INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 23 Sunday in Ordinary Time [A] is, “What To Do?”
Sometimes we don’t know what to do?
Sometimes we know what to do - but if we do - there are
consequences - uncomfortable consequences - Uh oh consequences!
After all, who wants to feel - the funny feelings we feel -
when we feel we have to correct someone else? Those are some of the ugh moments
of life.
TODAY’S
READINGS
Today’s readings make religion real.
Today’s reading puts some words that are covered with
sandpaper into our ears and then into our mind. As they slide down our ear
canal they can rub us the wrong way.
So and so is drinking too much, do we say or do anything?
So and so is cheating on his or her spouse, do we do
anything?
So and so is killing themselves by overeating - do we
intervene?
Today’s readings touch on this issue of what to do.
Ezekiel - in the first reading - tells us - we are
appointed by God to be watchmen and watchwomen and warn those who are being
wicked - to tell them, “This is killing you.” and / or, “This is killing us and
others.”
You’re kidding. Nope.
That is what Ezekiel is saying.
If the other kills themselves and we didn’t do anything
to warn them, then Ezekiel says, God is saying, “I am holding you responsible.
But if we warn the other and they refuse to turn from their wicked ways, the
other will die from their guilty behaviors, but we will save ourselves.
The second reading tells not to owe anyone anything - except our love for them.
Translated: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
This means not doing any evil to another - no adultery, no killing, no
stealing, no wanting their stuff.
And the gospel comes back to the watchman or watchwoman
theme.
If your brother or sister sins against you, tell them
their fault - but just between the two of you.
If they won’t listen to you, get two or three witnesses,
and you and they together confront the person who is messing up - and if the
person won’t listen to the 3 or 4 of you, then go the larger community and all
of you challenge the person messing up.
If the other still won’t listen, then cut them out of
your life.
But Jesus in today’s gospel adds - pray for that person - and it seems to
be saying, “Do that prayer as a group."
The title of my homily is, “What To Do?”
FURTHER
QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS
One of my favorite sayings is, “Teach thy tongue to say,
‘I do not know.’” That’s found in the Jewish Talmud.
Years and years ago - before being here in Annapolis - I remember being stationed
with a priest who had a drinking problem.
Yes, we experience in the rectory, what many families
experience in their home. We have an old saying: Rectories can be wrectories.
We talked about “What to do?” hundreds of times about this guy.
A good dozen times we told this guy he has a drinking
problem 1 to 1 as well as 5 or 6 to 1.
Nothing worked. He spent his life in a daze.
I write and I remember writing out of frustration a short
piece and it’s published in one of my books. I never showed it to the guy - but
I looked it up today while writing this homily.
TO AN ALCOHOLIC
The speed of the suicide
depends upon the mind of the person.
Just the other day
I was reading in the paper
about this man in Florida
who blew his brains out
with just one shot.
That’s all it took,
that’s all it took, just one shot.
And as I put down
the paper I wondered
about you sitting there
with another drink
in your hand
and it’s not even
noon-time yet.
You’ll never make headlines.
But I suppose someday soon
I’ll read it in the paper
or hear that you died,
and I suppose very few
will know you’ve
been blowing your brains
out for years,
yesterday,
today, everyday,
with many shots.
And I ask myself:
should I tell you what
I’m reading or should
I guess how long it will take?
There
it was. I was facing what I’ve heard from my own family members - as well as
lots of people asking a priest - the title of this homily, “What to Do?”
However this same guy once said about another, but
similar situation, “I’m not going to
tell you or him about his problem. I have to live with you or him.”
So we ask others to intervene. So we send anonymous
letters. So we go to AL anon.
And sometimes if we tell another why people are having
problems with them, things get worse - things get uncomfortable.
I remember a moment when I was a young priest in my first
assignment.
Someone called and asked to see me. They wanted me to be the
messenger of tough news to a family member. So I called and met with the person
whom nobody would tell them about their problem. Then when all hell broke loose,
the person who asked me to deliver the poison meatball said, “I didn’t tell you
to do that.”
They didn’t sue me - but I learned my lesson - big time.
I never did that again. But I did learn better and more difficult ways to get
people to confront each other. Tough stuff….
CONCLUSION
Most of the time - it’s my experience - that most of life
- sad to say - is kept in the bottom drawer, swept under the rug, grin and bear
it, because we have to live with one another.
Most of the time - it’s my experience - that sometimes
people change - wake up - improve - or die and the problem is solved.
Most of the time - it’s my experience - that when we hear
people complaining about others - it’s
smart to ask oneself the biblical
question, that the disciples said at the last supper when Jesus said, “One of
you will betray me?” and they asked, “Is it I Lord?” So when people are
complaining about a, b, or c, - it’s a good idea to pause and see where I have
to change concerning a, b, c, or d, e and f - or whatever the problem is.
