Sunday
April 30, 2017 / Title: “Stay with us: curiosity,
conversation, communion”
[__01__] Welcome to Our Lady of Lourdes, First
Communion young people, girls and boys, to every mother, and father, every
grandparent, aunt and uncle, brother and sister and cousin and friend also
here. Welcome to Our Lady of Lourdes.
[__02__] Mistaken identity. This is Gospel reading is
a case of mistaken identity. Girls and boys, this sometimes happens if we were
to see someone after several years. Or,
if someone were to see you today – and has not seen you in 3 or 4 years – they
may not recognize you. If we do not see
a person for a very long time, there can be “mistaken identity.”
However, in this case, the disciples
saw Jesus only a few days ago..and yet, they do not recognize him.
This is ironic, strange.
Aa 3rd traveler arrives and
starts walking with them, on the 7-mile journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus.
The 3rd traveler who comes
along is a guest in their lives, a visitor in their lives. The 3rd
traveler is Jesus, though he is not recognized / seen as Jesus.
All they know is that this is some
visitor, some guest.
We also welcome Jesus as a visitor in
our lives every day. He is the visitor who comes to us at Baptism, at Holy
Communion, when we receive Confirmation, and when we celebrate a wedding,
marriage in church.
He is the honored guest. Jesus, Amen,
is the visitor who comes into our lives when we sit with him, when we talk with
him, when we just listen to him in prayer.
At the end of the 7 miles, of the road
to Emmaus, the 2 travelers invite their GUEST to stay with them:
though they do not recognize him – “Stay with
us for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” (Luke
24:___)
Stay with us. Stay with me. This was
their prayer.
This can also be your prayer, our
prayer, if you make no other prayer each night, just ask God to be with you, to
stay with you.
Jesus is the visitor.
[__03__] Girls and boys, sometimes you have to go as a
visitor or as a guest to someone’s house.
And, your identity is important. I
recall that this identity and connection was important if I were to visit
someone or someone were to visit me at home.
My parents would ask… are the parents
home?
When guests arrive and when guests are
around, I think 3 things can happen. I’d like to talk about 3 things, which
are:
►[ CURIOSITY ]
►[ CONVERSATION ]
►[ COMMUNION ]
When a guest comes into our house, we
are curious, we talk to the person, ask questions.
Girls and boys, one thing very
dignified and Christian that you can do – when you arrive as a visitor or guest
– is to talk not only to your friend, but also to your friend’s Mom or Dad, or
grandma. You show them respect by talking with them.
I have been enriched over the years
not only by friends my own age, but also by my connection to my a friend’s
mother or father. Of course, they do not replace my Mom or Dad, but I love them
in a similar way. And, they are similar
to a Mom or a Dad to me. And, they love me as though I were son.
You are loved, today, by many in this
church family -- of Our Lady of Lourdes -- who love you as their own child.
You are identifiable, important to us.
[__04__] When a
guest comes, we are curious, we are called to talk to the person.
On the 7-mile walk, the first 2
travelers were very curious about this 3rd traveler.
They were curious – in fact astounded,
astonished – that he seemed so OUT OF TOUCH, OUT OF THE LOOP, regarding the latest headlines, tweets, Instagrams from
Jerusalem.
In their “sermon” to Jesus, their
guest they say, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the
things that have taken place in these days?” (Luke
24: ___)
Ironic and funny this is because Jesus
is, in fact, the ONLY ONE who had understood what happened.
[__05__] [ CONVERSATION ]
There is also conversation on the road
to Emmaus.
But the conversation is not only a
series of words, sentences, paragraphs.
In fact, their conversation continues
– their prayer continues – even after Jesus has disappeared physically.
Girls and boys, there are prayers that
we should learn and know by heart. However, isn’t it most important when we
feel scared or alone that we simply know that someone is there with us.
Similarly, when we are really really
happy and glad, we also may not need to say anything.
“Stay with us” is a prayer, it is the
prayer of every Holy Communion, from the first to the final.
It can also be your prayer every night
as we share ourselves with Jesus as a friend who loves us and is curious about
you and wants to be in conversation with you.
[__06__] [ COMMUNION
] When a guest arrives, there is
community and communion. People gather around the guest. Sometimes, there is
even an argument regarding who will sit next to the special guest.
When I was in college, my classmate,
Victor, came for a few days to our house. It’s a good thing my younger sister
is not here right now, she would not like this story.
Because I remember that she was upset
because her seat was not immediately adjacent to his at the dinner table. (She was only six years old at the time, so I
should give her a break…)
When a guest comes, there is
community.
[__07__] [ COMMUNION / COMMUNITY
]
Jesus is the guest who makes community
in our lives, reminding us that we are all called to serve each other, to be
humble, to be kind, to forgive those who may not even know what they have done
wrong, and to ask forgiveness without being forced to do so.
He washes the feet of his disciples.
He lays down his life.
This is unity and community.
Jesus is the perfect guest because he
does not force us to say anything. Yet, he simply wants us to be present to
him.
Very close friends may not need to say
very much – or a husband and wife married for years – may not need to say very
much. Presence alone builds trust, unity, welcome.
[__08__] Stay
with us.
More than twenty years ago, I was
expecting a guest to arrive. He was coming from faraway, from Japan, from Osaka
via Tokyo to New York. He was to stay with my family for about a week. I was a little concerned about this visit,
because I knew there would be a language barrier, difficulty in communication.
My friend’s name is Yoshio, he is
Japanese and I had come to know him when I was working for two years in Japan
teaching English/ESL after college graduation.
He got to know me and several other
friends from the U.S. When I returned to the U.S., he came here for a
visit. Stay with us? Sure, I said.
[__08.01__] CURIOSITY.
Curious ?
I was both concerned and curious how
this visit would work out.
It hardly mattered that he spoke
almost no English and my Japanese proficiency was not United-Nations quality
translation.
And, because my family was and still
is very curious, they certainly welcomed him, loved him, and appreciated him.
One afternoon, my brother, Mike, home
from college and recently having finished his career as a high-school football
player, told me that he and Yoshio were going out … I think they ran about two
miles to Glen Rock High School.
Then, they went to the gym to lift
weights. They came home. They had a great time. I have no idea or if they said
more than a few words.
The curiosity was enough to start a
connection and a conversation.
Stay with us. Yes, it was a joy. We
came together even without many words.
Girls and boys, there are times when
you do not know what to say. There may be times that you come to church, to
Sunday Mass and you do not know what to say. There are times when you want to
help a friend and you do not know what to say.
Just be there. Your presence matters.
This is communion, community, love.
[__09__] During his visit, Yoshio announced that he
must make a real Osaka-style Japanese meal in our home for us. We went shopping for the necessary
ingredients.
He did things things with soy sauce
and cabbage that never happened before or since in our kitchen.
At this time, a neighbor happened to
come over and was very curious at this big feast taking place. It was just a
weeknight in the summer.
The neighbor asked my Mom what was
going on. After explaining, this
neighbor told my Mom, “Eileen, you have such an interesting life.” …yes, such
an interesting life. And, a guest makes it this way…
Girls and boys, I pray that you may
always know God’s presence in your life, that you may also use your curiosity,
your energy to be in conversation with him and that you may always know that
you are loved and in community – in communion – with our Lord and Savior.
Stay with him.
Stay with us. [__fin_]
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