The
title of my homily for this 14th Wednesday in Ordinary Time is, “If My Life Was A Novel….”
If my life was a novel, what would be its title.
I
think of that idea when I hear the Book of Genesis read. We are listening to it
at these weekday Masses.
It
has plots, sub-plots, twists, turns, and wonderings, “What’s next?”
Well
grab a seat and start turning the pages.
It
has characters - men, women and children.
It
has surprises. It has murders. It has marriages. It has family - wow does it
have family.
OLD AGE
One
of the great gifts of old age - not everyone
makes it - is reminiscing. It’s looking at the stories of how we got to where
we got to - and who have been the people in the pages and stories of our life.
Hopefully
everyone has a porch or a place equivalent to a porch - where we can ask each
other about who the other persons are and were in our family tree.
Hopefully,
we all have collectors of the stories. Who in our family or families knows the
story?
Hopefully
we listen. Hopefully, we ask an old aunt or uncle, “Uncle Jake, you’re being
quiet. How did you get from Vermont to
Maryland? Did you know your grandparents?
A
Jewish family the middle of Tennessee were asked, “Why in the world did you
settle here in this little town ?” Answer: the horse died.
SUGGESTIONS
I
suggest using writing pads that have the wire spring down the left side of the
notebook - and write a name or place or possible idea on top of the page and
then ask Uncle Jake or Aunt Sarah, “What’s going on with you now?”
The
stories are out there. The stories are in here.
By
writing down what you’re hearing, you have leads to the past and to the future.
Ask
questions
Ask
about our faith. It can be lost.
Wouldn’t
it be great if we could find out who started faith in our family 5 generations
back.
TODAY’S FIRST READING
How
did the Israelites get to Egypt?
Well,
to be honest, some brothers didn’t like one brother and they sold him out.
How
did the Israelites get to Egypt?
Well,
truth be told, they ran out of bread?
How
did the Israelites get established in Egypt?
Well,
the brother who was sold out, forgave his brothers and first he cried.
Read
the story - right there in Genesis.
CONCLUSION
When
we get to it, read what happened next - especially the Exit or Exodus.
