__ Click here / Audio of Homily __
2022-05-29 – Ascension (Easter 7 sun) ●● Acts 1:1-11 ● Psalm 47 ● Ephesians 1:17-23 or Hebrews 9:24-28; 10:19-23 ● + Luke 24:46-53 ●●
[_00 _] There may be some confusion as to when the Feast of the Ascension is supposed to be because it's normally been celebrated on Thursday. But, in many parts of the country and throughout the world, Ascension is observed on Sunday. So we are observed are observing “Ascension” on Sunday,
There may be some confusion as to what the Ascension is supposed
to be, because it reminds us of eternal life of what happens after we die, our
own death and dying. And we're praying this week, especially at this time in
our country, for those who have died for the children who have died for their
mothers and fathers, grandparents and siblings who mourn their loss as well.
The British spiritual writer C.S. Lewis was asked
this question about the death of his spouse. The death of his wife caused him
to be asked -- did he experience her death more in certain places than in other
places? I.e., did he experience her death more at home than when he was not at
home, or did he experience her death more in a favorite place they both knew
and loved. No, I didn't experience her death more in one place than another,
the place I experienced her death. The place was in my body, I felt it in
myself.
I was reminded of this once years ago. When my
grandmother died, all of my siblings and I said to each other, I remember that
grandma used to scratch my back before I went to sleep until I would fall
asleep. I thought I was the only one my grandmother did that for !
Of my grandmother, we all have the exact same
memory of her, in our bodies.
It is difficult to say the least to bring a
child into this world, or to bring a child up whether we actually give birth or
whether we're raising a child. They're called labor pains for a reason. Because
it's hard to bring a child into this world. And the labor pains remind the
mother that she is always connected to her child and to lose a child is to lose
a part of yourself, for the mother for the father, for the siblings, for the
grandparents as well. So we pray for mothers and fathers who are in mourning
right now in Buffalo, and Uvalde. And everywhere.
[_01_] Years ago, I had the opportunity to travel,
to fly from NYC to Port au Prince (Haiti) with a group of Seton Hall University
students to an orphanage.
After landing in Port au Prince, we
traveled about 3 hours to the the Central Plateau region, the town of Hinche.
We stayed at an orphanage where there were about 200 children.
[_02_] It is significant to note that some of the
children in this orphanage had parents, had a mother and father, but the mother
and father had voluntarily – in desperation – given their children to the
orphanage
in
the hope of giving the children a better life.
The mission of the Seton Hall students was relatively
brief, were in Haiti, for one week, for seven days and we spent our time in
recreational and service activities with the children who were eager to learn
and spend time with us.
[_03_] The trip was a blessing for me to encounter
children who had simultaneously “nothing” and “everything”.
There were 3 things – in my impression
– that the children were lacking – in their bodies – relative to me – I summarize
this as CLOTHING / CONSUMPTION / CONFLICT
What touched me deeply at the time –
and I still recall my emotion from that time 10+ years ago - was that they had no grown-up – no mother
or father to help them in the areas of .. CLOTHING, CONSUMPTION, of CONFLICT.
I am summarizing in my own way my
impression of 3 areas of need for these boys and girls.
[_04_] 1st CLOTHING. I do not mean that
the children were not clothed. They certainly had clothes. They had many
donated clothes.
In fact, one of the “corporal works of
mercy” for the SHU students and I during
the trip was to take inventory and sort through box and after box of donations.
I remember we took clothing out of boxes so that we could sort things by male/female, by type of garment, by
S-M-L-XL.
There were even some donated Seton Hall NCAA
uniforms in there!
These items would become the children’s
clothing.
When I was a kid – and for kids today still –
clothing is important and even being able to choose – autonomously one’s own
outfits and and colors, et cetera is
part of growing up. As an orphan in
Haiti, you are really living the “vow of poverty”, because all the clothes and
shoes are shared. And, nothing quite
fits perfectly. The children did not complain.
[_05_] 2nd CONSUMPTION /NOURISHMENT
. I do not mean that the children did
not eat or were not fed. They were fed.
There was food.
I was reminded of this, one afternoon, when a
boy playing basketball on the court next to us had arrived with a goat. I
observed to one of the Seton Hall leaders that it seemed so “random” that a
goat was watching us shoot hoops. I was
told that the goat would probably become our dinner.
In the orphanage, the children were certainly
fed and had regular meals, but they did not eat an average of 3,000 + calories
as you and I do. Their portions were strictly controlled and there was neither “mom”
nor “dad“ to call out to for a snack.
Having a voracious appetite myself, I would
have found this a very difficult burden.
But the kids did not complain.
On our 1 journey, I recall that we had
travelled to Haiti with snacks for our long truck/van journey in the so called
“tap tap” from Port au Prince to Hinche.
We had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
with us. By the way, you the people of
Our Lady of Lourdes responded at the time to my request and made us PB&J
that we took.
Our own needs for consumption / nourishment
were taken care of. We actually had some left over at the end of our
journey. I did not want to go to waste
and I told one of the orphanage leaders “Brother Michael” about our surplus and
that we would like to give to the children.
We broke the sandwiches into bite size
pieces. The children walked up like they were receiving Communion which they
were very well trained to do…and we did go to Mass / celebrate Mass with them.
I remember the kids did not get much extra
help with CONSUMPTION, with NOURISHMENT.
So..there were with all these kids, not a lot
of extra help with CLOTHING, with CONSUMPTION/NOURISHMNT, but they seemed
happy.
What was most remarkable and memorable to me
was how they dealt with CONFLICT and with COMPETITION at the orphanage.
[_06_] Isn’t
“competition” and “conflict” an important part of growing up?
I can recall, for example the many
times – seemingly countless times in LL baseball that I stood at home plate
only to fail because after 3 strikes, I had not reached base. In other words, I
struck out.
To this day, I have mixed feelings
about baseball in general but I am
especially admiring of batters/players – even if they get paid a lot – can keep
their cool after a strike out.
In any case, the experience of striking out
in baseball did not turn me off to
sports in general or even to all forms of getting knocked down.
I was blessed to have a family around
me, mother, father.
These kids did not have that. They
lacked that, in their bodies.
If they struck out…or worse
…maybe they got into a fight with one of
the other boys, or if someone yelled at them…who was the mother or father to
console them, to make them whole again. ?
I imagine that they cried themselves
to sleep at night more than a few times.
Children need love, 18-year old
children who are mentally ill and imbalanced need love as well.
They may need to be protected from
themselves.
But, I suggest it is not just a
problem of not spending enough money to fix a mental health crisis or to
institutionalize the mentally ill.
Children need to know the truth about
themselves and others , and the truth is never going to be found in a video
game or in a fantasy experience or even in their own opinions.
The Church and Christ are important
because they remind us that LOVE is not a feeling or an emotion. Love is also NOT demonstrated merely by what we CLOTHE
ourselves in, by what we CONSUME …or even if we are without CONFLICT. Love can
coexist with conflict. Love is not a
concept; love is a command.
Even to love your enemies.
I think we all fear – after the recent
violent events in Buffalo, NY and in Uvalde, TX – that we will wring our hands,
cry our tears and then it’s on to the next crisis.
The Gospel is given to us so that we will care for our children better, teach them that they are loved and that no matter how strange they may feel, they are not alienated from God their Father, and that in his love we have all been adopted. We were all once, orphans, we are one in Christ. [_fin_]
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