GOOD  SHEPHERDS  

OF  OUR  EARTH

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Good Shepherds of Our Earth.”

Today - April 22 - is Earth Day - and different religious print and internet websites - as well as various other websites and communication outlets -urge preachers and speakers, bloggers and websiters,  to speak in favor of Earth Day today.

April 22, 2020 will be the 50^th anniversary of this idea.

QUESTIONS

This triggers various questions for me.

If we don’t say something about Earth Day, will some people scream or say they are disappointed?  They wanted to think about the earth today.

If we do say something, will some people scream, write letters, what have you - saying this is a political issue not a sacred issue?

Will some people say, “I came here to Mass to hear about the readings and Jesus Christ - not about the earth.”

If a preacher does decide or feel called to preach about our earth - and good stewardship of Mother Earth - does he use the readings of the day or what?

TODAY’S READINGS

Obviously, by the title of my homily and this preamble - which seems to me to be a way to cover my you know what - I’m going to say some things about our earth and I’m going to use the gospel for today for starters.

The psalm response and the first reading talk about the stone or rock that has been rejected - that it has become the cornerstone.  We can say that some people reject this stone, this rock, we’re living on - earth  - forgetting it’s the cornerstone of our future and out children's children's children's future.

Today’s gospel talks about two types of people who care for sheep: the good shepherd and the hired hand.

If wolves attack the sheep, the Good Shepherd is willing to lay down his life for the sheep. The hired hand will run away and save his own skin.

The person who tries to save endangered species might be praised or might be ridiculed.

The person who tries to push to keep the environment of the Chesapeake Bay clean also will be laughed at or praised or ignored.

The person who tries to make Earth Day and protecting our surroundings a non-political issue will be praised or made fun by someone who proclaims that those in favor of endangered species and trees - are only into politics - and in favor of regulations - regulations.

I remember the first time I drove into Mexico. Cars were spurting out carbon monoxide big time and I realized it’s good that we have to have our cars checked for pollution here in the United States.

SACRIFICE

I would think that the issue at the center of Earth Day and keeping this earth healthy is sacrifice.

Regulations - cutting down on smoke - costs money.

To toss a wrapper on the sidewalk or curb is easier than holding onto it till one sees a garbage can.

The theme for Earth Day 2018 is cutting down on plastic.

It will be an enormous sacrifice to cut down on bottled water - and plastic containers. That whole industry will lose revenues. Everything - all our medicines and a million other products come in plastic bottles, containers or what have you. Plastic wrap has lots of advantages - like for left overs in the refrigerator.

It’s easier to say to the check-out person, “Paper” when she or he says, “Paper or plastic or do you have a bag?”

SUGGESTIONS

Become your own conscience driven person - making your decisions about the environment from what you learned - rather than babble from TV news programs. If you have a computer - which has a plastic keyboard, etc.  type into google “Earth Day” or “Protecting our Environment” - and read the results and watch the videos.

What makes sense for you - for the good of all?

I did last night and got an eyeful. A whale was washed up on a shore in Spain with 65 pounds of plastic in its belly.

What do you think when you read that in bottled water there can be tiny, tiny, tiny particles of plastic?

Over in St. Mary’s High School, they have cold water fountains, that makes it easy to fill a canteen of water - and registers how many plastic bottles for water - one avoids.

I like water. I like bottled water in plastic - especially when I’m thirsty - and I feel thirsty.

There are things we can do.  Someone - somemanys - got to others by saying things like: 2 million single use plastic bags per minute are distributed at store checkout counters across the globe.

Single use - some are used as doggy bags - then there is fertilizer.

Am I right that they don’t use those plastic things on tops of six packs of canned soda anymore.  They have been known to choke birds - so was there a campaign not to have them and the protests worked and they have been  removed.

SACRED

When we are baptized, there is a moment there, when we are anointed on our forehead - just an inch away from our brain.  We are anointed, announced to be prophet, priest and king.  I’m sure someone says somewhere, “prophetess, priestess, and queen.”

I don’t - but I do think - this new baby - or this newly baptized person - is being called to do and to be three roles: “Speak up for fairness, to be a preacher for justice and rights for all.”  That’s the prophet we’re all called to  be.  Secondly “priest” to  consecrate the earth and all the people on it - and all this earth and universe is:  “this is my body, this is my blood, I’m giving my life for you.”  That’s the priest in us. And thirdly king and queen - and to look to Christ - who told us what kind of king we’re called to be: servant kings and queens.

Of course those who want to be served are going to crucify that kind of king or queen.

It’s a sacred moment at each mass, when the priest lifts the host and we feel a sense of reverence. Some people want a bell rung right then and there. And the blood is lifted there. And people say a prayer right then and there and bells are rung right then and there.

When do have those same feelings and thoughts about our earth.

Can we see that this is our body: from this earth comes French fries and apples and salads and Big Macs.  Moos! Oink oink.

Have you been to the Grand Canyon or watched the sun come up out of the ocean in the morning at Rehoboth or go  down at the Big Sur in California at the end of a day. Last night they had a shot of the sunset over Dodger stadium. Beautiful.

In the movie City Slickers, Billy Crystal is with some buddies and someone brings up the moment that a little boy has when he comes through the dark tunnel - up the ramp and sees a big beautiful green baseball field  for the first time. It’s sacred.

Have you been in a plane at night - with a window seat - and looked down at all those tiny lights - and said a prayer for the people down below within all those little houses?

What are your sacred moments?  I love the moment at Sin Fronteras when the waitress or waiter places in front of me a Beef Burrito - $9.95. It includes a nice salad as well.   We might be going there tonight.  When we eat out on Sunday night - it’s date night for us priests. I see eating together as a Mass. The salad, the rice and beans and the beef - plants and cows - had to be killed and processed for me to have my supper.   And I’m surrounded by my brothers in communion and we laugh and talk about our lives.

Do you see eating out or eating in a sacred moment - for family and friends?

Some people drop out of church. They stop going to this meal - this supper - called The Mass.  Does anyone realize the same thing happens in family? People stop going to the family table for regular meals together  - regular communion with each other. They excommunicate themselves from the family - and they end up lessening themselves.

I try to make the connection of “churchy” things with everyday life things.

Earth Day can get us in touch with lots of everyday things.

For example, don’t you hate it when you see someone desecrate a place? Desecrate: meaning taking away the sacredness - the holiness - the wholeness of a place? Anyplace? Don’t you hate it when you see a dirty restroom on the highway or spot on the beach - where someone just dumped their remains on our Mother Earth - without thinking of the next person?

CONCLUSION

There are two kinds of people: those who are good shepherds and those who are just hired hands.

One sees the hotel or motel or rent a car - as a place someone has to clean after me and use after me - so I’ll treat it as my own and there is the other person who  doesn’t care.

There are two people who hear about Earth Day: the one who hears a message for the Common Good and does something about it and those who have eyes that don’t see, ears that don’t hear and a body that is only for itself.