A solitary tree atop a mountain rises
straight against a cloudless sky, and I remember
what the medieval painters would have seen:
a cross devoid of depth, flat from head to foot,
from nail to bloody nail, all lines of vision ending
in the innocent agony of a dying man.
We can’t say what they saw was mere distortion
(any serf knew well the depth of hill and sky);
nor can we say they saw no beauty in the world
(like us they loved lush color, reds and blues and yellows
split by smoke twisting up through icy air).
We can only say they knew too well the limits
of the flesh and caught on stark flat surfaces the truth
that haunts me now in the cold fields of November.
The title of my homily for this feast of the Apostles –
Simon and Jude – is, “Welcome! Does Anyone Here Know Me and My Name?”
That’s the theme that hit me from today’s readings.
The Gospel has Jesus calling 12 people by name.
They were nobodies till somebody named Jesus – called
them by name.
This unknown God – this unknown person named Jesus - went
up on a mountain in the night and prayed with his Father – all night - and when day came he called his disciples
around him and from them he chose 12 by name.
What was that like – to hear one’s name called – by Jesus?
What’s it like to hear Jesus call me by name? “Esther,
Edith, Eileen, Evelyn, Eddie, Edgerton” or whatever our name is.
The First Reading from Ephesians says
we are no longer strangers and sojourners – but we’re fellow citizens with the
holy ones and members of the household of God.
We’re part of the structure – the temple built upon the Apostles and
prophets – with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
And this temple – this church – is still being built. We’re
still in process.
Not bad – we Christians are connected – well connected
with each other – with Christ to cap us all off.
LONELY AND
ALL ALONE
Yet, in spite of all that, sometimes we feel all alone – not at home – out of
sorts - not connected with anyone –
anyone at all. Honestly, that’s how we feel at times.
Loneliness is not being alone – but feeling all alone.
Sometimes a person can be all by herself or himself – and
not feel lonely.
And as someone said, “Sometimes loneliness is being in a room full of people
and not knowing or being know by any one of them.”
To some the most important part of Mass is communion.
To some that means it’s just me – myself – and I – and
the bread – and the wine – and I don’t notice or know those in the benches – or
on the line – or with me in community.
To some communion means being in community – to be in
eyesight – [Spell:]EYESIGHT – as well as in I-sight –[Spell:] I-SIGHT – as well as
we-sight [Spell:]WE-SIGHT - with
the people right here with me in this church or in a room or house or work
space. They know me by name and some even know me – and when I come to worship
God – I come to be in communion with Jesus in the bread and in the body of the
bodies with me here in church.
I’m not just – just another me – I’m a we.
I’m connected.
We are the Body of Christ – member with member – Amen!
A COUPLE
A couple told me once, “I’ve been in the parish 8 years
now and no priest” – and then they added “Nobody ever really welcomed us.”
After that I try to say welcome from the pulpit and the
parking lot – in the back of church and in the corridor.
Once I said “Welcome!” to one lady. “Uh oh!” It seemed
she got ticked at me – as she said, “I’m been in this parish all my life.”
Sorry to say I hadn’t really seen her ever before.
That’s a lonely feeling when one thinks one just put
one’s foot in one’s mouth – or one feels the other doesn’t know where one is
coming from.
It’s nice to be known by name and by face – voice and
wrinkles – eye or eye brows – smile or scowl - and even more by glimpses of
one’s personality.
There’s an advantage to sitting in the same bench in
church when one comes to pray – and comes for communion. There’s also an
advantage in moving around and shaking hands in peace with those we don’t know.
Communion – community – connecting - connections –
feeling at home is the greatest of one’s richnesses.
And the opposite can be true. As Mother Teresa once put it, “Loneliness
is the most terrible poverty.”
CONCLUSION
Today is the feast of Saints Simon and Jude – two disciples
of Jesus – called by him by name.
I don’t know about you – but I fail regularly in not knowing
another’s name – as well as being welcoming.
I guess the challenge is to keep working on it and maybe
someone who feels like a hopeless case – will finally feel at home with others
– starting with us. Amen.
SEARCHING FOR _____?
