“Evolution is fascinating to watch. To me it is most
interesting when one can observe the evolution of a single man.”
Shana Alexander,
“Evolution of a Rebel
Priest,”
The Feminine Eye, 1970
Drawing by Mark Lelieveld
Friday, July 6, 2018
COUNT THE SILVER
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 13 Friday in Ordinary
Time is, “Count The Silver.”
NEWSPAPERS
At St. Mary’s Rectory, we get four newspapers every
morning: The Capital, The Baltimore Sun,
The Washington Post and The New York
Times.
That’s a lot of papers. That’s a lot of money. I remember
as a kid that newspapers cost a few coins - dropped on the newspaper stand as
the vender counted the silver coins for the papers.Now they cost a lot more. Now there is paper
money along with the silver coins.
I assume there is a long history why these papers arrive
at our doorstep on Duke of Gloucester Street, Annapolis, Maryland every
morning.
I can see The
Capital - to get the Obituaries and the Sports. I’m sure you heard the cute
quip: the obituaries are an old ladies sports column.
I figure we get The
Baltimore Sun because we always have had guys from Baltimore.
I figure The
Washington Post - because we’re not just local; we’re national and
international. Hey Father F. X. Murphy
was stationed in St. Mary’s, Annapolis for years and he was international.
And then there is The
New York Times. One of mysteries is why some people attack The New York Times. They voice the same sounds
I hear when some folks attack Notre Dame and other Catholic colleges as not
being Catholic. Don’t want to go there in counter comments - other than saying
that.
I’m wondering how long before someone will look at our
budget and say, “That’s a lot of papers.” The Baltimore Sun bought up the
Capital and that means repetition. Why both papers? I’m also seeing that less
and less people read the papers - like the young guys. I’m also hearing
thatnewspapers have cut down on staff -
so the news is not that varied.
I like newspapers. I worked for The Brooklyn Eagle as a kid.I’ve read newspapers all my life. I love it when I spot a copy of The New York Post or The New York News - because they have
many sports columns.I also love to spot
a Wall Street Journal. I love their
drawings and their pieces.
How about you?What’s your take on newspapers? What’s your history and your parents history
with newspapers?Where do you get your
news?
If you read the papers, what do you look at first?
Sports? Obituaries? Cartoons?Crossword
puzzle? Letters to the Editor? Columnists? Sales?
Have you switched over to the Internet or TV for your
news?
How serious do you feel the obligation to keep informed?
So in this homily that’s the first item I wanted to make
some comments about. A homily can trigger thoughts and questions. So I hope I
triggered an awareness of newspapers and where we get our news.
THIS MORNING
This morning I did what I do every morning - in general.
After breakfast, Igo through those four
papers we get - starting with The New
York Times - first section - OP-ED pages. Then depending on time and
schedule I go to the Washington Post and then if I have time I check out the
Capital and the Sun.We had a scripture
professor - Father Gene McAlee - who
stressed reading the papers and compare at least the coverage on the same topic
in different papers.
Then I go upstairs to my room and if I have to get
together a homily for the morning, I read the readings for today. This
morning,I wanted to get some thoughts for a homily this morning
here at Heritage Harbor.
SILVER
The first reading from Amos has part of a sermon or blast
from Amos, “We will buy the lowly man for silver, and the poor man for a pair
of sandals, even the refuse of the wheat we will sell.” [Check Amos 8: 4-6, 9-12.]
I put the text down and asked myself, “Didn’t I just read something about silver in
the Capital or was it the Sun or was it the Post or was it the Times?”
I went back downstairs to our common room where the
papers are. I went searching for wherever I saw the word “Silver”.
I started with the
Capital. No luck. I went to the Sun.
No luck.I went to the Washington Post. No luck. I was sure it
wasn’t in The New York Times.
It was in The New
York Times - and it was in the title of the Main Editorial Column. There
were the words, “Count the Silver.”
I paused and asked myself, “What does that mean? Where does that phrase, “Count the silver” come from?”I said to myself, “I’ve heard that phrase.”
The column didn’t explain it. Then it hit me - the
obvious: when someone or so and so visits our house, count the silver,
The Editorial was about Scott Pruitt - and yes - that was
their take on him. Count the silver.
Then I felt the big regret - as priest I try not to talk
politics. I don’t want to talk about what party I belong to - nor for whom I’m voting for. So I try to be careful about the pulpit and
politics.
Next I felt the big thing I have felt in this past year
or so: a lot of this stuff is not politics - but it’s morality.
Uh, this is tricky stuff.
I follow the principal of avoiding the bully pulpit.
Translation for me: if someone doesn’t have a chance to
answer back, don’t speak about XYZ.
Then the thought: maybe speak up and out - when there is
a critical Mass about current issues we need to deal with. I have spoken up at various Masses about a few
issues that were current - that I thought needed speaking out about - and some
people expected something should be said from the pulpit. Other people
screamed, “No!” I got uproar one Sunday.
LISTEN TO AMOS
Nevertheless, Amos is speaking up and out about injustice
in today’s first reading.
I believe we need to do what Karl Barth said: Take your
Bible and put it on the table. Next take your newspaper and open it up and put
it on the table. Now having looked at both, write your sermon.
Next, I will say loud and clear that you could take Amos
and open it up to today’s readings and then open up today’s paper and read
about the money laundering, the EPA being stripped of regulations- and now the new guy - who right now will
take Pruitt’s place, is a lobbyist right now from the Coal Industry.
To me, the same thing that happened in Amos times, is
happening now. It seems to me that money, silver, getting more money is the
goal.
It costs money to stop or cut down on emissions and
pollution.It would certainly be cheaper
to have deregulation.I would assume
that there are lobbyists out there who want to cut back on such rules.
I remember the first time I was in a car - crossing the
border from Nogales, Arizona, USA and going into Mexico. I noticed immediately, how the cars
cough a lot more pollution in Mexico - than in Arizona.Next I read that these guys at the top of EPA
want to cut down onAuto Emissions
testing. As stated, to filter out pollution costs money - and that silver goes into the pockets
of the rich - and not in emission filters for the lungs of the all.
So what was happening in Amos’ time is happening in our
time.
CONCLUSION GOSPEL
This sermon has gotten too long. You can change the
channel, You can put down a paper, but
you can’t shut up the preacher.
I think this is enough. I preached on newspapers and some
stuff on money as a motive for doing unhealthy things.
In today’s gospel, Matthew 9: 9-13 calls for mercy not sacrifice.
In today’s gospel Matthew tells us that Jesus came to
call us sinners.
Maybe by admitting that we’re all sinners - that we all
contradict ourselves in so many ways - so let’s work together to make life
sweeter for each other. Amen.
