CRIES FOR  MERCY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Cries for Mercy.”

That’s the theme that hit me after reading today’s readings – especially today’s Psalm response: “With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.”

We Redemptorists would notice that – because that’s where our motto and message comes from: “With Him There Is Fullness of Redemption.” In Latin – it’s “Copiosa Apud Eum Rememptio.” You’ll find that in our literature and tradition.

It’s from today’s Psalm 130 – the famous De Profundis  Psalm. “Out of the depths I cry to you O Lord.”

CRIES

I like to picture churches as one big gigantic crying room.

I was up to our church in Philadelphia – the shrine of St. John Neumann – this Saturday morning – for the funeral of a priest. Just got back.  And there was a great baby screamer for a good part of the Mass. I was taught never – never – never ever -  as priest – to make comments about babies crying in church. I know some folks in the different church benches give dirty looks  at parents of crying babies, but I know never to do that as priest.

In fact, I like babies crying in church – especially because of a very sad memory.  I came back from Anne Arundel Medical Center one Sunday morning – after just baptizing a little tiny baby that died just after birth. Her parents were from Western Canada – the father was trying to make the Capitals – and they were all alone. Bummer. Bummer. Bummer. And at that 7:30 Sunday  morning Mass here no babies were crying. I said, “If anyone has a baby here, please pinch her or him and make him or her cry.”

I wanted to hear a baby cry.

Ooops – there was this other time…. At my brothers funeral there was a crying baby. Her mother got up to leave when her baby was crying. I stopped  and  said while preaching, “That’s all right Mary Dawn. Stay. The baby is not bothering me.”

After Mass the mother said to me, “It wasn’t the crying. The stink was too, too, much.”  Live and learn.

What are your cries? What are your screams from down deep  in your depths?

I like to sometimes say while preaching: “There are 4 basic cries of the human heart: Help, Sorry, Thanks, and Wow.”

You’ve heard those as the four basic prayers.

I hold if we can’t say those 4 cries to each other, how the heck can we say them to God – as prayers.

As the First Letter of John says: we can see each other, we can’t see God.”[Confer 1 John 4:20]

THE SORRY CRY

In this homily I want to stress the Sorry Cry.

Looking at today’s readings – I’m hearing the reality of cries – from death – from death by sin – and what have you.

So I’m saying that  many people cry in this big crying room called “church”.  We all have feelings of deep down sorrow.

Let’s pause for a moment here.  Be quiet. Silent. Hush! Listen to the silent cries filling this church right now: cries because of cancer, death,  health worries, loss of a job, kids have dropped out of church, grandkids are not baptized.

I have a whole book entitled, Cries….  But Silent. It’s out of print – but I think it was the best of my books.  I simply tried to capture in images and words – the cries I heard people telling me.

People feel dead – weighed down – because of the mistakes of one’s life. Mistakes from the past can drain the life out of a person.

Death – another’s death can do the same. And then we feel dead – half alive.

Or we look at our job as parents – or spouse – or maybe a marriage fell apart – or our kids fell apart – so we feel we’ve done a horrible job and we’re drained or dead as a result.

Remember the poster from years ago that showed a tombstone that said, “Died at 35 – buried at 70.”

Or we see our laziness on the job – and feelings of too much wasted time and maybe a life crush us.

And we’re crying, “Sorry!” for all our laziness or mistakes or sins – or what have you.

That’s the sorry cry.

MERCY

The title of my homily is, “Cries for Mercy!”

Mercy is embedded in “Sorry!”

“Sorry” is embedded in the cry for forgiveness.

Today’s first reading from Ezekiel 37: 12-14 is a message of hope that God will open our graves – lift us from the pits – give us new life.

Today’s second reading from Romans 8:8-11 says the same thing – contrasting begin dead to sin – but we can come alive – become right again because of Christ.  The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead can raise us to life again.

Our God is a God of new beginnings – fresh starts.

Our God doesn’t yell at us – but heals us when we yell “Sorry!”  to Him.

Our God is not a rock thrower – but with arms open – hands open, he welcomes us home every time.

Today’s long gospel – John 11:1-45 - has Jesus experiencing  the death of his friend Lazarus. When Jesus finally gets to Lazarus’  tomb – Jesus becomes perturbed and trouble. Notice the text says, “Jesus wept.”

It’s then that Jesus cries out, “Lazarus come out.”

We’re beggars – we’re in the depths of downness – pain – hurt – crying for mercy – fullness of mercy and redemption.

That’s the theme I’m preaching today.

CONCLUSION

So pray those 4 cries: “Help…. Sorry …. Thanks …. and Wow!

So pray Psalm 130 if you want to know how to pray – how to cry out to God – when we feel down and sorrowful for dumb moves in our life.

So just become quiet and hear Jesus crying because he loves us and hear him call us by our first name and cry out, “Come out!”