“SIR, WE WOULD LIKE
TO SEE JESUS.”
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this Fifth Sunday in Lent [B] is,
“Sir, We Would Like to See Jesus.”
TODAY’S GOSPEL
This request happens in the opening scene in today’s
gospel.
The scene tells us a lot.
It tells us some Jews were Greeks or some Greeks had
become Jewish.
It tells us that people had heard about Jesus and wanted
to meet him.
Some Greeks had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the
Passover Feast.
Once more Andrew was the go to guy.
PRESIDENT NIXON
AND EHRLICHMAN AND THE VIETNAM WAR
Today’s gospel story triggered a story about something I heard
on a TV talk show or read during the Vietnam War protests here in the United
States. I looked this up to fact check, but couldn’t locate this incident – but
I know I’m close to the facts.
President Nixon was elected president in 1968.
Two of his inner circle, John Ehrlichman and H. R.
Halderman – because of their German names – and because they tried to isolate
the president – became known as “The Berlin Wall.”
As the story that I remember goes, two young men from
somewhere our west drove all the way to Washington D.C. to protest to the
president of the United States about the War in Vietnam. They went to the White
House demanding to see President Nixon in person.
They voiced their way all the way up to John Ehrlichman –
who met them in person. They were extremely agitated and extremely demanding.
Ehrlichman found them annoying – but they wouldn’t give up in their desire to
see the president to voice their protest in person.
Nixon said to get rid of them.
Ehrlichman in the back and forth with the president
finally said to the president, “Just see them and get them off our back.”
Nixon said, “Okay, bring them in.”
They were lead into the Oval Office or wherever they met
and got seats right in front of the president – face to face.
They couldn’t believe they got that far and they froze.
They panicked. They couldn’t say anything. They became tongue tied. If I
remember the story correctly, the president had to stand up and go over to both
these young men and try to coax out of them just what their complaint was.
Mission accomplished – with much fear and trembling.
I often wonder how these 2 men tell their story for the
rest of their lives.
Today’s gospel doesn’t tell us what happened with the
Greeks. Did these Greeks ever get to see Jesus? Were Jesus’ comments to Philip
and Andrew or to the Greeks as well?
Those are the two similar stories.
FOR A HOMILY
For a homily, I’ve often thought, what I would think,
what I would feel, what would I ask, if I ever got to meet Jesus face to face.
I’m sure we’ve all heard about the story from St. Teresa
of Avila who asked God how come you give your friends – so much suffering. Jesus
responded, “That’s the way I treat my friends.” And Teresa said back to Jesus,
“Well, maybe that’s why you have so few of them.”
I think that’s one of those legendary type stories. I
also think many of these so called stories along these lines are legendary
stories – and private revelations – many of which are simply legends – so
that’s one of my questions when I die and meet God.
About two weeks ago we were having a conversation at breakfast and the topic was: what would be our 10 top questions to God after we die?
About two weeks ago we were having a conversation at breakfast and the topic was: what would be our 10 top questions to God after we die?
“Why mosquitos?” I hear that question a lot of times.
“God, was there a plan and how did I do?”
“Why Hitler? Why did you let Hitler live that time he
almost drowned?” That’s a story about the kid who saved Hitler from an icy
river when they were kids. Moreover, that kid later became a priest. Is that
story true?” And what about the story about Hitler’s mother – Klara – wanting
to abort him and a doctor talked her out of it? Is this stuff true?
Thinking about questions people have for God, got this I
thought: Perhaps that would make a good homily.
Then I thought that I always said to myself: get a default homily. Just
in case some time you get stuck – someone gets sick - and need to come up with
a homily very fast, you can grab your
default homily. Ask everybody what are
your 3 top questions you’re going to ask
God when you die? Line them up as a default homily.
So I said start working on that. I’m sure I can let that
question sit there on the edge of my brain or consciousness for the next year
or so – and while driving or being at something that’s boring or what have you,
jot down questions for God.
When I do die, when I do come into God’s presence, what
will I really do? How does that work? Will I become totally speechless – like
those 2 guys who finally got that interview with President Nixon?
BACK TO JESUS
Maybe a good question to ponder would be this scene in
today’s gospel?
If I came up to Jesus – here or hereafter – what would be
my 5 top questions.
Looking at those questions, would be a good self-test as
well as being –very helpful.
Try it, you’ll find yourself refining answers to that
question from time to time and that can
be very helpful.
So a key first step would be to jot down your first 3, 5
or 10 questions you’d ask Jesus when you see him.
A key second step could be to read the gospels and check
out all the scenes in the 4 gospels when people came to Jesus with questions
and see if they would be your questions.
Today’s gospel is from John and this is one of the key
literary forms John uses in his gospel. Unlike Matthew, Mark, and Luke, who
have many people meeting Jesus, John only has a few key characters who approach
Jesus: Andrew, John the Baptist, the Greeks, the Woman at the Well, Nichodemus,
the Hungry Crowd, the man sick 39 years, Martha and Mary, etc. What are their
questions? Are any of their questions like your questions?
My mom and dad, are both long gone. As I grow older I
hear more and more questions I want to ask them.
CONCLUSION
Dealing with all our questions we’re sitting with – can be a great meditation – especially our key questions to God and to Jesus Christ.
