The title of my homily this morning is, “Have Courage.”
If we were asked to give a talk on courage, most of us
would say something like the following short homily I put together this morning.”
“Have Courage!”
WHY THIS TOPIC?
Well, when Barnabas - the saint fortoday, June 11, is mentioned - along comes
the message of courage.
In the Acts of the
Apostles, where Barnabas is mentioned
26 times, it says in Acts 4:36, “There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus,
Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means ‘son of
encouragement’).”
Biblical specialists say, “bar” means “son”, but “nabas”
doesn’t mean “courage”.It’s my sense,
but I’m not a Biblical Scholar, that they gave him this nickname or new name and
later on found out that his strength was that he gave people courage. He
encouraged folks.
At funerals I like to ask folks to describe the person
who died with one word.
Out come one word or a few word descriptions and comments
like, “quiet,” or “sharp” or “Catholic” or “Christian” or “had a sense of
humor” or “funny” or “a good listener” or “a giver”.Sometimes, but not that often, I hear the
word, “courageous” or “courage” or “encourager”.
I think I hear in the Acts of the Apostles that Barnabas
was the type of person who encouraged folks.
If you read the gospels, you hear Jesus saying, “Have
courage” or “take courage”.
DEFINITION AND DESCRIPTION OF WHAT COURAGE IS
Courage means strength, stick-to-it-tiveness,
perseverance, fortitude, endurance, hang in there [which I always equate to
Jesus’ 3 hours hanging in there on the cross].
SERENITY PRAYER
Courage is one of the key words in the serenity prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot
change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”
LET ME
CLOSE WITH TWO QUOTES WITH COURAGE IN THEM
Edgar Guest [1881-1959]one of America’s popular poets and inspirational writers described courage as follows:
"Courage isn’t a brilliant dash,
A daring deed in a moment’s flash;
It isn’t an instantaneous thing
Born of despair with a sudden spring.
But it’s something deep in the soul of man
That is working always to save some plan.”
Edgar Guest came to the United States from England and he
started out as a copy boy at the Detroit
Free Press in 1895. He then moved up to become a police reporter. Then he
became a frequent writer of inspirationalstuff that became well known all over the US.He was to inspirational popular writing what
Norman Rockwell was to popular American painting. In other words, like courage it took a lot of time, living and learning.
This next quote or note or comment comes from A Farewell Dinner speech by the doctor and
writer, Sir William Osler [1849-1919]. He gave it on May 2, 1905. It's still good stuff. It passes the test of time. So if courage is sticking to a plan - especially
a life giving one - then notice that the following piece has a couple of courageoussteps to put into practice.
“I have three personal ideals.One, to do the day’s work well and not to
bother about tomorrow ….The second
ideal has been to act the Golden Rule, as far as in me lay, toward my
professionalbrethren and toward the
patients committed to my care.And the
third has been to cultivate such a measure of equanimity as would enable me to
bear success with humility, the affection of my friends without pride, and to
be ready when the day of sorrow and grief came to meet it with the couragebefitting a man.”
The title of my homily for this 10 Sunday in Ordinary
Time [B] is, “Where Are You?”
This is one of my favorite themes and when I spotted it
in today’s first reading from early Genesis, Chapter 3,I said to myself, “Preach on that theme:
‘Where are you?’”
Where are you?
Where are you this morning?
Where are you in your life at this point?”
Celebrating any anniversaries?Making any big transitions? Figured out some
big stuff? Being in a good place this
morning…. right here, right now.
FOUR CORNERS
I’m sure everyone of us has stood on a state line or a
county line and announced, “I’m in Maryland and Delaware right now or Anne
Arundel County and Prince Georges county right now.”“Take my picture!”
I’m sure someone here has been to Four Corners in the United States, Southwest,
where someone can be in 4 states at once: Utah, New Mexico, Colorado and
Arizona.
One of the neat things about being a human being is being
able to be in two places at the same time.
At Four Corners a person can be in 4 places at the same
time.
Four Corners has really not much to see - compared to the many scenic places in all
those 4 states. Four corners is flat. It’s dusty and deserty. But someone came
up with the idea of making it a place to go to. Good move. Make with, what you
got - and where you are. The rest of those 4 states have many great beautify
places to visit.If you’ve never been to
Zion National Park, put that on your bucket list. It’s a great spot in Utah.
In fact, I can go to Utah - and remember Zion National Park
by looking at the rocks there - rocks in my head - while sitting in church -
here in Maryland, here in Anne Arundel - while someone is speaking in the
pulpit.
I can even do that while preaching.
I love the saying, “Be where you is, because if you be
where you ain’t, then you ain’t where you is?”
I love the story about a guy who was at a very boring
meeting. He looked around. Everyone was fidgety, sleepy, and looked bored -
except for one guy. This other guy had a nice smile on his face and looked alive
- looking right at the speaker. The other guy went up to him at the coffee
break and said, “That was a horrible meeting - but you looked happy.” “Oh,”
said the other guy, “I was in Montana, fishing - and the water was beautiful -
and I’m going back there in two weeks. Can’t wait.”
