“I don’t want to spend the restof my life giving speeches.”
Colin Powell
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
TWO BY TWO
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 27 Tuesday in Ordinary
Time is, “Two By Two.”
As you know numbers are interesting.
Ponder this: A different dynamic takes place in a car
when there’s two people on a trip together compared to three or four people.
TODAY’S READINGS
Today’s readings trigger thoughts or wonderings about numbers - especially about
two’s.
The Gospel has the story of Martha and Mary.
The reading from Galatians has one of various Peter-Paul
stories.
Peter is certainly very different than Paul.
One was a fisherman - and probably his only education was
learning how to fish and mend netsand
Paul was a tentmaker - who probably had lots of rabbinical education and
learning.
Martha and Mary clearly have very different personalities
as well.
Peter and Paul had some serious differences - especially
in reaching out to Gentiles. Their struggle was an early church struggle.
LOOKING AT OUR OWN LIFE
Looking at our own life what have been the two by two relationships?
life.
Looking at our life who have been the buddies … close
friends …. Who was our best man or maid of honor at our wedding and why?
Looking at our family - who were we closest too and is there
a brother or a sister we never got close to? These are the family questions that are more important than just
the numbers.
What’s it like to be in a family of two brothers andtwo sisters?
I have wonderings about favorites in families. I even ask
about that - but often get, “I have no favorites.”
There are all kinds of literature and family therapy
dynamics when it comes to who’s who in one’s family.
At our convocation last week in New Jersey, one night
there was the option to watch a movie called, “Wonder.”In this story there was the older teenage
girl - Via - who struggled with not being
noticed or getting any attention from
her mom. She saw that once her brother - Augie - was born - a boy with serious
facial issues- that neededlots of plastic surgery - her mom’s whole
life scenario wascaring for their son.
What thoughts do only children have? What’s it like to be
the only boy with three of four sisters.
What’s it like to be a twin?
BACK TO THE BIBLE
The title of my homily is “Two by Two”.
As you know that comes from the Noah’s Ark story.
There are lots of other two by two combos in the Bible:
Cain and Abel is certainly a significant story.
Isaac and Rebecca had twins and she felt them fighting in
her womb. Great story telling. The twins: Esau and Jacob were very different.
Jacob has twelve sons -I won’t go there - that’s a whole different story.
Joseph gets to Egypt and time moves on and then there are
the 2 brothers Moses and Aaron.
More family dynamics.
Jesus liked to have brothers in his stories.
Everyone knows his story about a man had 2 sons. One
becomes prodigal and hits bottom in a far country and comes home. He rehearses
his speech that he’s willing to just becoming a servant. I need food. I need a
place. The father welcomes him home - but the older brother has no welcome home
in his heart or mind and won’t forgive his brother.
Then there is the story about the brother who says to his
dad when asked to do a job - “Yes, no problem, I’ll do it” - and then he
doesn’t do it. The other brother says, “No way”and then has second thoughts and does what his father wants.
CONCLUSION
The title of my homily is, “Two by Two.”
I suggested thinking about our own family dynamics and
figure out what you learned in your family setting. Has it been a good learning
experience?
Hopefully, brothers and sisters live long enough to end up seeing each often enough to compare
thoughts about one’s family. Sometimes they become the best of friends and help
each other figure out what mom and dad were like and what it was like growing
up.
Can’t you picture Martha and Mary - and maybe Lazarus - sitting
around in their old age - talking about their idiosyncrasies and funny stuff
about their mannerisms and how Jesus played his favorites. Can you picture Mary
serving Martha and saying jokingly, “You have chosen the best part”?
October 9, 2018
PSALM 173
Praise the Lord for water.
Rain from the sky,
mist, dew, bottled water.
Sprinklers, sinks, faucets,
cold restaurant glasses of water.
Lakes, rivers, reservoirs,
harbors, piers, bridges over water. Home, playground, for eels, sharks whales, salmon, and billions more.
