ON  THE  ROAD AGAIN

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “On The Road Again.”

When I read today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles 14: 19-28, I couldn’t help but think of Willie Nelson singing one of his signature songs, “On the Road Again.”

TODAY’S FIRST READING

Here’s Paul in this section of the Acts traveling, traveling, traveling. We hear mention today of places like Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, Antioch. Pisidia, Pamphylia and Attalia. That’s 7 places in one short reading. 

“All aboard!”

I’ve always noticed in the back pages of New Testaments - maps of the Mediterranean Basin with lines indicating the 3 missionary journeys of Paul.

Check them out.

Paul did a lot of traveling - but he might have also sang, “On the sea again….”

The history of Christianity is journeys to new places to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.

That’s how the word “Catholic” came about.  We reached out to the whole catalogue of people around the world.

If you read Robert Warden’s book about St. Mary’s you’ll find a list of 32 Jesuits who served the Annapolis Mission from 1704-1853.  Most came from White Marsh in Prince George’s County - but there were a few from St. Mary’s City - down in Southern Maryland - and 2 other priests who were not Jesuits.  As I was reading that I wondered how they traveled: horse, carriage, stage coach, train, what?

You’ll also  read about Redemptorists going out from St. Mary’s and starting churches in lots of different places - within striking distance of St. Mary’s: Severna Park, Edgewater, Odenton, Our Lady of Sorrows, etc.

I suggested to Robert Warden to put in one of those corridor glass display cases a poster of some sort of all the places that originated out of here.

I have heard stories about Redemptorists down in Georgia and North Carolina and South Carolina - spending a good bit of their Sundays in a car heading here there and everywhere for Masses.

St. Alphonsus our founder and St. Clement Hofbauer were always on the road - here, there and everywhere.

I was in 2 retreat houses - for 14 years of my life - people came to us - but it was the 9 ½ years that I was on the road - that have the most interesting memories.

“On the road again….

THAT’S THE GOSPEL STORY

That’s the Gospel story. Jesus  is forever on the roads of Palestine - visiting all the towns and villages proclaiming Good News.

Jesus sent his disciples out two by two to do the same.

That’s a good way to hear the Gospels - listening to Jesus traveling by foot everywhere. If you ever get to Israel, as you travel down lots of roads and see so many scenes, you’ll picture Jesus everywhere - even though a lot of it will be through a bus window.

He told his parables. He healed the blind and the sick and the disabled.

He preached peace as we heard in today’s gospel from John.

He challenged the Pharisees and anyone who was stuck in the law as opposed to new life in the Spirit.

CONCLUSION

We have chances everyday - to be Christian in many ways to each other. Go for it.

Whether it’s 100 miles or 100 steps there are all kinds of people we can reach out as followers of the Road Man - Jesus Christ - who even described himself as the road or the path, “I am the way!” And we can add, “the high way”.