FINDING  GOD: 

TAKE  THREE 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Finding God: Take  Three.”

When preaching or writing, sometimes I use the number 3, sometimes 5, sometimes 7, sometimes 2. What works best for you?

If I asked you to tell me 3 places you find God, where would your 3 places be?

Make them specific - instead of in general?

For example, you might answer, “On vacation.” I’d say, “Great. But be more specific.”  Then you might say, “When I am at the beach, I like to get up early and go down to the water and watch the sunrise.” Or you might say, “I sense the presence of God, when I’m on vacation and we’re  playing Monopoly or Risk or Train Dominoes or cards together. 

Everyone is laughing and life is good and family is good.”

So vacation might be one place you find God. Next, you might give as your second place, “In church.” But then I’d say, “Be more specific.” And you might answer, “Well, there I am at Mass. I’m sitting there - sort of spaced out and I’m watching a family, a whole family, together at Sunday Mass.  And it’s not Christmas or Easter. Then you might say, “Our  family is not together or what have you when it comes to Mass. But this family, it looks like they have 3 kids, two in their twenties. It looks like one is there with a boyfriend, probably not a Catholic, because of his hesitation and looking around - when to stand up and when to sit down or kneel. I think of God in moments like that at Mass.” Or you might say it’s a favorite hymn, it gets you into God every time.

Next - for your third place you find God you might say, “I find God every night, when I walk the dog and I look into the deep night sky,  and I pause and thank God for the day - and the night as well.

The title of my homily is, “Finding God: Take Three.”

THREE SCENES

The title of my homily is, “Finding God: Take Three.”

Take three scenes.

Last Tuesday evening Father Luyen Dau - one of our two new priests - was on duty and a call came in at supper from a parishioner. His wife had just died.  Luyen put the phone on voice and I realized he will have no clue where this house was, so I went with him.

We rang the bell and a policeman answered. The husband was in the kitchen crying and all worried and worked up. His wife was on the rug on the living room floor - covered with white sheets. we had to walk around her. That kind of a moment is a God moment. It’s a blessing to be a priest, to be able to help someone in a scene like that.

We prayed over the body and anointed her forehead - after asking the police if that was alright. We have watched too many NCIS reruns to know to ask that.

The funeral was yesterday morning. The death scene triggered a similar God memory for me. I mentioned it in my homily, nor really knowing what to say - as in many a funeral. I didn’t know the story in a 46 year marriage.

I told a story about a guy named Leonard, a plumber in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania. Not Len the Plumber here in Maryland. I was working in a retreat house in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, in the Poconos. On Saturday night at this retreat house folks signed up for Eucharistic Adoration - of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. Each retreatant had 17 or   21 or 25 minutes to himself in the chapel. All the lights were turned off in the chapel - with 6 candles on the altar. All else left and the door was closed. I stupidly got stuck in the sacristy and came out into the semi darkness and stepped out of the sanctuary right onto Leonard lying stretched out on the floor in the front of the mail aisle.

I fell into the benches - didn’t get hurt - and said to the body. “Ooops sorry.”

He said, “Okay. I’m just praying.”

The next day after breakfast I grabbed Leonard and asked him, “What was happening?”

“Oh,” he said, “Three years ago we were digging on a side lawn - next to a house. A pipe had broken. I was stupid. We didn’t use a caisson - and my son was down this deep hole -  and the whole thing caved in and my son was buried. “Oh, my God I screamed. Help me God. I grabbed a shovel and jumped into the hole and started digging, digging, praying, praying. My shovel hit my son in the head so I knew I was near him. I was able to get to his face and got him breathing. He was all right.”

Then Leonard said, “When I’m in that chapel or whenever I’m in church, that’s my God, who saved my son and I need to thank him over and over again.”

So that scene the other night of Louise on the floor reminded me of Leonard on the floor. Sometimes people die; sometimes people live. We are in God’s hands.

The second scene took place in Fort Wayne Indiana. I think I mentioned this in a homily - but who remembers homilies. Tom, a priest I worked with, was in the hospital in Fort Wayne. He was in intensive care. A tractor trailer truck hit his car on an icy road, Route 127. Tom was helicoptered to Fort Wayne. I’m visiting him. They need to change him or something, so I’m walking around and this guy seeing me - a priest - says, “Oh good, come with me.”  He took me to his wife, who was also in a coma. I anointed her and prayed over her with him. I found out her name was Dolores and the guy’s name was also Leonard - also 6 foot 4 and 280 pounds at least.

Well, I would drop in to see Dolores every time I went to see Tom - who came out of his coma - and was moved to another floor. After 75 days there, Tom came home - and back to work again eventually.

A year later I got a call from Leonard. They wanted to come and see me in Lima, Ohio. They lived in Indiana - an hour and a half away. We went to Ryan’s  restaurant - where we found out and figured out - I saw Dolores by accident. He called his priest - who said he’d call around and get a local priest to see Dolores - who had had a brain aneurysm explosion. Leonard thought I was that priest.

Dolores is still living. Leonard died. That was a God moment for me. I remember all the scenes - and I especially I remember Leonard telling me about one of the cats they had on their farm. This cat was always getting into trouble. Leonard said he was pain you know where, so we called him “Hemorrhoid.”

The third God moment happened on 3^rd Avenue in busy Manhattan, New York City. I’m walking up town and this lady in a big crowd, walking south was walking along with a rosary in hand.

I can still see that lady. She’s still walking down the street. This was a good 25 years ago. Is still alive? Is she still praying her rosary, while walking up and down the streets of her life.

TODAY’S THREE READINGS

Today’s three readings provide 3 God moments.

The first reading from the First Book of Kings has Elijah the Prophet having a God moment. He’s on a mountain and he experiences a powerful wind storm. Rocks start falling.  Next he looks down and experiences an earthquake. Then there is a fire. And our scripture text says, “God is not in the heavy wind, nor is God in the earthquake or the fire.” Then he experiences God in a tiny whispering sound.

Think of your God moments - maybe you experienced God - watching your little baby blowing out two birthday candles for their second birthday - but their breath is not strong enough so grandpa adds his big breath. And it’s a God moment watching the whole scene.

The second reading from Romans talks about lies among other things. How many persons have been forced to prayer, to their knees, to Christ, to God because of lies, false accusations, being cursed or what have you?

The gospel talks about the disciples were on a boat - and a violent storm came up - and they thought they sighed Jesus walking on the water - and Peter screams out for help - and Jesus calls him to leave their boat and come walk on the waters toward Jesus.   Peter does it - he walks - till he loses faith and starts to sink and Jesus challenges Peter to have more faith.

We’re not sure what that was all about - but the early church - once Christ left them - after his death and resurrection - they had to have faith to keep moving and keep the Jesus movement, church, kingdom, community afloat. It’s 2017 and we’re still going.

Today’s 3 readings tell us that many people find God in life’s  struggles more than in most life’s easy moments.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Finding God: Take 3.”

Take time this week to look at how and where you have found God in your life. What are your God Moments.

Take 3 - one from the Father, one from the Son, one from the Holy Spirit.

Take 3, one from the Joyful mysteries of life; one from the Sorrowful mysteries of life; one from the Glorious mysteries of life. Amen.