JUST WATCHING
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Just Sitting, Just Watching.”
That’s what Jesus does in today’s gospel. Here’s how Mark
put it, “Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put
money into the treasury.”
Jesus just sat there. Jesus just watched there.
If I read the gospels correctly, if I read the life of
Christ correctly, he did a lot of just sitting there and watching there.
I think that’s where he got his wisdom. That’s where he got
his observations about life. That’s where he got some of his parables. That’s
where he got his insights. Just sitting. Just watching.
The tradition is that he didn’t start his public life till
he was around 30. So I sense he sat in synagogues and the carpenter shop and
watched. I sense he sat in some spot near the marketplace and leaned against a
wall and watched. I sense he watched the birds of the air and the flowers of
the field - along with grapes and wheat - and how they became bread and wine. I
wonder if he saw merchants cheating with the scales - and merchants who loved
to give the extra. Did he see a women dragged
to the elders so that she would be stoned to death for adultery - and the man gets away
with it? Did he see the Romans crucify someone along some road as a warning?
How about you? How good are you at sitting? How good are you
at watching? Where is your best classroom? What are your insights so far? Where
do you love to sit and watch? Is it the mall? Is it the beach? Is it at church?
Is it an art museum. Did you ever just sit there and watch the people watch the
paintings?
The title of my homily is, “Just Sitting, Just Watching.”
TODAY’S GOSPEL
In today’s gospel Jesus spots a poor widow coming into the
temple and putting two small coins worth a few cents into the poor box or
whatever box it was. He noticed the others coming in - and making a big show of
what they were putting into the temple treasury. He noticed that they were
noticed. He must of watched the self satisfied glow on the faces of the givers
- as well as the “wows” of the watchers - and the non-noticing of the poor and
the little people.
Jesus calls his disciples over and says, “See that poor widow - she just put in
more than all the other contributors to the treasury. She gave from her
poverty; they gave from their surplus wealth.”
Did he watch their facial reactions to that comment?
Someone remembered that moment and told that story and Mark
got his hands on the story - for all of us down through the centuries to sit
there and see it and watch it in our own minds - and see if we can take on
Jesus’ take on life.
Jesus also saw the scribes. They are the ones who had
education. They could read and write. They are the ones with the long robes -
and the ones who got lots of recognition - and places and seats of honor - in
public.
I love the humor in the Church making us priests read this gospel text - we who have the long
robes on - and get the comfy fat cat seat up front here in the sanctuary - and
get recognition in the mall or Adam’s Rib - “Hi Father!” They make us read this
reading out loud. Did anyone see my face as I read it? Did they see a “Gotcha!”
in the wrinkles?
You can learn a lot by just sitting and watching. You can
learn a lot by sitting and reading the scripture texts and try to figure out
the scene and the situation - where Jesus noticed something he would talk about
later.
HOW ABOUT US?
How about us? Where do we get our Ph. D’s in how life works?
Sitting here in church is not too bad as a place to watch.
Being priest I have great chances to see - if only I can
learn.
Up front - here - I see a lot.
Like at weddings - I notice the moment when the bridegroom
is the last man standing. The maid of honor has come down the aisle - the best
man has left the bridegroom - and gone down the steps to meet her and bring her up into the sanctuary. Then there
is the pause. It’s a great pause - the moment that a lot of people have been
waiting for. Sometimes a bride says she’s be waiting for that moment since she
was a little girl. Then there is the music, “Here comes the bride” or what have you and the bride and her
dad come down the aisle. It’s at that moment the bridesmaids standing in the
front row - facing the back - along with everyone else - turn. I’ve noticed that they turn to see the
face of the husband to be - when he sees his wife to be -coming down the aisle
- dressed in beauty - usually with her
dad. A picture is worth a thousand words. That moment - that scene - is worth
10,000 words.
Is that the most beautiful she’ll ever be in her whole life?
Yes and no? Do the bridesmaids want to see the joy in the bridegroom’s face? Of
course and 10,000 more things. If the bridesmaids are married, do they remember
their day? If they are not married, do they long for that day?
I see the face of the father of the bride - walking down the
aisle with his daughter. I have learned that’s one of the 5 top moments in a
father’s life. At that moment I always remember what a dad said to me here at a
wedding at St. Mary’s. “Five years ago I was diagnosed with cancer and was told
it was terminal. I said, ‘No way. I’m going to live to walk my daughter down
the aisle for her wedding.’” Then he
added, “In this same church I walked her down the aisle in my arms for her
baptism.” He told me this Friday evening at the rehearsal. I watched his face
and his glow and his tears and his pride the next day at the wedding.
The title of my homily is, “Just Sitting. Just Watching.”
We have a lot of funerals and weddings here at St. Mary’s.
During the eulogy at a funeral - during the readings at a wedding - I look out
and look at faces. I figure that there are many here who are not Catholic or
have dropped out of church. What are they thinking? What goes through their
mind at a funeral, a wedding, a Mass? Are they here? Are they somewhere else?
I see little kids loving the moment of putting a dollar bill
or the envelope in the basket. When I was a kid it was 2 cents if that.
What’s going on inside people’s minds when they get back to
their bench after communion? I’ve observed lots of folks just sitting back at
Baptisms - wondering - wondering -
wondering. When I see them, I wonder about what they are wondering.
CONCLUSION
The title of my homily is, “Just Sitting. Just Watching.”
I love airports and when I come to a red lights in a car -
if it’s a busy intersection - with lots of people on the sidewalks. It gives me
a chance to look around. I love to watch families - and couples and singles -
folks at McDonald’s or Storm Brother’s Ice Cream or where have you.
There’s a learning moment there. A priest told me he was at
a restaurant and he looked over and saw a family - a mom and a dad - and two
kids. They all had their heads bowed in prayer. And he thought to himself,
“Nice. Praise God!” Then he saw all four looked up when the waitress came to
their table and all four had cell phones in hand. What’s the learning there?
There’s sight and there is insight.
Homework: what are your 5 biggest insights about life so
far. Share them with each other - face to face - eyeball looking into eyeball.
NOTES:
Painting on top: James A. Christensen - 1988 - The Widow's Mites
