PREPARE YE 

THE WAY OF THE LORD

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily  for this 2^nd Sunday in Advent - Year A - is, “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.”

Those are the words of the opening song of the 1970’s musical, “Godspell.”

I’m sure many of you saw that play on stage - big stage - or high school stage - and some of you might have been in a production of it - or you saw the movie version of it.

“Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.”

7 Words …. If you are ever asked to memorize a song and sing it - there it is  ….  It’s only 7 words … and you can look it up on line and practice with various versions of singing it.

“Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.”

It’s the key opening message of John the Baptist. We heard it in today’s gospel from Matthew 3: 1-12.  

New Testament scholars tell us that the gospels began with the adult Christ arriving at the shores of our lives. They began - as we clearly hear in the earliest gospel [Mark]  - with John the Baptist - announcing Jesus’ arrival - and then the theme, the scream, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.”

John’s gospel - the latest in time of the gospels -  begins with Jesus’ pre-existence - then gets to John the Baptist.  Luke and Matthew begin with some stories of Jesus’ infancy - the Christmas stories - to answer those questions - in the minds of those who were beginning to wonder about the story of Jesus Christ. Then they gets to John the Baptist.

NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

There is a TV advertisement for Navy Federal Credit Union - or is it Army Federal Credit Union or both or is it insurance? The one I'm talking about has different people - adults - kids - young and old - appearing on the TV screen telling us when their family got Navy Federal Credit Union or whatever it is.  

So I’m not sure just what this TV commercial is. Next time I see it - I’ll know - because I’ll be listening and watching carefully - to see what I’m actually seeing.

*

Anyway - as I began working on this homily - that image hit me - as a way to go with this homily.

Question: who has given you the faith? Whom do you give credit to for preparing you for the Way of the Lord?”

That’s my homily for today - that question.

This week - this Sunday - this moment -  to reflect upon those people in our life - who have prepared us for the Way of the Lord.

PARENTS

For many it’s parents.

For me it was my parents. We went to church all through our childhood - and it was never a question not to.

Years and years later I remember hearing a priest say the following: “Picture a little kid going to bed at 8 PM. His or her parents are awake till 11 PM. The little kid hears a sound - wakes up - and walks towards his or her parents’ bedroom - around 11 PM. Mom is still downstairs arranging something for the morning. The bedroom door is open. The kid sees his or her dad kneeling there saying a prayer before going to bed.”

The preacher then said, “That sight - that moment - is more powerful - more significant - than all the CCD or religious education stuff that kid will ever learn or hear about in any classroom - or church.”

My first reaction was: “That’s quite a comment.” 

My second thought was: “It all depends.”

My third thought was: “Exaggeration! Prove it!”

My fourth reaction: “Maybe this is his story. Maybe this is what happened to him.”

My fifth reaction: “You’re right! That’s what I experienced as a child - but I never thought about it.

That preacher’s comment  triggered a memory. Once I had the 6 AM weekday Mass as an altar boy at OLPH Church, Brooklyn,  as a kid. My dad was off to work at 5 AM - taking the subway over to Nabisco on the West Side of Manhattan, New York City. But that morning - as I came down the side aisle - there was my dad half kneeling, half sitting, saying a prayer - head in hands.

It totally surprised me. I didn’t stop to tap him - or put my tiny hand on his shoulder. I went quietly by him. When I came out into the sanctuary to serve the Mass - I found myself sneaking a peak back and over to the side where he was. He was gone.

I’ve often wondered about that moment - but like a thousand things - I never talked to my dad about that moment.

But after I heard that comment - by that preacher - that priest - about that little kid seeing her dad - kneeling there praying - before going to bed one night - and how much that moment might  impact that kid for life - I found myself being grateful for my parents preparing me for the way of the Lord.

NUNS AND PRIESTS

I also saw tons of nuns - and lots of priests - as a kid. It was the 1940’s into the 1950’s - before the mass changes of the 1960’s.

I am not scared to say in public that I never saw any abuse from any of them - in my whole life.

I’ve seen some strange rangers. I’ve lived with a few strange ranger priests. Having said that I love the last supper question,  “Is it I Lord?” [Cf. Mark 14:19]

I'm sure you too have had the experience of many different characters - plus and minus -  in your parishes and in your life. It’s life.  