One of the great gifts of being a human being is the gift
of being able to drift - to move - to disappear and reappear in different
places and states of mind - anywhere we are.
People confess sins of distraction - especially at
prayer. Who came up with that one? If they think that’s a sin, why don’t they
confessbeing distracted - and really
not listening -when talking with their
mother or father-in-law?
To be human is to be able to be in another state of mind
or 4 states at once.
Where are you - right now?
Preachers know people drift and go elsewhere.Father Tiz is the best I’ve seen in his use
of props to try to catch people and bring them into his state of mind.
Preachers know if you mention someone else’s name from
the pulpit or in a conversation, people leave the preacher and go and visit
that other person - without moving their feet.
Where are you right now?
P A C
Back around 1960 we started to hear about the PAC theory
of therapy - which is part of TA - Transactional Analysis.
It was put together by people like Eric Bern and Thomas
Harris and others.
They said that human beings can be in one of 3 states:
parent - adult - or child.
And it’s not based on age as much as state of mind and
attitude.
When someone is angry - filled with emotions - thinking
and yelling, “It’s not fair.” they are probably in the child state. They say,
“I want what I want when I want it.” They say, “I can’t.”or “I don’t care.” They are grunting….
When someone is the parent state, they give orders. They
are critical. They give faces - saying “Shame, shame on you!” in 5 different
ways. They point out that we’re in a place or are doing something that we
should not be doing in that place, “Shhhhh! You’re in church!”
When someone is in the adult state - they are more calm
and less emotional - asking, “Let’s take another look at this.” “Let’s get the
facts.” “Let’s consider or reconsider.”
The P A C - Parent - Adult - Child - theory of
understanding life has sort of disappeared.
It’s also called TA - Transactional Analysis. We get
frustrated when we expect someone to act the way we want them to act. If we
expect them to be the child and do what we point out, and they don’t that’s
called a “crossed transaction”.I see
that happening all the time. How about you?
Saying, “How about you seeing that?” is treating you like
an adult.
So I recommend reconsidering PAC and TA. Just look it up on Google. I still find it
rather helpful.
Where are you?That’s one of the places where I am.
TAKE ADAM AND EVE
Take the Bible’s story of Adam and Eve - especially the
story we heard in today’s first reading.
Some people toss religion and the Bible and stories like
Adam and Eve out the window or keep that book on their bookshelf or use the
Bible as a door stop. They say it’s fairy tales. Snakes don’t talk. Evolution
proves there was no Adam and Eve.
That can be a child’s way of thinking. How about being an
adult and reconsidering these great stories? Life can be a garden - everything can be
nakedly beautiful - but we have free choice - and evil like a snake can whisper
into our mind - try the forbidden fruit.
Then when we make mistakes. We hide from others and
ourselves and God. We stop going to God and church - and don’t talk with God on
Sunday mornings or in the cool of the evening.
We blame the other for messing up our marriages or our
jobs or our lives.
We blame the serpent of temptation that slithers around the
garden floor of our brain when we make our mistakes.
We heard that stuff in today’s first reading from
Genesis. Consider it again in a new state of understanding the scriptures.
Read today’s second reading again.
Those of us who are aging - is that happening to anyone
here today? - instead of moaning and complaining about aches and pains and forgetting,
say with St. Paul, “… our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being
renewed each day.”
In other words I’m getting older and wiser.
In other words I’m using my adult state more than my
child whining state.
In other words I’m realizing the truth of Muhammed Ali’s
words, “A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30
years of his life.”
TODAY’S GOSPEL
Moving towards the end of this homily….
Once more: The title of my homily is, “Where Are You?”
In today’s gospel there is a moment when it says, “His
mother and his brothers arrived. Standing outside they sent word to him and
called him. [No cell phones yet]. A crowd seated around him told him, ‘Your
mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you.’But he said to them in reply, ‘Who are my
mother and my brothers?’ And looking around at those seated in the circle he
said, ‘Here is my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of God is my
brother and sister and mother.’”
Great scene.
What I take out of that today is this.Today’s gospel begins with scribes and
accusers and attackers - the negative people we have to deal with at times - well
we have a choice - we can spend energy on them.Jesus did that at times.
But we can also look at the people around us- all our brothers and sisters - and mothers
and fathers - all those people we can - as adults learn from and be with - and
grow with.Jesus did that as well.
CONCLUSION
Where are you? What kind of a state are you in - most of
the time?
If you’re in an adult state of mind - in a growing - in a
going for the gold - state of being - in a being forgiven mode - in a starting
again state of mind - in a flowing with the Holy Spirit spirit - then pack up
and move to a new state - and the Lord be with you today - and this week. Amen.
June 10, 2018
Thought for today:
“When making a
decision of minor importance, I have always found it advantageous to consider
all the pros and cons.
In vital matters,
however, such as the choice of a mate or a profession, the decision should come
from the unconscious, from somewhere within ourselves.
In the important decisions of personal life,
we should be governed,I think,by the deep inner needs of our nature.”
Sigmund Freud
Saturday, June 9, 2018
Padraic Colum (1881–1972). Anthology of Irish Verse. 1922.
