MEETINGS: 

ON  BEING  HC 

  

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 6^th Sunday after Easter [A] is, “Meetings: On Being HC.”

HC stands for Humanly Correct.

I prefer that to PC:  “Politically Correct”  - because PC is a button for some people - and then the listening stops.

But to be humanly correct - now that can open up possibilities.

2^ND    EUCHARISTIC PRAYER FOR RECONCILIATION

In the Roman Missal there are 10 Eucharistic Prayers - that the priest can use when celebrating Mass. I have found that the 2^nd Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation has some powerful words to pray with and be about.

I’ve been using this prayer a lot - especially because of the mood I hear in some current conversations and on TV political talk shows. I’m going to use it today - so let me preface that use with a reading of  the preface for this 2^nd Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation.

It is truly right and just

that we should give you thanks and praise,

O God, almighty Father,

for all you do in this world,

through our Lord Jesus Christ.

For though the human race

is divided by dissension and discord,

yet we know that by testing us

you change our hearts

to prepare them for reconciliation.

Even more, by your Spirit you move human hearts

that enemies may speak to each other again,

adversaries join hands,

and peoples seek to meet together.

By the working of your power

it comes about, O Lord,

that hatred is overcome by love,

revenge gives way to forgiveness,

and discord is changed to mutual respect..

Therefore, as we give you ceaseless thanks

with the choirs of heaven,

we cry out to your majesty on earth,

and without end we acclaim.

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts….

That’s it: the opening words of the 2^nd Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation.

BALTIMORE PROVINCE RENEWAL TEAM

The Redemptorists of Baltimore Province -  are the ones who serve  here at St. Mary’s. Years ago we freed up 3 guys - to work full time to get us Redemptorists to meet together - to work together better - to listen to each other more -  to be reconciled to each other - to dream together.

It lasted 4 years. I was on that team for 1 year and I found out how difficult it is to get people to meet together - to talk together - to be on the same page together - to work together.

We made progress - then we made the decision to end it - and move on.

Communication - community - family - marriage - tough stuff - that takes work and practice.

People sometimes think we priests don’t know enough about marriage and family life.  Hey, I live with 10 other priests - which gives me an advantage in knowing how other human beings operate and are.  Okay it’s not marriage.

The first step for communication is to be willing to meet together.

Some people refuse to do even that. I’m aware of that right now in my own family.  It’s a bummer.  As priest I've heard about many families.

We are all aware of the story of Adam and Eve. Everything was nice - but naïve - that is till Adam and Eve broke the rule God gave them. You can eat everything and anything in the garden - except the forbidden fruit.

You know what Adam and Eve did next. Where is it?

Then they hid. They were exposed. They saw their nakedness. They didn’t want to meet with God in the garden - after what they just did.

And God asked a key question: Where are you?

That’s the first question we have to ask each other when we are not meeting or not reconciled with each other.

Where are we?

The next steps are the human steps - if we want to be HC, that is, humanly correct with each other.

These steps would be the virtues of honesty and respect.

It's important to put everything on the table - if possible - but with respect - care - and caution.

The table - the altar - that holds bread and wine - and the possibility of holy communion - also needs to be the place of sacred words with each other.

I notice in every picture of meetings of Palestinians with Israelis - that they have food on the table.

If we can’t eat with each other - if we can’t talk with each other - if we can’t stomach each other - if we can’t listen to the other person’s perspective - we are not going to be able to work out a compromise and a covenant with each other.

It would be very wise to keep things simple.

Jesus was being very wise when he told us to be like children - to not let our egos get in the way.

These are some of the humanly correct things to do and how to be with each other.

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM - LAND

In every room where there is discord and dissension - there is an elephant.

It would be easier if it was a lamb. Them we can slay!

In today’s first reading we have this sentence as its opening words, “Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed Christ to them.”

Mention of Samaria triggered this homily - that is, when I looked up on the Internet information about Samaria.

In January of 2000 I stood there in Israel and Palestine and our guide pointed north to a hilly area and said, “That’s Samaria.”

I didn’t know we were not going to go to Samaria in our bus. I wanted to - but no go.

In that area Samaria is the one of the big elephants.

It always has been.

In the time of Jesus it was - and way before that.

Way, way back in BC times, foreign invaders conquered that area and marched away the people there and brought in people from other conquered places. Divide and conquer.

The people of Samaria were not liked by the people of the rest of Israel.  The feeling was mutual.

When we hear the Gospels, we often hear mention of the Samaritans.

The gospel writers tell us that it was a Samaritan - who was the one person with leprosy who was healed and came back to thank Jesus. The woman at the well and the people there were Samaritans.  The one person who stopped to help the guy beaten up on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was a Samaritan - a good one at that.

And if we study the New Testament enough - we find out that the early Christians were not just Jews - not just Gentiles - but some were Samaritans.

There is a key message there: Christianity is a religion where everyone is invited to the table.

In a video that the White House put out on Friday they omitted Golan, Judea and Samaria from the map of Israel. Then that video was removed from the Internet.  A week earlier, the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia, edited out of a video that our president will visit Israel on this trip. 

In looking up stuff about Samaria I saw all this.

I also read that when it comes to Samaria - some describe that area as the West Bank. Some then  point out that is a phrase from the last century and not before that. Articles also point out that fights about Samaria continue - on maps, in reports, in newscasts, in videos and on and on and on.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Meetings: On Being HC.”

On major land issues like Israel, Palestine, people need to continue to meet together.

Human qualities like honesty, fairness, history, background, acknowledging buttons, forgiveness, and compromise are called for - and a lot more.

That’s the big picture.

When there is discord and dissension in our families - or at  work - or on teams - or on politics - or with the persons next door or in the apartment above or below or next to us -  it’s up to us - to do our part to be humanly correct - humanly caring - even if the other isn’t.