THE WAY
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this Friday in the 4th week of Easter is, “The Way.” W A Y
I was looking at today’s readings to try to come up with a homily for today. What grabbed me from today’s gospel were the well known words of Jesus who said to Thomas, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” [John 14:6]
I decided on just looking at one of those 3 words of Jesus: W A Y.
Jesus tells his disciples that he’s leaving them - but not to let their hearts be troubled. He tells them to have faith in him. He tells them that his Father has many dwelling places for them and that he is about to leave them but he’s preparing a place for them. Then he tells them - that they know the way. Thomas jumps in and says, “We don’t know where you’re going so how can we know the way? That’s when Jesus tells his disciples, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
THE WAY THE WORD “WAY” IS USED IS FASCINATING
The way that word “way” is used is rather interesting. How many times in a day do we use the word “way”?
“What’s the best way to make a Manhattan ?”
“Do you know the way to get to the Safeway store?”
“Do you know a better way to get to St. John’s ?”
“I don’t like the way she looked at me.”
“No way!”
“Way to go.”
“I did it my way.”
“It’s his way or the highway!”
“I wonder why Annapolis or Washington D.C. never had a Broadway.”
“Way out!”
“I like the way your hair looks. Whom do you go to?”
“Way of all flesh….”
“Ways and means….”
“Does anyone know the way to get out of this mess?”
"A good way to lose weight is to go the lunch at Subway, but walk and don’t take the Subway to get there."
Before we had the word “Catholic” - one of the descriptions of the followers of Jesus was, “The Way!” [Cf. Acts 9:2]
The Greek word is this gospel and all the gospels when they talk about “way”, is “ODOS’. I can hear the sound of the word “ROAD” in “ODOS”.
I hear lately a lot of people using the phrase, “You have to have a plan!”
So this is very basic stuff. How do I do life? What’s my plan? What’s my way of doing things?
When we get hung up in the edge stuff of Church - the peripheral stuff - it’s good to remember the basics. Being a Christian is being a follower of Jesus Christ. To be a Christian is to practice his way of doing life - his way of reaching out, his way of being aware of who’s pulling at the hem of his cloak out of need - his way of feeding others - his way of bringing forgiveness into people’s life. When we have in mind his way, we will get a sense of being able to say, “I know my way in life!” Or, “I have a plan! I am trying to do want Jesus did.”
We’ve all heard the word “TAO” - pronounced “DOW”. It too simply means, “The Way!”
If any of you are in or have been in 12 step programs, you know the plan is to follow the steps - one day at a time. That’s the way to do life.
The Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu says, “A tree as great as a man’s embrace springs from a small shoot. A terrace nine stories high begins from a small shoot. A journey of a thousand miles starts under one’s feet.”
The Tao is take that first small beginning step. Then the second step and on and on and on.
The Tao is take that first small beginning step. Then the second step and on and on and on.
A journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step.
The Christian follows in the footsteps of Jesus. Sometimes it’s the way of the cross. Sometimes it’s the way to transfiguration. Sometimes it’s the way to the desert. Sometimes it’s the banquet.
EL CAMINO DE SANTIAGO
I’m sure some of you heard about the movie with Martin Sheen in it - directed by his son, Emilio Estevez. It’s entitled, “The Way”. The movie takes place on the famous way, road, “El Camino”. It's the pilgrimage route in Spain to the famous shrine of St. James.
We find the practice of making a walking trip, a pilgrimage, a bus trip, a plane trip, to a famous shrine - as a key religious practice - whether it’s to Rome, Mecca, Lourdes, or El Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain or one's local church.
Years ago I’m walking down that green mall that leads to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington , D.C.
I stopped and looked at it. It was a parable. It was a message. It was clear that a path often is the shortest distance between two points. The Native America paths, trails, become roads, became highways - from sea to shining sea. Historians say that El Camino de Santiago was part of an ancient Roman trade route.
Knowing the best path, the best way, certainly makes life easier for the traveler.
A MAN AND HIS WIFE
A man once told me that it wasn’t till he was 56 that he learned he barking up the wrong tree, he was taking the wrong path, he was doing life the wrong way.
Till 56 he had a deep frustration with is wife. She didn’t see life his way and he tried to change her 1000 times and he failed 1000 times. Then the light went on. I realized I couldn’t change her. How stupid of me. Once I realized she had her way of doing things and I had my way of doing things. Once I realized that and stopped wanting her to change, in came peace - at the age of 56.
CONCLUSION
So Christianity is not about following the 10 commandments or rules of church etc. per se, but it’s following a person - who teaches us how to do life. Follow him and his way and we'll be putting into practice the Great Commandment which sums up all commandments, that we love the Lord our God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength and we love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Follow this way and we will have the way to His peace. Amen.
