THREE  VOICES

INTRODUCTION

The  title  of my homily for this 5th Sunday after Easter is: "Three  Voices."

We all have two voices within us. One voice says we can do it and the other voice says we can’t.

One voice says we can make it and the other voice says we can’t make it.

One voice says, “You’re a winner.” The other voice says, “You’re a loser.”

One voice says, “Yes!” The other voice says, “No way!”

One voice says, “You’ll never change!” and the other voice says, “You can change. You can improve.”

And sometimes we can track down these voices to our earlier days. We might have had a coach or a teacher or a friend who encouraged us or we might have had people who discouraged us.

Maybe even a brother or a sister or some classmate who put us down.

Of course, we have all heard the saying, “No one can put you down without your permission.” But sometimes negative stuff from others or even from ourselves, and then reinforced by ourselves, can lead to lots of discouragement or not giving it our best.

A key thing to keep in mind is that in time, we are the speaker of either of these two voices.

THIRD VOICE

So we need a 3^rd voice that says, “Behold I make all things new.” It’s in today’s second reading.

We all need a 3^rd voice that says, “With the Lord’s help I can do it.” Or, “I can do all things in Him who strengthens me.” Or, “I’ll try and with the help of God and good friends, I will do my best.”

MOREOVER: HOW GOD SPEAKS TO US

This third voice is the voice of God. It comes in various ways – if we listen.

We all remember hearing the story about the man in the flood. I heard it at least 10 times from different preachers. It was good and to the point.

The river rises. The police come around the neighborhood and announce move to higher grounds. Everything is about to flood.

This man says, “Well I ain’t moving. God will help.”

The flood rises to the front porch. The police come by row boat. “Everybody must leave their homes.”

Once more the man says, “I ain’t leaving. I’m praying to God for help.”

He’s now on his chimney and the water is at his feet. A helicopter spots him and lowers a rope ladder. The water is going to get higher. Get on the rope ladder.”

Once more he says, “I ain’t leaving. I’m praying to God for help.”

Well, you know the punch line. He dies and meets God and complains, “Where were you when I called for help.”

And God says, “I sent you a police car, a row boat and a helicopter with a rope ladder.”

Moral of the story: God is the third voice that speaks to us all the time, but we need to listen.

EXAMPLES

I was checking around for some examples on this and found these three that hit me. They are from King Duncan’s sermons - who provides plenty of examples for preachers who are stuck for examples.

ROSSINI

The first example is from Italy.

For many summers a composer named Gioacchino Rossini would go out to some small village in Italy – one which could not afford an opera – and he would write an opera which the people of that village could perform. One summer, he auditioned all of the talent in this small village, and the only woman who could possibly be the leading lady was limited to only one good note! It was middle B-flat.         

Rossini was not discouraged; he went right ahead and wrote the opera in which the leading lady had only one note to sing. BUT, he surrounded that middle B-flat with such beautiful harmony that when she sang her one note, it was like an angel from heaven.         

 CARUSSO

The second example is from Dale Carnegie’s book How To Win Friends and Influence People. He tells an interesting story about a famous musician

Many years ago a boy of ten was working in a factory in Naples, Italy. He longed to be a singer, but his first teacher discouraged him. “You can't sing,” he said. “You haven't any voice at all. It sounds like the wind in the shutter.” 

But his mother, a poor peasant woman, put her arms about him and praised him and told him she knew he could sing, she could already see the improvement, and she went barefoot in order to save money to pay for music lessons. 

The peasant mother's praise and encouragement, her sacrifices, changed the boy's life. His name was Enrico Caruso, and he became the greatest and most famous opera singer of his age.         

A LITTLE GIRL NAMED RACHEL

The 3^rd example is about a teacher.

Educator Jeffery Holland tells about a pre-school teacher who faced what she thought was “burn-out.” She was a committed teacher whose heart particularly went out to the so-called “disadvantaged child.”

She had begun to despair over some of the children who seemed so lost, so limited - and in some cases, so neglected at home.

In her growing frustration she vacillated between the feeling that there was something wrong with her, or that there was something wrong with “this current crop of pre-schoolers. They just don't respond like they used to.”

Then her mother died. It was necessary for her to take a week off from her teaching duties to attend her mother's funeral. She was very close to her mother.

Following the funeral she needed some time alone to deal with her feelings. Her frustrations at the pre-school seemed like an even heavier burden at this point in her life. After a weekend of aimless shopping, puttering in the garden and watching TV, she realized she must return to her classroom. She felt more like a soldier going into battle than a teacher of pre-schoolers.

The first day back was about what she expected. Her hurt and despair produced resentment which she kept carefully hidden. She went through the paces like the competent professional she was. She smiled at the right times and was admirably patient considering the environment and her raw feelings.        

But then it happened. She had come around the corner to discover Rachel picking the last chrysanthemum from the pot in the hall. Rachel, by the way, was the most distant, most disruptive child in the class. In a stern, trembling voice the teacher demanded, “Rachel, what are you doing?”        

Rachel held out in her little hand the flowers she had already picked. “Mrs. Terrell,” she said, “You used to be like a mother. Would these flowers help you to be like a mother again? I know you are fussed in your mind. Wouldn't you like some flowers?”       

Mrs. Terrell thought, “fussed in my mind? You mean it shows? To a five-year-old?”

So she asked,  “Rachel, what is a mother like?”        

“A mother is like you used to be,” Rachel said. “A mother likes being with children.”        

“But Rachel,” said Mrs. Terrell, “I like being with children. I've just...well, I've been...well, Rachel, my mother...passed away, and...”

Rachel meekly interrupted, “You mean she died?”

“Yes, Rachel,” said her teacher sadly, “She died.”        

Rachel looked up at her teacher and asked, “Did she live until she died?”        

Mrs. Terrell thought, “What kind of question is that?”

“Well, honey, of course,” she said, “All people live until they die; they...”        

Rachel interrupted her again. “Oh, no they don't, Mrs. Terrell. Some people seem to die while they are still walking around. They stop being what they used to be. Mrs. Terrell, don't die just because your mother did. Be alive while you are alive.”   

CONCLUSION

We need three voices – and especially the third voice. It’s the voice of encouragement. It might come from a mom or a helicopter pilot or a teacher or a stranger or a little kid.

Down deep, I have to believe,  this is the way God speaks!