INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Pointing To God!”
This Sunday we celebrate the feast of the Birth of John the Baptist.
I just happened to read the other day an article in old America magazine entitled “Soul Searching”. It was by Elizabeth Lev - who teaches Christian art and architecture at Duquesne University’s Italian campus in Rome - as well the University of St. Thomas’s Catholic studies program - also in Rome. [1]
Since it’s the feast of the Birth of St. John the Baptist that article triggered this question: there is a lot of art - a lot of paintings - depicting John the Baptist - what do they point out?
Elizabeth Lev in her article kept saying that great artists like Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Caravaggio put a lot more faith in their paintings than what some modern art authorities give them due. She says theories concocted by some authors who have no training in the history of art have persuaded millions that these works of art are proclaiming secular or odd messages. I’m assuming she’s going after folks like Dan Brown of the Da Vinci Code fame.
She then proceeds to present how the history of art has changed in the last few centuries. She quotes a Giorgio Vasari - who published in 1550 a book, Lives of the Most Eminent Painters, Sculptors and Architects. She points out that Vasari points out how faith played a big part in the works of artists like Michelangelo and others. Then she points out that in the 18th century, art historians began to impute motives on earlier Christian artists that are simply not true. As a result the spiritual and the sacred are negated.
I hope I laid that out relatively clear.
WHY COME TO MASS?
Now, the title of my homily is, “Pointing to God!”
I would hope that one result of coming to Mass is that we leave with a great sense during the week of all kinds of things that point us to God. Let me repeat that sentence: I would hope that one result of coming to Mass is that we leave with a great sense during the week of seeing all kinds of things that point us to God. Then we have inner comments, prayers, thoughts and conversations, questions and wonderments with God.
Then I would add the opposite: if we didn’t come to Mass, we might miss a lot of God referrals and the spiritual during the week.
PAINTINGS OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
I pointed the mouse cursor or arrow on my computer to Google and then I typed in “Paintings of John the Baptist.”
I noticed that various paintings of St. John the Baptist have him pointing his finger towards Christ.
Sure enough that’s one of the themes in the scriptures about John the Baptist. There are others - but for this homily I would like to point out that many things - many experiences - many moments - point us to God. They are doing what John the Baptist did: point.
We know the big John the Baptist quote: "He must increase; I must increase" [John 3:30].
Many moments point us to Christ - his person and his teachings.
According to Vasari as well as Elizabeth Lev in her article in America magazine, that’s what the great religious painters are doing.
I would next add the following: has this ever happened to you? You go to an art museum - for example the National Gallery in Washington D.C. You spend 3 hours looking at paintings. You experience art. Then you walk outside and everything for about 20 minutes or so - appears as a work of art. This has happened to me many times. Trees, cars, people, walls, sky, flowers, light on leaves, all look like works of art.
If you don’t get that, picture med students studying about germs and viruses - and after class - they are seeing germs everywhere.
There are two kinds of people: those who point out the bugs and those who point out the beauty around us.
There are two kinds of teachers - or parents - or preachers: those who point out the mistakes and those who point out what you got right.
REDEMPTORISTS IN COLUMBIA
Next. I remember hearing one of our priests talking about what some Redemptorists in Columbia, South America, do in their parish missions. They take a group of folks through a town and start pointing out what is right in front of them. They would point to a light. Then they would say Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Jesus told us to bring light to others." They would point to a door. Jesus said, “I am the door.” They would point to an alley. Jesus said, “I am the way!” They would come to a fork in the street. Jesus said, “There are two ways - the narrow way that leads to life and the broad way that leads to destruction. And many go by the broad, wide, way.” They would come into the market. The preacher would point to a scale and say, “Jesus went into the market and talked about how we measure people - and how God measures people - with great generosity." They would point out a child and would say, “Jesus said unless you be like little children - you’ll never be in the kingdom of God.” They would point to a crowd and say, "Jesus was preaching in town to a crowd like this and a woman came up and just touched the edge of his garment - hoping to be healed. Then Jesus said, 'Who touched me? Who bumped into me?'” Then they might add, “Where do you need to be healed? Touch Jesus today!”
ALMOST FINISHED: MAJOR QUESTION
I am almost finished. The title of my homily is, “Pointing to God.”
I'm using the word "point" over and over again in this sermon or homily - with the hope you'll over and over again realize that lots of life's experiences will point you to God and the Son of God: Christ!
Here’s my major question. Looking at life, what are the things, experiences, and moments that point you to God?
Talk to each other - talk to people - ask them that question: Looking at life, what are the things, experiences, and moments that point you to God?
It’s my experience that people deepen their spirituality - their outlook - their attitudes - their values - their prayer life - in various ways.
I’ll conclude with 10. I ask you to talk to each other - and come up with your 10. So here are 10 things that can point us to God.
1) Come to Church - Mass - be at peace here - pray - reflect on the homily - give the sign of peace with those around you - receive communion - go in peace. Or come back during the week to remain in communion with Christ in the Eucharistic chapel or here in church - like in the quiet of the afternoon.
2) Listen to classical music. Put your cell phone in a paper bag in the back of the bottom drawer of your bedroom dresser - close the bedroom door and go listen to the music in some other room.
3) Take a good walk - have God point out his works of art to you. For example in Quiet Water Park. I’ve had various people tell me part of their vacation at the ocean is to walk the beach in the evening or early morning or whenever.
4) Go to an art museum - watch the video in the kiosks or alcoves of a featured artist - and then go look at and study her or his paintings. Ask what was the artist thinking? What would you entitle the painting? What does it point out? Or get the head set and see what someone is pointing out to you.
5) Study people at a ballgame, major, minor or little league. See it as a choreographed dance. Watch the players and their preparation. Watch the people in the stands: up and down, looking around, doing the wave, eating, relaxing, enjoying a moment in the time of their life.
6) Watch a 90 year old couple walking up Main Street holding hands and it’s a first marriage - or whether husbands hold the door open for their wives coming in or out of a restaurant or a car and study the spouse’s face and read their lips if they respond with a “Thank you!”
7) Read a good short story or novel. What does it point out about life or God or the spiritual?
8) Write your autobiography. When questions come up - talk to siblings or others - for their take on something that happened.
9) Gather your parents’ stories - if they are alive - tape them - interview them. Type it up. Clarify what they are saying. Read it back to them and get refinements and corrections. Watch their faces and eyes when you do this.
10) When you eat - eat slowly - meditate on the journey of food from the farmer to the market place - to your fork or spoon or hand. When eating with kids, point to an apple - and point out the story of an apple tree, types of apples, etc. Taste the apple or apple pie. Taste the watermelon or the roasted asparagus or the rum raison ice cream. Taste it. If you get the Big Gulp, don’t gulp it down. If you get fast food, eat it as slow food.
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Painting on top: John the Baptist by Bartolomeo Veneto, 16th Century.
[1] Elizabeth Lev, "Soul Searching", America, March 7, 2011, pp. 21-24.
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