INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 32 Sunday in Ordinary
Time [C] is, “Three Major Questions.”
I don’t know about you, but I’m going to enjoy this
homily.
Why not?
“Three Major Questions?”
QUESTION
ADDRESSED TO ALL OF US?
What are our 3 major questions?
Questions we’re asking all the time?
Or big questions that scare us or intrigue us or pop up
from time to time - big time - at different times - like before operations - or
at funerals - or when we’re all alone at the beach or in an airplane - 30,000
feet in the sky?
The Rabbi was asked, “You’re always asking questions.
Why?”
And the Rabbi answered, “Why not?”
Who invented the question mark?
It’s a great sculpture.
It has that hook in it - that fish hook shape in it - that’s meant to catch the
other.
Will you marry me?
Can we talk?
Why did you do that?
A LADY ASKED ME
YESTERDAY
A lady asked me on Friday, “What’s the difference between
a sermon and a homily?”
I said, “Good question.”
That gets the person who is asked a question, a little
bit of time to think.
Or people respond by saying, “Now that’s a very good question.”
Public people are asked questions all the time - so too
parents by little kids.
And sometimes they answer the question. Sometimes they
give answers that satisfy the questioner. Sometimes they avoid the question
completely.
I often think a person who is asked a question should say
at times - like the Rabbi, “Why are you
asking that question?” Or “What are you
wondering about?” Or, ‘Where’s that coming from?”
Or to do - what I heard Nelson Rockefeller do - in a
Power Breakfast on Drug Abuse in New York City, years and years ago, for some
5000 people. - In the Q and A period, someone asked Nelson Rockefeller, the
governor of New York State, at the time, a question. And he answered, “Are you crazy? I wouldn’t
answer that. Next question?”
Ever since I heard that, I’ve used that trick or comment
with some twists and turns in Q. and A. - question and answer periods ever
since. I’ve said things like, “I don’t care to answer that right now,” Or,
“That could be a tricky question. It could cause uproar.” Or “I haven’t thought
about that enough yet. Next question.” Or, “I’m wondering if you’re really
asking that question.” Or sometimes -
with nervousness I might ask back, “Are you asking what you’re asking or are
you asking something else?”
So the lady yesterday asked me the difference between a
sermon and a homily.
I said, “Sometimes they mean the same thing. They are
interchangeable. Or a sermon can be a religious talk in church - but a homily
is more about the scripture readings for the day - at Mass - or what have you.”
TODAY’S
READINGS
So this is a homily because today’s readings triggered
this question about questions.
Today’s first
reading brings up two major questions.
First question: Is there anything we would die for?
These 7 brothers with their mother were arrested and
tortured with whips and scourges by the king, to force them to eat pork in
violation of God’s law.
I don’t know about you, but I think I’d eat the ham
sandwich or pulled pork at Adam’s Ribs.
But if someone told me to beat someone’s mother on her
sons, I would say, “No!” even if it
meant death. At least I hope I would.
If someone grabbed the Christ in the Eucharist from the tabernacle
or the altar and with gun in hand asked me to jump on Christ, I hope I would
say, “No! I’ll die for that.”
Easier said than done.
And part of my answer is connected to the second question
in today’s first reading, “Do I believe in the resurrection of the dead.”
That makes a difference in the question: what am I
willing to die for?
I believe that there is more than this - but is that the reason I would die for
Christ’s sale - because I know there is life after this life?
If I was a secret service agent, would I take a bullet
for the president or a visiting prime minister or the pope, if that was my
assignment?
TODAY’S GOSPEL
Today’s gospel has this funny story - about the
woman who buried 7 brothers. It was a story that made
the rounds in Jesus’ time as a way of making fun of those who believed in
resurrection from the dead.
I’ve done lots of second and some third marriages of
those who have lost their spouses - and at most of these weddings - there are fun
comments about the spouse who had died - at the time of the new marriage.
There was thunder and lightning on the day my
sister-in-law’s married Ron - both of whose spouses had died of cancer.
3 MAJOR
QUESTIONS
The title of my homily is, “Three Major Questions.”
I would think this question about resurrection from the
dead is one of everyone’s three major questions.
Maybe yes? Maybe no?
What would be the other two - or three - if that’s not
one of your three major questions?
This coming week - talk to each other - after Tuesday - okay - make that Wednesday
- what are your three major questions.
When we were studying existential philosophy in our first
year after college - in the major seminary - I remember Father Joseph Colleran
- who spent his last years in Annapolis - putting up on the black board two
words - as he said, “This is the world’s shortest poem. It sums up existential
philosophy in 2 words and 2 lines, and they rhyme.”
He wrote on the board:
“I
Why?”
For some reason I have never forgotten that and I have
used that in sermons and talks and some homilies ever since.
It’s the 6th question of the old Baltimore
Catechism: “Why did God make you?”
“A. God made me to know
Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him for
ever in heaven.”
I think it’s one of three major questions everyone asks
themselves all the time. “I / Why?”
And my third question is also two words and they also
rhyme and I want to claim fame for writing this other 2 word, 2 line poem, the second shortest
poem ever written:
“You
Who?”
It’s the question parents ask of their teenage kids - in
loud - and out loud. It’s the question spouses ask of spouses - most of the
time silently. It’s the question I’ve been asking and talking to my sister
Mary, we’re the last two left, about our dad - and also our mom. Both are well
dead - and a lot of their inner stuff is buried with them. Both were quite quiet.
That wondering
about them - to me - is one more proof of resurrection.
I remember Father Bernard Bassett, a Jesuit saying on the
Johnny Carson show one night - something
like this - in answer to a question about what’s he going to do when he gets to
heaven. He said, “I’m going right by Jesus Christ and heading for my parents. I
have questions. Lots of questions. I have the rest of eternity to be with God.
CONCLUSION
The title of my homily is, “Three Major Questions.”
That’s your homework - and if you’re alive - please do Q
and A with each other.
