"The small-town boy who gone to fame and fortune decided to visit his birthplace after a 20 year absence, so he could gloat a little over his boyhood friends and surviving relatives. "Half expecting an official greeting and a turnout of the town band, he arrived at high noon. Looking out the train window he saw empty streets, the same sleepy central square, and the old railroad station broiling in the sun.
"Getting off his train, his suitcase in his hand, he wandered over to the white-haired baggage handler and stood waiting for a sign of recognition and welcome. "The old man shuffled forward, squinted in the sun, and smiled. 'Hello, Jimmy,' he said. 'Going away?'" Somebody
Monday, August 26, 2013
ANGER
Quote for today - August 29, 2013
“Every time you lose your temper you advertise yourself.”
Anonymous
MISTAKES
Quote for today - August 28, 2013
“If tombstones told the truth, everybody would wish to be
buried at sea.”
John W. Raper
REFORMERS
Quote for today - August 27, 2013
“A reformer is one who insists upon his conscience being
your guide.”
Town Journal
SECRETS
Quote for today - August 26, 2013
“Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead.”
Benjamin Franklin
Sunday, August 25, 2013
WILL MY NAME BE
ON A CARD
ON THE TABLE?
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, is, “Will My Name Be On A Card On The
Table?”
Have you ever been at a wedding banquet and you see the
table that has the cards with the names and the table of those who have been
invited and replied, “I’ll be there!” and you can’t find a card with your name
on it?
I do a lot of weddings and I often can’t give a “Yes” or a
“No” whether I can come to the wedding banquet.
The weekend schedule - with confessions and Masses can be tricky. I
like to do the prayer before the meal -
after the father of the bride’s speech -
if I can - and then escape - often because I got to get a homily written
for the morning - like this one. I was at a wedding banquet last night - and
didn’t escape till 9:30. Yet it was a great meal and I had some good
conversations.
But what I want to focus on in this homily is that table. I see that table with
the names and tables for the guests at every wedding and sometimes I see people with an “Uh oh!”
look on their face. There doesn’t seem to be a card for them.
TODAY’S GOSPEL
Well, when I read today’s gospel - Luke 13: 22-30 - I get that “Uh oh”
feeling.
When I die, when I get to heaven, please God, will there be
a table there outside the giant wedding banquet hall, and will my name be on a
card - with the table I have a place at?
When we start moving towards the end of the gospels, we
start to have these end time readings - and they often have “Uh oh!” feelings.
Today’s gospel has that theme and it’s only the 13th
Chapter of Luke. Last night I went through the upcoming Sunday gospels from Luke -
till the end of this church year. It seems that many have those “Uh oh!” challenging
feelings. They are wake up calls. They are asking if we are using our gifts and if we are aware of others. Luke seems to be saying: the clock is ticking; we’re getting closer to judgment times; take stock; wake up.
HERE OR HEREAFTER?
People are living a lot longer than 100 years ago - so I
suspect that’s why there aren’t as many sermons today about next life stuff -
as much as this life stuff.
Yet be reading for this theme that shows up in the our
readings - like today. Should we address them on a beautiful Sunday morning?
In today’s gospel we heard the bold question someone asks Jesus as he’s making
his way to Jerusalem,
“Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
I don't know about you. I know about me. That question gets me to make the
jump and ask the deepest question: “Will I be saved?”
As you know people call for a priest when they are starting
to get to their Jerusalem
- to what they or their family think might be the end of
their journey.
In today’s gospel as Jesus is heading for his Jerusalem experience,
Jesus tells us to strive to go through the narrow gate. He says many will come
to the gate - to the door - and it will be locked - and the Lord from inside
will say, “I don’t know where you are from. Depart from me you evildoers!”
I’m equating in this sermon that feeling of being locked out
- to the feeling one has standing there
- and we can’t find a card with our name and table on it.
That moment outside the big room at a wedding - and not
seeing a card with our name on it - seems however, to be much softer than the
words Jesus uses in today’s gospel.
We don’t want to die and hear God say, “I don’t know you.”
“I don’t know where you are from.” “Depart from me, all you evildoers.”
Next comes the bummer text in today’s gospel: “And there will be wailing and
grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets
in the kingdom and you yourself cast out.”
Then Jesus adds, “And people will come from the east and the
west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God. For behold, some are last who will
be first, and some who are first who will be last.” That text corresponds to today's first reading from Isaiah 66: 18-21 - where we find a big picture image of who's going to be saved: it's folks from all over the world - not just Israel - coming on horses and chariots, carts, mules and camels, heading towards Jerusalem, God's holy mountain.
UNDER THE TABLE
I assume that this deepest question, “Will I be saved?” or
“Will I make it?” or “Will I have a
place at the table?” or “Does God / or
will God know my name?” is always present - maybe under the table - but that
question is there.
