’t know how far away that street is across over  the melting ice, water, slush and snow at that corner.

I have to believe I’m going to make it. Faith is the belief that God is out there in the dark and he’s going to catch me when I jump into and across  dark slushy, icy, cold, unknown on the other side death.

CHRISTIAN BELIEF

A central belief - a central teaching - for the Christian is that there is life after death - and Jesus’ is the key - the other side. We believe that Jesus rose from the dead. In fact, as St. Paul puts it, if Christ didn’t rise from the dead, we Christians are a bunch of fools because we base everything on that.

The Creed till last Advent had “We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God.... We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.”

After last First Sunday of Advent the wording was changed from “We” to “I” - to get it exactly like the Latin, “Credo” “I believe”. I prefer the “we” because we’re all in this together. However, the benefit of the “I” as in “I believe” and “Credo” is that each of us has to face these basic faith beliefs - and speak up for me, myself and I.

So today for All Saints Day I’m asking the question: “Life After Death? It Makes a Difference.”

For starters I believe by faith that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is living again after he died on the cross. Jesus is the key. That’s the core or our faith in life after death.

That goes for Christians.  Catholic Christians add all those who have died and are with the God. Today’s first reading from the Book of Revelation give numbers - 144,000 and then the great multitude that can’t be counted - and that’s the group I hope I’m going to be marching into heaven with.

Some Christians think something is wrong with the Catholic tradition and the Catholic belief in saints with a small “s” and a capital “S”. I haven’t talked to many of them on this. I sense they think we bypass Jesus and go to Mary and / or Saints.

We’ve all seen people come into Mass - or into church - and from all appearances bypass Jesus and go to the picture of Mary or a statue or picture of a Saint - and then walk out.  I’ve learned to say to myself, “It’s none of my business. I don’t know what’s going on in the mind of this person. I don’t know their story.”

Moreover - because of the Catholic Tradition of Mary and the Saints - I think having saints - known and unknown - as part of our faith life is wonderful. Their example - their living out the gospels - their prayers for us - hopefully all help.

Some of these saints - small “s” and capital “S” we know by name - St. Paul and St. Francis of Assisi - St. Catherine of Siena and St. Teresa of Avila - as well as grandparents - neighbors - friends - who were all around wonderful - generous - giving folks.

CONCLUSION: ONE CRUCIAL QUESTION

The title of my homily is, “Life After Death? It Makes a Difference.”

In other words: “Would my life be any different if I thought this life was it - and when I die, I die for good - for ever.”

In other words: “Does a belief in a Heaven and a Hell after this life make a difference in how I live this life now?"  Or another way of asking this same question is to read Matthew 25: 31-46 - The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats - and Luke 16-19-31 - The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Then  ask, “Do these 2 parables make a difference in how I live my life here because both have implications for my hereafter?”

P.S. If this homily didn’t make any sense or didn’t grab you, I hope the following will grab you. I received an e-mail from my sister Peggy who is a nun. She simply said, “Happy All Saints Day. I said a prayer to my two favorite saints for you today: Mom and Dad.”

OOOOOOO

Engraving on top: Dante Among the Slothful, Gustave Dore, c. 1868