INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for the 21st Tuesday in
Ordinary time is, “Picky, Picky, Picky.”
It’s the theme that hit me from today’s gospel from
Matthew 23: 23-26. Jesus challenges the scribes and Pharisees for being off on
tithing for mint, dill and cumin and neglecting the weightier things of the
law: judgment and mercy and fidelity.
So a sermon on not being picky, picky, picky.
For the sake of transparency, I am a slob. When it comes
to details, I tend to avoid them. I’m not the type who likes picking up after
me. Being a bachelor is not all that bad.
I realize this isn’t always the best way to go. I don’t want hair in my food. I don’t want to
pick up too many bugs. And I know details are very important at times - like
being careful with Waterford glass and the pin in a hand grenade.
RELIGION
When it comes to religion, picky, picky, picky can become
a problem.
I’ve seen this when it comes to indulgences and
novenas. The goal is union and communion
with God - not getting every iddy biddy prayer - word perfect - exact number of
times - or what have you.
I’ve seen it with this year of the door of mercy. People
want to know which door is it - that you have to come through. I know Matthew talks about getting every
letter, every part of the letter of the
Law correct. If I was with Matthew at the Last Supper or any supper, I think I would
want to be at the other end of the table from him.
I like to tell the
story about the lady and the altar cloth. She was sitting at the end of her
bench in the main aisle - 3rd row. I was sitting off to the side -
during the readings - and I could see her face was uptight about something. It
was the altar cloth. It was not on straight. Sometimes I’ve see an altar cloth
with four tiny red crosses on it - to make the exact 4 corners. We’ll this one
was lopsided in front and on the side. I
went over to the lady after Mass and asked if she was going crazy with the
altar cloth. She looked at me with a smile and said, “Yes. How did you know?”
I told her that It was written all over her face and I
could see how tense and nervous her jaw was.
I didn’t tell her to read the Martha Mary story a few
times every other day.
I remember reading about the Russian Revolution - but
I’ve never been able to find where I read this.
On one side of town - the Russian Orthodox Church were having a meeting
and the agenda was the length of surplices for Mass - and on the other side of
town Lenin was taking over the country.
WHAT JESUS WAS
OFF ON
Jesus was about inclusion not exclusion. Jesus was about
communion not excommunication. Now there are others who are off on exclusion and
excommunication - and you can find texts in the Bible to support these
positions,
Jesus was about two commandments - and not the 714 rules
and regulations of the Law.
Jesus was off on loving
God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and loving our neighbor as
ourselves.
Jesus was off on not straining gnats out of our soup -
but instead to spend our energy in serving soup.
Jesus was off on not seeing specks in our brother eye and missing the
camel - carrying wise men - heading for Bethlehem.
Jesus was saying you’ll meet me on the road to Jericho -
beaten up - and needing help - or in a stable in Bethlehem - because there was
no room in the Inn or the temple. So you’re
more apt to see me in service more than services.
Jesus was about feeding the hungry and giving drink to
the thirsty - instead of making sure our food is kosher.
It’s not what people are wearing at Mass - but that we’re in communion at Mass
- in Christ Jesus. Okay Matthew has
Jesus showing up and telling us we better be wearing our wedding garment at the
wedding banquet:
When it comes to prayer and worship together, it’s good
to be neat and organized - but the New Testament likes to stress - watch out
for Phariseeism.
CONCLUSION
The title of my homily is, “Picky, Picky, Picky” and if you’re Neat, Neat,
Neat, it probably sounds like I’ve picked on you. Of course I have. I’m Sloppy,
Sloppy, Sloppy.
So enough with being fussy, finicky, fastidious, ultracritical, quibbling, cynical, hairsplitting, picayune, precise - except
when it comes to Zica Mosquitos.
