GOOD  EXAMPLE, BAD  EXAMPLE, 

WHICH HAS THE GREATER IMPACT?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 32 Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Good Example, Bad Example, Which Has The Greater Impact?”

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s readings challenge us to give good example to each other.

Today’s first reading talks about good qualities for a bishop as well as bad characteristics to avoid. [Cf. Letter of Saint Paul to Titus 1:1-9.]

I’ve never received a form in the mail to fill out about someone being considered for becoming a bishop. For someone for a job or to be fit to adopt a child, yes. Bishop no.

Paul tells Titus what to look for in presbyters for every town - that they be blameless, married only once, and with believing children who have a good track record. For bishops they too should be blameless, not arrogant, not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive, not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, temperate, just, holy and self-controlled, holding fast to the true message as taught so that he will be able to exhort with sound doctrine and to refute opponents.”

Today’s gospel has a very scary comment - that it would be better for someone to have a millstone put around their neck and thrown into the sea than to cause a little one to sin. I was in Israel once and saw a few millstones leaning against buildings.  I got the message. [Cf. Luke 17: 1-6.]

That’s one bible text that everyone should hear - especially popes and bishops and priests. I’ve heard it these past 30 years many, many times in looking at the sexual abuse problems in the Catholic Church.

Unfortunately, I sense that lawsuits - and money - had the bigger impact - than the warning words of Jesus - but especially the care of children.

EXAMPLE

The title of my homily is, “Good Example, Bad Example, Which Has The Greater Impact?”

If you were sent a survey, how would you answer that question. If the survey said: “Give examples.” What would you give as your answer?

Whenever I see a baby with a great smile, I always give credit for starters to the baby’s parents. Smiles beget smiles. Smiles carve smiles in another’s face.

Should I also add, scowls?  However, I prefer to think good example has the greater impact.

Which has the greatest impact from the pulpit? Negative or positive comments?

I remember hearing a talk by Ralph Greenson, a psychoanalyst. He said, “If someone says, 'Jack Jones is a great guy,' nobody hardly notices that, but if they  say, ' Jack Jones is a son of a ____' everyone joins in to prove it.”

Someone said, “A good example  is worth a thousand sermons.”

Every preacher has heard at least a thousand times the silent scream from the church benches, “Practice what you preach!”

CONCLUSION

We are living proofs of the power of example.

We do a lot of what we do - because of what we saw - and what was done to us.

And we are repeat performances of our parents and their parents and their parents.

A closing for example, example, about the past showing up in our present.

A marine sergeant sweetly addressed his marines at the end of an exhaustive period of drill, “When I was a little child, I had a set of wooden soldiers.  There was a poor boy in our neighborhood. Well, after I had  been to church and heard a great sermon about being generous, I was soft enough to give my wooden soldiers to him. Then I wanted them back and I cried. My mother said, ‘Don’t cry Johnny; some day you’ll get your wooded soldiers back.’  And believe me, you lop-sided, mutton-headed, wooden- brained set of certified rolling pins, that day has come.”