Poem for Tuesday - October 28, 2014
YOU HAVE NO NAME
you have no name, no form
when satisfied, you’re like nothingness
when unhappy, you’re perceived as pain
in a breeze, a landscape
in memories snatches of melody, certain phrases
brief flowering and fading
blood and tears
the simple ocean, useless stars
and warm-bodied mammals
you are the beloved
you made and you shattered my soul
caused me to be born by chance in this world
to seek you out
and to die at last a willing death
The title of my homily for this 30th Monday in
Ordinary Time is, “18 Years Crippled in Spirit.”
I reflect on the story of the lady in today’s gospel –
Luke 13: 10-17. She has been crippled for 18 years. Her story connects me to
the story of the man in the gospel of John – Chapter 5: 1-9 - who has been sick
for 38 years.
I find it fascinating that numbers are given: 18 years
and 38 years.
TWO KINDS OF BEING
CRIPPLED
There are all kinds of problems – sicknesses – struggles.
Today let me say there are two kinds of struggles,
sicknesses, problems – two ways of being crippled.
The first type are immediate problems – short term set-backs
– like the flu – like a broken glass – like a sunburn. They are not forever.
A person has a car accident…. A person says the wrong thing
…. A person loses his or her wallet…. A person
walks into the edge of an open cabinet in the kitchen and gets a cut or
even a black eye.
Those problems are nothing compared to the second type of
problems. These are the lifetime struggles: like having bad lungs or eyes or
deep anger or depression or lust or jealousy or alcoholism or inferiority
feelings.
SHOW ME
Everyone has a bottom drawer - or the top back of a closet – or a place
under a bed or where have you – where they keep their secret long term –
lifetime problems – sins – worries – hurts – mistakes.
The lady in today’s gospel is stooped over for 18 years.
The man in the gospel of John that I mentioned keeps crawling back over and
over again to the healing water pool at Bethsaida – for 38 years.
When we see someone hurting, bent over, in bed forever,
needing a walker or wheelchair, doesn’t our heart go out to/for them?
Don’t we admire their patience and perseverance? Don’t we wish we or
someone could heal them? Don’t we love those feel good stories or pieces on the
evening news or YouTube – when someone is healed by a new process or what have
you?
Well, Jesus sees this woman who is bent over for 18 years
– and has pity for her – and heals her – just as he healed the man in John’s
gospel who was handicapped for 38 years. Praise God.
AS PRIEST
As priest – and I’ve heard this from many priests – that we feel worthwhile –
it makes being a priest seem like a great life choice - when someone comes to us to talk about a
lifelong problem – and they want to be healed if possible – or listened to….
They have been bent out of shape. They have been bent over, worn down - they feel rotten,
because they are holding onto a hurt from someone else – it could be abuse –
for 18 or 38 years – and they finally talk to someone.
Or it could be something they did wrong.
The Seal of Confession – the absolute secrecy of the Sacrament of
Reconciliation – certainly helps.
I’ve heard many people through the years go “phew” in the
dark other side of a confession box – because they’ve come to confess what’s
been wearing them down for years. It could be stealing. It could be an affair.
It could be a sexual mistake. It could be a lie. It could be a family apartheid.
It could be being dropped or someone broke
our secret or what have you – years and years ago and we can’t seem to let the
hurt go – or to forgive the other.
And in this sacrament, this sacred sign from Jesus, Jesus
heals them – forgives them or helps them forgive the one who hurt or abused or
cut them. Not easy.
CONCLUSION
The title of my homily is, “18 Years Crippled In Spirit.”
That could be me – my story.
Today’s first reading from Ephesians 4: 32 to 5: 8 – is worth
going through again. It begins with these words:
Brothers and sisters:
Be kind to one another, compassionate,
forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.
It then gives various problems, sins, addictions, struggles, that can be
long time long term, sicknesses, hurts or what have you, for many
people.
The Gospel – the Good News for today says they can be
healed – our spirits lifted – even if we’ve been down for 18 or 38 of 58 years and
we can walk away – renewed – forgiven – by the kindness and compassion of our
Lord and Savior and Redeemer.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Painting on top: Woman Sick for 18 Years by James Tissot, c. 1890
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