FIGURING
OUT WHERE PAUL
OR JESUS GOT THEIR MATERIAL
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is this: “Figuring Out Where Paul or Jesus Got Their Material.”
When I read the readings of the day, I like to read them
out loud and try to figure out the experience that triggered such a thought.
That’s the thought that hit me from the readings for
today’s readings for this 23 Thursday in Ordinary Time.
FOR EXAMPLE
For example, today’s first reading is from Colossians 3:
12-17. Did Paul have a complaint or a
whine or a gripe about someone and then realize he had to forgive them? Did
that have to happen before he could
write, "bearing with one another and forgiving another, if one has a
grievance against another"?
For example, today’s gospel is from Luke 6: 27-38. Did
Jesus see a stall keeper in the marketplace who always seemed to give extra to
all his customers - and as a result, he got all kinds of return customers?
I said Mass in Asbury Park yesterday for some of Mother
Teresa’s nuns. Father John McGowan had taken me to their convent last week so
that I would know where they were. On the way back from our dry run, Father
Jack pointed out Frank's on our way back
from the Sister's place. He said, “Frank's is the place where the guys get
donuts.” So I went in yesterday and ordered 6 donuts and the lady gave me 7
saying the jelly donuts were still hot. The message Jesus took out of a market
experience was: the measure with which we measure will be measured out to us. I was seeing a lady with a big heart and gave
me extra jelly donuts. Neat.
In today's gospel, Jesus talked about people who lent
stuff and then got angry with people who didn’t make returns. Did Jesus notice some
person who gladly lent their neighbor a wheel barrel or a ladder or a plow -
but go crazy when the person wouldn't return it?
IN OTHER WORDS
In other words did Paul and Jesus sit back and think out
lessons from their experiences. I figure that I've preached well over 5000
times - and I'm sure for the first 10 years I preached on what I read in books,
but at some point I had to switch over to preaching from experiences.
Father Jack McGowan in driving me to your place here at
Lincroft, last week when he was showing me how to get here said, "There
are homilies everywhere, everyday, in every place. You just have to see
them."
Last night in preparing this homily, I’m thinking about
conversations we have at the dinner table.
A says Blue Oldsmobile. That triggers in B the words Blue Nun wine. That
triggers in C, an Immaculate Heart of
Mary Nun who wears a blue habit. That triggers in D a friend who was in an Oldsmobile car accident.
Isn’t that how conversations and life happens?
So when I read the readings the night before I have a
Mass in the morning I just read the readings out loud for myself a few times
and all kinds of memories are touched.
So today's gospel talks about not judging, forgiving,
loving enemies - now that's the tough one - compared to loving those who are
good to us.
What triggered that thought for Jesus?
Today's first reading talks about gentleness and
patience.
Would living with a brother who was rough on everyone -
and had no patience trigger mentioning that in a letter.
THE NEXT STEP
So there are homilies everywhere.
When Jack McGowan took me on a tour on how to get to this
place as well as Holy Cross in Rumson, I jotted down directions in this pad.
I took out this pad at breakfast with the jelly donuts
yesterday and a visiting young priest says, "That's Andy's GPS. And it's
made of paper."
I was thinking: did Jesus have something like a pad in his
pocket when he worked in the carpenter shop or when he walked through the town’s
market or when he made trips to the mountains near Capernaum? Did he do that in
his 20's and think about what he recently saw: brothers not talking to each other
and father's trying to bring about reconciliation.
CONCLUSION:
So my homily
thought for today has been: the readings for the day give us possible hints not
only for us homily thoughts but possible
experiences the author had.
So the homilist as well as the readers as well as the
hearers of the daily readings ought to listening
and try to figure out what triggered
what?
