HE’S OUT OF HIS MIND
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 2nd Saturday in Ordinary Time is, “He’s Out of His Mind.”
That’s a comment about Jesus from the end of today’s very short gospel. “He’s out of his mind.” [Cf. Mark 3: 21]
Imagine that. They are saying, “He’s crazy.” They are dissing him. They are saying, “He’s nuts.”
STOP! THINK ABOUT THAT
Jesus said things that were not in the mind of his listeners. He thought outside their box.
He said and did the unexplained and the unexpected.
We have the 4 gospels. Some Bibles – in the Matthew, Mark, Luke and John books, have all the words of Jesus in red. Has everything Jesus said been planted in our minds yet – and better, not only planted, but taken root, has grown, and has borne fruit in our lives?
For example: going the extra mile. For example: giving the shirt off our back. For example: being a Good Samaritan. For example: loving our enemies. For example: forgiving 70 times 7 times. For example: washing another person’s feet. For example: giving our body and blood, our whole body and self to others and they eat us up – eat up our time and our lives.
Have we ever done something so loving, so giving, so letting go for another, or others, that someone said, “Are you crazy? Are you out of your mind doing that for them?”
JUDGE JOHN ROLL
I read in the newspapers that John Roll, the judge who was shot and killed in Tucson Saturday morning two weeks ago, went to Mass every day. President Barack Obama in his talk in Tucson said he had gone to Mass that Saturday morning and then went to the meeting place outside the Safeway to meet Gabrielle Giffords. The surveillance video from the supermarket shows John Roll pushing Ron Barber his friend to the ground – helping him crawl under a table and then lying on top of him. Then Roll was shot in the back and died as a result. There is a strong indication that he saved the life of Ron Barber. The gospel for January 8th was not, “Greater love than this, no one has, that they lay down their life for their friends.” However, at every Mass we hear Jesus’ crazy words, “This is my body. This is my blood. They are being given up for you."
ST. ALPHONSUS
St. Alphonsus described God as crazy – “PAZZI” in Italian. God is crazy in love for us. St. Alphonsus said that because he was overwhelmed with God’s love for him – for all of us.
God is crazy in love for us.
God is so crazy that God – this God of ours – sent his only Son, sent him out of his mind – an Idea, a Word, a Logos, and this Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
God is crazy. What a crazy plan!
Who would believe that that God could and would send his Son – as seed, into Mary’s womb – mystery – and blessed is the fruit of that womb – Jesus?
Crazy.
Believe that and I’ll tell you another one.
God became a baby, a kid, a teenager, a carpenter, and sort of kept quiet till he was around 30 and then he went around doing good – preaching, healing, and helping others –and they arrested him, had him crucified, died and he rose from the dead and 2 billion, 200 million plus people follow him Are they crazy?
CONCLUSION
The title of my homily for this 2nd Saturday in Ordinary Time is, “He’s Out of His Mind.”
That’s a comment about Jesus from the end of today’s very short gospel. “He’s out of his mind.” [Cf. Mark 3: 21]
Imagine that. They are saying, “He’s crazy.” They are dissing him. They are saying, “He’s nuts.”
STOP! THINK ABOUT THAT
Jesus said things that were not in the mind of his listeners. He thought outside their box.
He said and did the unexplained and the unexpected.
We have the 4 gospels. Some Bibles – in the Matthew, Mark, Luke and John books, have all the words of Jesus in red. Has everything Jesus said been planted in our minds yet – and better, not only planted, but taken root, has grown, and has borne fruit in our lives?
For example: going the extra mile. For example: giving the shirt off our back. For example: being a Good Samaritan. For example: loving our enemies. For example: forgiving 70 times 7 times. For example: washing another person’s feet. For example: giving our body and blood, our whole body and self to others and they eat us up – eat up our time and our lives.
Have we ever done something so loving, so giving, so letting go for another, or others, that someone said, “Are you crazy? Are you out of your mind doing that for them?”
JUDGE JOHN ROLL
I read in the newspapers that John Roll, the judge who was shot and killed in Tucson Saturday morning two weeks ago, went to Mass every day. President Barack Obama in his talk in Tucson said he had gone to Mass that Saturday morning and then went to the meeting place outside the Safeway to meet Gabrielle Giffords. The surveillance video from the supermarket shows John Roll pushing Ron Barber his friend to the ground – helping him crawl under a table and then lying on top of him. Then Roll was shot in the back and died as a result. There is a strong indication that he saved the life of Ron Barber. The gospel for January 8th was not, “Greater love than this, no one has, that they lay down their life for their friends.” However, at every Mass we hear Jesus’ crazy words, “This is my body. This is my blood. They are being given up for you."
ST. ALPHONSUS
St. Alphonsus described God as crazy – “PAZZI” in Italian. God is crazy in love for us. St. Alphonsus said that because he was overwhelmed with God’s love for him – for all of us.
God is crazy in love for us.
God is so crazy that God – this God of ours – sent his only Son, sent him out of his mind – an Idea, a Word, a Logos, and this Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
God is crazy. What a crazy plan!
Who would believe that that God could and would send his Son – as seed, into Mary’s womb – mystery – and blessed is the fruit of that womb – Jesus?
Crazy.
Believe that and I’ll tell you another one.
God became a baby, a kid, a teenager, a carpenter, and sort of kept quiet till he was around 30 and then he went around doing good – preaching, healing, and helping others –and they arrested him, had him crucified, died and he rose from the dead and 2 billion, 200 million plus people follow him Are they crazy?
CONCLUSION
In this homily I'm saying, "God is out of His mind."
Have you ever reflected on why would God create these gazillions stars – we don’t know how far out they go – as well as billions and billions of mosquitoes and babies and Lady Bugs. Why God? Why?
And God I don’t know why you do what you do. I don’t know Your Why.
But I do know I want to thank You God for being so crazy as to creating me? Thank You!
