THE  HOUR 

HAS COME

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “The Hour Has Come” [John 17:1]

As you heard - or if you read along  today’s two readings from a book -  did any words grab you?

I read the readings the night before and see what words trigger wonderings. Then - I usually select a few that I want to know more about - or that I hear a challenge from. Then I put together a two page homily - for weekdays - and five pages for Sundays - 14 Pica.

Then when I hear the readings once more here at Mass, I can hear some people - including myself saying, “What does that mean?” or “Please explain that!” and I think, “Uh oh. Sorry! Not today!”  That happened yesterday with the text from Acts. I had put together 2 pages on the first sentence, but as I heard the readings, I found myself saying, “What about speaking in tongues?” Or on Sunday it happened with the gospel text about handling snakes and drinking poison? Can’t do it all. Sorry. Next year or some other time.

So today a few words on, “The Hour Has Come” [John 17:1].

WE KNOW THE FEELING

I was thinking, “We know the sound and the feeling of those words, ‘The hour has come.’”  When have we said or felt them? 

Many Saturdays I see this happening at weddings here at St. Mary’s. It’s 3 minutes to 3. The moms are about to come down the aisle - and then the bridesmaids - then the flower girls and then the bride.  It’s 3 PM. The hour has come. I go out into the sanctuary with the best man and the bridegroom. I’m thinking to myself that I saw this couple a year ago or so and here it is now - here it is vow time. It’s time for them to make the marriage covenant!

When else do we have that same reality of time’s up? The hour is here? Test results have just come in. We’re being prepared for the operations. We’re walking up the aisle for the graduation. We walk in the door for a job interviews. We see the car pull into the driveway. We’re about to meet a son or a daughter’s significant other for the first time.

We like to watch a ballgame on TV at night. It’s a significant moment when a kid comes up to bat or takes the mound for the first time in the major leagues. What a kid has waited for - perhaps for many years - is finally here. It’s show time. His or her parents are in the stands - which can add to the stress and the moment.

NUANCES AND VARIATIONS ON THE THEME

As I thought about all this I began trying to come up with variations on this theme.

There are moments we dread and there are moments we really look forward to.

A spouse or a parent is in hospice. The last few months or years have been tough. The hour has come. A loved one is about to die.

Someone in the military in Afghanistan is looking at their watch - 4 days and 22 hours I’m going to be on a plane out of here. This has been my 3^rd and last deployment. They start picturing the arrival and the airport - and family standing on the Tarmac. They too have been looking at their watch and clocks for months and weeks and now days.

Our high school seniors are about to graduate this Friday - so too the Naval Academy - and so too our grammar school - and so too the schools in the area. What is going to happen next. Time is ticking. The hour is coming. We see someone handed a diploma.

We can do what Jesus did. We can make it a prayer - by simply adding the word “Father” as Jesus did - making all these moments a prayer, “Father, the hour has come.”

CONCLUSION

Time is funny. Time is relative - as Einstein said - and people who have obnoxious relatives who visit them - know the clock moves slower with some people than with others.

Time is relative. I know I pray better after the homily at Mass than before it. Got that out of the way. Now I can move deeper into God.

Time is relative. I can’t wait for November 7^th - when we’ll have an end to obnoxious accusative TV ads and e-mails.

Time is relative. The hour is come. How long did this sermon seem to take?