When we sing the “When the Saints come marching in” song -
don’t we hesitate a tiny bit when we sing the words, “I want to be in their
number - when the Saints come marching in”? Will I?
WHO’S GOT THE LIST WITH THE NAMES? WHO DECIDES?
As just me, these things scare me from time to time? As priest, these things scare me when people ask me
these questions - many times. I don't know the answer. God does. And the key question is: "What is God like?"
I’m for the God described by Jesus in Luke 15. That’s my God. Not to be over dramatic, I remember a moment when I said to
God in prayer, “God the Father if you’re not like the God Your Son Jesus
describes in Luke 15, the hell with you.”
"Ooops," I went, when I said that. I put my hand to my mouth as if to shut myself up. Then I took my hand away and said it again to God: “God if you’re not like the
God Jesus describes in Luke 15 - the God in the story of the Shepherd going out after
the one lost sheep or the woman searching for the one lost coin or the father
waiting for the return of the prodigal son, then after I die, I’m going to go
in search of that God - the God our Lord Jesus describes.
But will I have a choice? What is God like? Is my picture of
God the correct picture of God?
MY PICTURE, MY IMAGE OF GOD
Then it hit me. That’s the question. Is my image of God,
God?
I have been wrong dozens and dozens of times about others -
so I assume that my image and likeness of God, is not God.
My prayer is that God is even more understanding - more loving - than I picture him. I hope he's more like my dad who was a piece of cake - and we
got away with murder - growing up.
However, I'm very aware that the scriptures have tough images of God. Yet they also have tender images of God. Spinach and donuts. CONCLUSION: TWO REDEMPTORISTS
When reflecting on all this, I think of two very different Redemptorists who preached here at St Mary’s
- two priests who were stationed here at St. Mary’s. I’m sure you have your
list of priests and others who had a different image of God than you had.
The first Redemptorist was Father Michael Mueller [1825-1899]- the fourth rector here at St. Mary’s. There
is a white plaque dedicated to him in the center vestibule on the way out of
this church. Check it out.
From what I read about him - he was a tough man - severe preacher and writer.
The books about our history say he wasn’t a great preacher - but he was a well
known writer - famous for the very theme of this homily - who’s going to be
saved. He was famous for his stress on the text: Outside the church there is no
salvation. [1] Only Catholics make it and they better be careful. Other Catholic
writers and authorities in his day got him silenced on this issue. It must be noted that it was a
different time and Protestant writers were putting us Catholics in hell as well - and that battle
has been going on for centuries.
The second Redemptorist was Father Francis X. Seelos [1819-1867] -
rector here at St. Mary’s before and after Father Mueller.[2] He was the man with
the sense of humor and joy. He was the person people would line up sometimes
around the block to go to confession to. We have him on a bench out in our Mary
Garden.
Father Michael Mueller is buried down in our cemetery - here
on Duke of Gloucester Street.
Father Seelos is buried down in New Orleans at his shrine. There is the same bench statue of him down there as here - but the one there has bars at the end of the bench. Our's is more inviting - just kidding New Orleans!
The literature says that Mueller was on Seelos’ case for
being such a joyful person. [3] I’ve read the literature and obviously I prefer
Seelos - especially when I see their faces in the pictures of them. Smile and
scowl. Yet I don’t know their souls. I don't know what their fathers were like - and down deep I don’t know God. But I hope God is more how I have discovered Him. [4]
One of these days I’ll find out. So when I die I’m hoping
Father Seelos will be there - sitting outside the wedding banquet hall on a
bench - and he says to me, “Andy, sit here while they are looking for your name.” NOTES: [1] Cf. The Catholic Dogma: Extra Ecclesiam Nullus Omnia Salvator [188] by Father Michael Mueller, C.SS.R. [2] Cf. St. Mary's Church in Annapolis, Maryland, A Sesquicentennial History, 1853-2003, by Robert. L. Worden, pages 116 - as well as 94 - as well as 53-56, etc. [3]Cf. "The Life of a Roving Redemptorist," by Father John Murray, C.SS.R.http://www.seelos.org/lifeArticle4a.html [4] Check out this You Tube on Bl. Francis Seelos, C.Ss.R.
BOTTOM LINE
Quote for Today - August 25, 2013 "The bottom line is in heaven." Edwin Herbert Land, 1977, Shareholders' Meeting, Polaroid Corporation., April 26, 1977 Comment: I've heard the phrase, "bottom line" - especially in reference to, "The buck stops here!" or "This is where I stand!" What does it mean in the above quote? Is it a call to having the deepest values - clear fairness and justice - when it comes to business? I don't know. At times - not knowing - hearing cryptic statements - can be very helpful.
