MAKING PEACE
WITH LIFE AND
DEATH
INTRODUCTION
Good Morning
The title of my homily for this 25th Friday in Ordinary Time is, “Making Peace With Life and
Death.”
Our theme this weekend is Choosing Peace.
To retreat, to escape to the sea, to the ocean, to think and pray about serious stuff and then to
go home a better person on Sunday than when we arrived here on Friday evening –
that’s a good plan – a good goal - that's the hope for those who come here to San Alfonso Retreat House.
This year to go home more peaceful and to become better peace makers - is the more specific plan.
KOHELETH
I got this
theme and thought from today’s first reading [Ecclesiastes 11: 9 tp 12:8].
It’s from a little used book in the Old Testament or Jewish Scriptures
called Koheleth or Ecclesiastes.
It’s best known because that’s where the text, “There is
a time for this and a time for that” comes from. The Byrds made it into a song
– and we’ve all heard it read at many weddings and funerals.
It begins, “A season is set for everything, a time for
every experience under heaven. A time for being born and a time for dying. A
time for planting and a time for uprooting the planted….” Check our chapter 3 of Koheleth.
It’s considered by most as a part of the wisdom
literature in the Old Testament. Because the writer – Koheleth – can be pretty
pessimistic – some Jewish rabbis have wanted to drop the whole book out of their Bible.
But it has survived – I think because – life has some
tough stuff to think about.
Today’s first reading begins by telling folks to enjoy their
youth.
Especially because it’s going to fade.
One translation of today’s opening words goes this way,
“For youth and black hair are fleeting.”
Koheleth goes on to say, things can get shaky. Those
around you – for example women – get older.
The song is going to end – even from the birds. Almond trees and
grasshoppers are going to lose their amazement. The silver cord is going to
snap and golden bowls and pottery and jugs are going to drop and crash – and
everything turns to dust eventually.
One commentator on Koheleth says that he says the one
thing we can be sure about – when it
comes to life – is death.
We can be much
more sure of that – than if there is life after death.
San Alfonso – St. Alphonsus – wrote a whole book on this
called Preparation for Death.
Kierkegaard – the famous Existential writer and
theologian is said to have kept a copy of that book by St. Alphonsus on an end
table next to his bed.
As we go through life
- we have to stop – and deal and think about death from time to time –
especially when we lose family members and loved ones.
We know we have to make peace with the reality of death –
especially our own.
We had Father Bill Gaffney’s funeral here yesterday.
During it, I was thinking what will my funeral be like? Does everyone do that
at funerals – or do you have to reach a certain age for that to happen, Father
John Collins invited up to this podium a niece named Patty. I figure my niece
and god-child Patty will be invited up to the podium for my funeral. Last year
she was the one who showed up at 4:45 AM to take me to the Washington Hospital
center for a triple by-pass. She was there all day – especially when I
came back to consciousness at 9:30 PM.
Life has many realities to ponder: Cancer. Aging, Heart.
Arthritis. Dementia. Self and others. We have to make peace with those realities and
more.
Acceptance is the key.
Prayer is key.
God is with us is key.
Faith in an afterlife is key.
Talking to each other is key.
Denying aging and time limits – is not the way to go.
Denial of these realities can cause angst and agita –
grumpiness and grouchiness.
ELEVATOR TALK
The title of my homily is: Making Peace with Life and
Death.
The other day I heard someone refer to the Elevator Talk.
I had forgotten that saying.
It means - can you
say what want to say – if you had to say
it – on an elevator ride – say to the 3rd floor.
In other words: spit it out. Make it clear. Put it in a
quick title.
So is the secret of peace – is the secret of life - making peace with death.
I could say that on an elevator ride.
I would rather talk about life and come up with the
secret of life is a quick bullet point.
I would say it’s giving not taking.
I learned this in a diner – way back.
We were sitting there - 3 or 4 of us - and some guy three booths back started
screaming at someone. It was a woman. It
was either his wife or girlfriend. He stared yelling: “All you do is take, take,
take. Well I’m sick and tired of you and I’m out of here.”
And he walked out – right by us – and I didn’t see him
paying.
I never forgot that moment.
If I had to give an elevator talk on the secret of life
it’s that memory: Am I a give or a taker.
Be a giver.
CONCLUSION
Today we Redemptorists celebrate the life of a Bavarian
German Redemptorist priest – Blessed Kaspar Stangassinger - who wanted to be a missionary – but only
worked in a seminary – and died at 28.
He was one of 16 kids – in quite a big family. His family and his Redemptorist brothers had
to deal with a tough death like that.
How was his life summed up – enough to make him a saint.
It’s this: He was a giver.
Today the church also celebrates the life of Cosmas and
Damian - perhaps twin brothers – as the legend goes – from
around 287.
They became doctors – and got the nickname – “the silverless
ones” – or “the unmoneyed ones” – because they didn’t charge.
They gave. They didn’t take.
They were martyrs – during the Diocletian persecutions –
perhaps because a non-Christian doctor was jealous of their reputation as
givers.
Like Jesus in todays gospel they were given over to death
– because of the way they did life. [Cf. Luke 9: 43b-45.]
Tough stuff: but
what a way to go.
