WHO’S AFRAID?
The title of my homily for this 4th Sunday in Advent [B] is, “Who’s Afraid?”
This is a homily - that I basically came up with while walking home
last night. Then I typed it up this morning.
Being afraid - being fearful - being scared - is a theme
that shows up in everyone’s life.
Who’s afraid?
We hear it from our parents - who want us to fall asleep
- sleep in our own bed - as they say, “Don’t be afraid of the dark!” so “Go to sleep!” - so we
can relax and watch NCIS or NCAA basketball or what have you.
We hear it in children’s literature, “Who’s Afraid of the
Big Bad Wolf?” And we hear it in adult literature and plays and movies, “Who’s
Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?”
We hear it all through scriptures: Adam and Eve were
afraid and hid from God. So too Abraham, Moses, Joseph, the Prophets.
Now, today in our gospel, the angel Gabriel says to
Mary, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”
Who’s afraid?
EVERY ONE
Last night I walked back from the Annapolis Maritime
Museum. I was at a wedding reception after
a wedding I had here at St. Mary’s at 3 PM. The Annapolis Maritime Museum is at the other
end of the Maritime Republic of Eastport. It's about a 20 minute walk from St. Mary’s to there. I wanted
to get in my 10,000 plus steps on my Fitbit. I got 12,000 steps yesterday.
Back to my story.
It was dark - walking back - through the streets of Eastport.
I was thinking while walking - that I need to get back here and finish my
homily for this morning. After reading the gospel yesterday after noon, I had decided that I wanted to think out loud about, “Who’s Afraid?”
I asked myself while walking, “Are you afraid of the
dark?”
It was dark. I was all by myself. There was not that much
light. I haven’t heard about robberies at night in Eastport. Was I afraid?
Nope. But I was afraid of stepping into a big puddle of
water in the dark.
And as I walked up Severn Avenue I was afraid - for a moment there - of cars -
because I had to walk in the street in two spots because of some big puddles.
It had rained heavy. Moreover, it was Saturday night and there are a lot of
restaurants on Severn Avenue and people drink. So I was careful. I didn’t want to be splashed
or hit by a car while walking. That’s a fear - but not a big one.
So there are fears: big fears and little fears.
As I walked along I
was thinking of that Charlie Brown cartoon that talked about different types of
phobias: potaphobia, fear of drink - not of getting a pot - but that can
happen Then there is elevatoraphobia, fear of
elevators or agoraphobia, fear of crowds or the marketplace. Well, then to top
everyone, Charlie Brown says he has Pantaphobia. “What’s that?”, Lucy or
someone asks. He answers, “Fear of
everything.”
QUESTIONS
Here are some questions for all of us on this question of being afraid or being filled with fear.
What are your phobias, fears? What are you afraid of?
Fluaphobia, Icyroadsaphobia, canceraphobia, Traffictieupaphobia,
deathaphobia, governamentaphobia, nuclearwarphobia?
The title of my homily is, “Who’s Afraid?”
Is everyone afraid of something?
Is everyone afraid of someone - some specific person?
Is it all relative?
I remember a lady - someone in some other assignment - at a coffee break or during an after church conversation - telling me, “Whenever it hits
July 4th - yes July 4th - I feel myself getting nervous?"
"Why?"
"Why? Well, because
Christmas is coming and we have to see my husband’s mother in California. every
Christmas.”
As I was walking home last night - back here to St. Mary’s - I said, "That's stuff is about others. What about you, Andrew. What are your fears?"
As I walked I began thinking. Then I remembered something that happened to me every year in January of 1984 to 1993.
I would get a nasty pain in the back - above my right
cheek - just below my belt - every year near
the end of January.
I’m slow, but it took me 5 or 6 years - probably by 1990
- to realize what was causing this pain in the butt.
I had a job called “Novice Master” - and I would have
around 10 to 12 novices for a year and a day. I did that 9 years for 9
classes. It went August to August. Well, January was the mid-point and I had to screen
these future Redemptorists. That meant I might have to cut some folks.
It took me 5 or 6 years to realize how tough that is -
dealing with the future of someone’s life. I used to hear when I went through
the seminary system that this was God’s will. I didn’t believe that. I still
don’t. I don’t want to - or pretend to - know or be God’s will.
I had to make the decision - along with an assistant -
but I was the main guy - whether this other guy goes on or not.
I was dealing with another’s life….
Looking back further - in our 4th year of college
- our second year of philosophy - in Ethics class - we were given topics for
debates. We were paired up with one other guy. One was to be pro and the other
con on an ethical issue. Myself and a guy name Ray were given Capital Punishment.
He was told to be pro - for - Capital Punishment - and I was to be con - against - Capital
Punishment. I spent a good 3 weeks reading all I could about Capital Punishment
- pro’s and con’s - facts and figures. We had the debate. I lost big. The professor
was all for Capital Punishment.
Looking back I realize I lucked out being given the
assignment to be against Capital Punishment - because that’s me. I don’t want
to play God. I’d be afraid of being part of the taking of a person’s life -
and who knows? Mistakes can be made. People can repent. Etc. Etc. Etc.
CONCLUSION
I’m not in a debate here in this sermon.
I’m simply in this homily addressing the question and
issue of being afraid.
I’m asking, “Who’s afraid?”
I’m asking all of us to look at what we are afraid of?
If you’re scared of dark streets, call a Uber - unless
you have Uberaphobia or go in your own car - or tell people you can’t make the
reception that night. Sorry.
If you’re afraid, do what Mary does in today’s gospel, “Ask
questions” and then when satisfied, say what Mary said, “Behold I am the handmaid
of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
And ooops, I better add a very important closing comment
here - which you don’t have agree on - and from my experience - some of you
will not agree upon. Life - a lot of life - is very much up for debate.
I believe that phrase, “according to your word” - does
not mean - what a lot of people thinks it means - that God has a specific plan
for all of us - what we are to do that day - detail by detail. I see “according to your word” to mean that God’s plan for all of us each day is to
love the Lord our God, with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength and to
love our neighbor as ourselves today - and then watch and see what unfolds.
Amen.
