HML– 2016 Oct . 16 / 29th Sunday (year
C)
[__01__] T – H – E - R – A
– P – Y. Therapy.
T – H – E - R – A
– P – Y.
That
was too easy. E – A – S – Y.
A year ago in The Atlantic magazine, Terence Ross wrote that the Scripps National
Spelling Bee – held annually in Washington D.C. – has become part of our
country´s pop culture. Indeed it is also part of our sports culture.
In this competition, known as the
Bee - B – E – E – the most competitive
and intelligent young people in the orthography of spelling take the stage and
try for the championship.
I
say this is part of the pop culture and sports culture because it is broadcast
on ESPN. One of the 2015 co-champions also
liked to quote NBA basketball star LeBron James for inspiration.
The words are becoming more difficult
than a free throw or lay-up.
Regarding T – H – E
- R – A – P – Y and ¨ therapy¨,
that was the final winning word in 1940.
In 1993, the winning word was
kamikaze. (Yes, from the Japanese).
In 2016, ¨ gesellschaft¨ (From the German).
Yes, the words are becoming more
difficult.
But as one observer wrote, as the
spellers up their game (raise their ability to compete and their knowledge), so
goes the spelling bee content and words.
[__02__] At each round of the bee, the young
contestants may ask questions of the judges, such as:
è Could
you use the word in a sentence?
è Are
there alternate pronunciations of the word?
è What
is the word’s language of origin?
This conversation – between the
competitor and the judge – becomes longer and more detailed, with the more
complicated words.
There is a conversation with the
judge. Each competitors is searching for the right answer through his or her
questions.
I wonder if the winning person in 1940
actually had to ask for “therapy” to be used in a sentence. I think we all know what therapy is …
physical therapy, drug therapy, counseling therapy. There is even pet therapy.
But that does not mean your retriever goes for counseling. The pet therapy is
for humans.
[__03__] In the Gospel this Sunday, there is a
conversation between the judge and a person in the community.
It seems to be a competition. The judge wants to escape from the person’s
questions; the person – the woman of the parable – remains persistent, taking
the judge to overtime and winning.
The judge does not have the time,
energy or inclination to engage and serve this person.
[__04__] Sometimes, this parable is called the parable
of the dishonest judge.
Why is he dishonest?
He is not “dishonest” in that he is
explicitly lying or telling lies.
He is dishonest because he is only
interested in his own comfort, his own position.
Yet, even this dishonest judge can
show mercy to someone who was persistent, persevering, and asking.
Mercy starts with a conversation.
[__05__] A
beautiful aspect of the parable is that the woman also believes that mercy is a
conversation.
Pope
Francis observed in his 2016 Divine Mercy Sunday homily (3 April 2016) that
God’s mercy opens doors that were otherwise closed.
Pope e Francis cites the example of
the apostles who were behind closed doors after the Passion and Death of Jesus.
Francis: “Jesus,
who by his resurrection has overcome the fear and dread which imprison us,
wishes to throw open our closed doors and send us out. The path that the Risen Master shows us
is a one way street, it goes in only one direction: this means that we must
move beyond ourselves to witness to the healing power of love that
has conquered us.” (Francis, Homily,
3 April 2016)
Of course, we observe – and may envy –
the woman’s strategy and her result.
Though her call was not necessarily answered in the order it was
received, it was answered.
We encouraged to persevere ourselves,
even when the answer is delayed or hard to comprehend.
[__06__] We are
called to keep the conversation of mercy going whether we hope to gain
forgiveness or to offer forgiveness.
By the way, Monsignor Joe
Petrillo - Father Joe Petrillo – with
whom many of us have a long friendship -
used to say this to me express this as an important discipline for marriage,
for family, for any commitment, to keep the conversation going. He believed
this. And, we know that Monsignor Joe could keep a conversation going – for a
while – with biographies and autobiographies and histories. But, truly, he also
lived this message of mercy for all of us.
These conversations with God – and
with others – may be difficult, uncomfortable or even painful.
St. Paul writes about being a slave
..even being crucified in his flesh, suffering for the sake of goodness.
Well, it is both a conversation – and
a crucifixion – when we are struggling to forgive someone by whom we have been
hurt or injured.
Mercy is a conversation.
[__07__] It
would certainly be easier to forgive someone if were able to forget
simultaneously what had happened.
Mercy is a conversation that calls us
to remember to remember that God forgives our sins and that we are called to
forgive those who trespass against us.
The conversation with Jesus – as our
brother, our counselor, our judge can also help us to put the words together,
and to remember and to memorize his word – his good news -- in our minds and
hearts.
[ELECTION
DAY]
[__08__] Remember – your vote counts on Tuesday
November 8th and always.
In the Gospel this Sunday, we hear
about the mercy shown for a person in a courtroom. The woman of the parable is
a model for us, reminding us to persevere in prayer.
In 2016 and always, we are called to
pray for our country’s leaders, both current and future.
Every election cycle brings attention
to the flaws and the background of the candidates on the ballot.
And, this year, we learn – from both
oof them – what they have done –what they have failed to do …and they wish they had done differently. We also have learned about conversations and
messages and files which were never intended to be on the air, out in public,
or in the newspaper.
Yes, your vote counts. My vote counts
on November 8th.
And, while each candidate’s character
is on display, we are also reminded – as the Pharisees were told – not to focus
on the outside of the cup, not to cleanse the outside only, but to look within.
God looks not at appearances but at
our hearts. And, in this regard, we are called to consider not only the public
appearance of each candidate but what each one stands for. What is on the
inside?
What is each candidate’s inside view –
and record – on religious freedom, on the sanctity of life, the sanctity of the
family. There is more information in the bulletin on this.
Your vote counts and your prayers for
our country and needed before, during, and after November 8th.
The president and the president’s
advisers will need to hear from you.
We pray that for wisdom for our
leaders and also for mercy.
In the Gospel today, we see the
example of the corrupt judge, the judge who gives mercy only to the one who
perseveres long enough.
We need leaders who are able to show
mercy even to those unable to ask. In this regard, we pray that there will
always be in our country – faith on the earth. [__fin__]
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