What I’m saying here is that for the most part I’ve lived and met many wonderful nuns and priests in my life. They impacted me for good big time. I hope they have done the same for you.

As priest I am very well aware of the impact of the horror stories that have come out in the past 20 or so years. Bummer. Obviously, I know horror has a greater impact than holiness - and good human beings.

I also know that people expect more of priests - so the shock when someone they look up to hurts and/or abuses others - especially young people - is greater.

I also know that we priests are in the national average or percentile  - under 8 % - probably around 4 % - give and take - as they like to say - of those who are criminal. That’s a sad and horrible reality.

Of course, of course, 1 is too many - in a family - in a school - in a church - or where have you.

I hope we have been an advertisement - in a flip way - backhanded way - to make the world more aware - especially parents and church and schools and groups - of protecting all children - being very aware that there are predators around.

Prepare ye the safe way for all children.

TEDDY MEEHAN

I have met many priests - being a priest - that’s an obvious statement - but I asked myself in preparing this homily, "Who was the best person besides my parents -  in preparing me for the way of the Lord?"

I came up with 10 names of various people and then I put a circle around the best.

# 1 was a priest named Teddy Meehan. His real name was Francis Meehan - but because he had buck teeth like Teddy Roosevelt - he got the name Teddy. He was a Teddy bear besides.

He taught us history in the seminary. Then I had the honor of living with him - years later  in that same seminary when I had a job there for 8 years as novice master. In this second stint with him, he was now an old man - in his 80's.

I could list a dozen great examples from his life - but for this sermon on good example - and preparing people for the way of the Lord - let me give this one example.

On Sunday night I used to have a holy hour in our big chapel. I’d sit with our novices up in the sanctuary - before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. It would be absolutely quiet. Then the back door would open and Teddy would shuffle in. He was getting old and getting deaf.  Some Sunday nights he would just sit there in the back and mumble prayers. Sometimes he would get up and do the stations of the cross - sometimes even saying some of the prayers out loud.

At first I said to myself, “Dang it  Teddy. Not so noisy!” 

Then I said to myself, “Stupid, stupid, stupid. These young men are in the presence of greatness - experiencing an old man moving towards the far edge of life - praying - and sometimes praying out loud. This is impacting them - whether they know it or not - much more than anything I could say or do.”

Prepare ye the way of the Lord!

CONCLUSION

So my homily today is basically a question - well 2 questions.

First question: who has prepared the way of the Lord for you? Who have been the people who kept you in the faith or brought you  back to the faith or prepared the way of the Lord for you?

It might have been your parents or a spouse or a buddy in the military or someone whom you roomed with in college - or someone at work. 

Who has prepared the way of the Lord for you?

Second and last question: Am I aware of the impact of my life on other’s lives? 

This is a scary question. Maybe you are a parent who - like so many parents - have seen your kids drop out of Church. If you’re wondering: hey I did this and I did that - but why have they have disappeared from the faith? Is it my fault? Or how much am I at fault?

If this is the case, this is what I do - what  I go through. I pray. I let go. I trust the process. I admit my failures. I say to myself that I tried. I hope. I talk about it.

I talk to young people about all this. In fact, I just told some of our high school seniors on a 4 day Kairos Retreat this past week - that I think we’re in the period called “Post Christianity!” and I’m wondering about your future as Christians.

I realize our new Pope Francis - is having an impact - called the Pope Francis Bounce.  It tells me loud and clear that Service Christianity - Smile Christianity - Joyful Christianity. Honest Christianity. St. Francis of Assisi Christianity - has more impact on people than Scold Christianity - SCOLD spelled SCOLD - which had taken over too many times in my opinion in the last bunch of years.

I know today’s readings - especially the first reading and today’s gospel - come on very strong - but I rather use the image of a pat on the back - a listening ear - than using the image of  an ax - chopping away at roots. If people want to go that way, know the consequences. I rather be with those people who want to go with a spoonful of honey rather than a barrel of vinegar. Amen.

O O O O O

Note:

* Thanks to Bill Cable for letting me know the correct advertisment.