FEELING BIG AND FEELING SMALL -
WOE AND WOW!
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time is, “Feeling Big and Feeling Small
- Woe and Wow!”
That’s a theme that I noticed in today’s readings.
It’s a theme that shows up in Jesus’ comments - about
life - from time to time - and it’s a theme
that is central to spirituality.
Let me see if I can catch this theme - this message -
this teaching - with words and images - anecdotes and examples.
Last week someone told me what they wanted in a sermon.
They want, “Something to chew on, to
digest, to think about - and work on - something to wonder about - to agree or disagree
about - to nuance - during for this new
week of life.”
What do you want?
Woe! Wow!
That’s a challenging call to every preacher.
That’s a challenging call to every preacher.
GOOD PREACHING
For starters let me begin by saying, “In good preaching,
you are not supposed to notice the preacher.”
You ought to be into the content and the message.
If you’re thinking about the preacher: “AAAAAAhhhh!”
Back in 1960, in Los Angeles, Adlai Stevenson, introduced
a candidate for the Presidency of the United States. He said, “Do you remember
that in classical times when Cicero had finished speaking, the people said,
‘How well he spoke’ - but when Demosthenes had finished speaking, the people
said, ‘Let us march’?”
Woe! Wow!
Father Jack Lavin used to mention at breakfast - once and
a while - a story about Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Being a priest I’ve often
thought about that story.
Home Masses in parishes were starting to show up around
the country. I know I did a bunch of them. Well, Bishop Sheen was in a house in
a poor neighborhood in Rochester, New York, where he was the local bishop. He
had on his ornate bishop’s outfit and pointed hat. After the Mass a poor lady
said, “He made me feel so small, so poor, so out of place.”
Woe! Wow!
I’m not faulting him.
I want to point out that I remember the feelings I had when doing home masses in full vestments.
Something didn’t seem right when doing that. A mass at a kitchen table is
different than a mass in a Cathedral. A
mass in a cathedral is different than a mass in a small chapel - like the one we have at St. John Neumann.
Today - if a priest is saying Mass in a home - he might
just use a stole over a shirt.
The concentration would be on the consecration. The
concentration would be about the Word of God being read to the people. The
consecration is about Christ coming into our midst as a tiny baby or appearing at our boat or kitchen table -
wanting to be in communion with us - sharing our bread - being our bread - and
asking us, “What do you want from
life? Empty nets or a full boat?”
Woe! Wow!
JESUS ON TASSELS AND ROBES
Jesus was off on tassels and externals. Jesus was off on
show and showing off. Jesus was off on off with the tassels.
Jesus was off on not wanting first place and looking down
on those in the back spaces or places.
Jesus was off on not screaming with our clothes and cars
and wallets, “Hey world look at me!” He wanted us to look and see the beauty
and the wow of every person. Are you missing the person who needs you -
especially family members. Are you missing those who are trying to touch the
tassel on your cloak - the ears on the side of your head - because they want
you to listen to them?
Jesus was off on people not putting people down - but
raising them up - here and hereafter.
To stand taller, some people stab people in the back and
then stand on their body - to feel they are taller and bigger and better. This
is not what it’s about.
It’s not about first seats in banquets.
Obviously, we
priests have to watch out about all this. We get the front seats at every Mass.
Woo! and Wow!
TODAY’S READINGS
In today’s second reading - Paul to the Ephesians - Paul
says it’s not about him. It’s about Christ. Hey, I persecuted you guys.
In today’s first reading Isaiah says, “Hey you should
hear the stuff that has come out of my mouth.”
“However, thanks to God, the Holy One, he has cleaned my
lips.”
“He has touched my lips and cleansed my mouth - of the
bad stuff that has come out of my mouth. He has sent me to proclaim his
goodness and holiness.”
Then he prays, “Here I am Lord, send me!”
That should be our every day prayer.
The Psalm for today says, “My mouth is for singing!” I have a tin ear and no musical sense - but
I’ll give it a try.
Today’s gospel has a beginning story of St. Peter - our
first pope, our first Papa. He’s a fisherman and has just spent the night
fishing and caught nothing.
His boat is empty.
Jesus gets into Peter’s boat - moves away a tiny bit from
the shore and does some preaching.
Did he see the empty nets? Did he see the empty boat? Did he see Peter’s life?
Jesus says, “Let’s go fishing.” That had to surprise Peter.
Jesus said, “Launch out into the deep waters and lower
your nets.”
Peter says, “We have just fished all night and caught
nothing, but….”
But he does it.
A fisherman can learn from a carpenter.
And his nets are filling and flopping with fish and he
calls to his partners and they fill both boats till they are almost sinking.
Woe! Wow!
Then
Peter does the comparison thing.
He
just saw a “Wow” and he knows he’s a “Wooooooh” and a “Woe”
Slow
down Jesus.
He
says to Jesus, “Leave!”
Get
out of here! I’m a sinful man.”
Jesus
does do that.
He
fills emptiness.
He
is full of grace.
He
calls this empty feeling man with grace.
He
says, “Come follow me! I’m about to make you a fisher of people.”
CONCLUSION
We
come to Mass to hear this kind of stuff. We come to Mass to realize I’m in the
same boat as Isaiah, Paul, and Peter. We
look at our life and feel, “Woo! Woe is me! I’m a sinner, so God wouldn’t want
me. But Christ came to call me to reach out to others - and bring them into
Christ’s network.
“Wow!”
So
that’s some stuff to think about and realize this week.
“Let
us march!”
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Painting on top:
Small Beetle-Big Bite
by Dwight Smith
