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[_01__] Many years ago, I remember feeling uncomfortable for a while about something that someone said to me. He was reacting to something I had told him. I am guilty of this form of worrying, that is, to worry about what other people say about me or think about me. Are you guilty of this form of worrying? With time, I might “grow out” of or forget about my worry.
I'd like to share how this incident took place --- in Part 1 as
the REACTION … Part 2, the RECOVERY ..and Part 3, the REUNION.
[_02__] This is Part 1. REACTION.
In August of 2001, which was many years ago, I saw an old friend –
Dave – and told him I was entering seminary to study for the priesthood. Dave
was shocked, stunned, and absolutely opposed to the idea.
There is a scientific “law” in physics that says: “every
action produces an equal and opposite reaction” (Newton’s 2nd law of
motion), such as jumping into a swimming pool causes the reaction of the waves
which are equal and opposite to the volume and weight of your body.
Dave thought I was “crazy” … “loco” to give up my life,
career, future to go into the seminary. I ignored him feeling at least mature
enough at that moment that I had to give the seminary a try. But I will admit
that my clear memory of the conversation must be because I did care about his
“reaction” to my “action”.
Over time, I imagine Dave forgot all about his reaction.
[_03__] Part 2. The time is 2022-2023.
RECOVERY. Last year, this year
Dave had a serious health difficulty, which culminated him having
to travel to a major hospital thousands of miles from where he lives, to
Boston, just so he could have very advanced heart cardiac surgery. Prior to the
heart surgery, he was in a coma for several weeks. He had a heart attack,
nearly died.
Recently, he texted me to report that while in the coma – in this
unconscious state -- he dreamed that I was praying for him in his room. I never
visited his room. I feel uncomfortable about talking about somebody else's
coma, by the way. Am I violating confidentiality?
I've never visited him in person during his illness or recovery because
we live so far from each other. He has had since had the surgery – in Boston –
at a very fine hospital and is recovering well.
He texted me “I guess my Catholic faith runs deep.”
I hope that this faith is a new beginning for him in faith and
Catholic practice. This RECOVERY might mean that maybe he wasn't truly as opposed
in “equal and opposite reaction” to me becoming a priest, as he said he was.
You and I are called to listen carefully what are people saying.
What does it truly mean?
[_04__] What does it mean to go in the equal and opposite
direction from everybody else?
I'd like to just give tell a little joke, and then remind you of
what Jeremiah is doing. Perhaps you've heard this joke before.
A man arrives home after a long journey traveling on the Garden
State Parkway GSP to Exit 145, to return to West Orange.
And after exiting at 145, and, he drives to his house on Eagle
Rock Avenue. Coming through the door, his family says to him, we were really
worried about you because we heard on the news about 1 (one) car driving in the
wrong direction on the Parkway!
He says, “only one? I saw hundreds of cars driving in the wrong
direction.”
I.e., [PUNCH LINE] he was going in the opposite direction from everyone else. In
this case, he was in the “wrong”.
Is going against the crowd or going against the grain always
wrong?
Do I judge what I should do, based only on what others doing or saying?
Am I guilty of that? Yes!
I am guilty of hiding what I did wrong, just because I don't want
other people to know about it. I'm guilty of sometimes saying what I want other
people to hear. I'm guilty of not being kind to a difficult person just because
that person has been so difficult. I'm guilty of not speaking the truth,
because I don't think of whether it's a really wants to hear.
Jesus is calling us not just to progress, but to
perfection in our lives. And perfection is a tall order. It means being healed
of our wounds, being healed of our memories, it means being forgiven of our
sins, were born into, for example, and grow into our family relationships, not
because our families are perfect, but because they create relationships and
places and people through which we grow and are converted. These relationships
teach us about forgiveness about mercy, forgiveness of sins, and recognizing
that the sin in oneself, the sin we might see in another person might be the
same sin we have. Or that the sin we have two needs to be forgiven, is a way of
going in a new direction.
[_05__] Jesus is also pointing us in a different
direction, but he's telling us in the Gospel do not, do not fear Be not afraid.
Every hair on your head will be counted.
There's not many to count to these days, but every
hair will be counted for me and for you. But that that statement does not mean
that you and I will never ever suffer discomfort or abuse. “Every hair on your
head will be counted” may sound like a promise made by United Airlines that
you're going to sit in 1st Class. That's actually not what it means.
It means that everything that we do, even our difficulties, are counted. Our difficulties
and distresses are part of God's plan. When we suffer, we are growing closer to
God. And that God does not forget when we're suffering.
Part 1 was the REACTION; Part 2, RECOVERY which included
prayer a healing.
[_06__] Part 3. REUNION. I had 1 more chance to
see my friend Dave in person.
After living for a year in Boston for his operation,
therapy and follow-up, he is now leaving to fly west, back home.
This past Monday, there was a
reunion for him of several friends. I was also invited, to a gathering starting
at 4 pm this past Monday.
I figured…no big deal, I’ll leave NJ around 2 or 3 pm and
arrive “fashionably late”
Bad idea. As soon as I got
on the road, it was taking way too long. I drove New Jersey, New York over the bridge
to Connecticut. It was getting later and later. Unfortunately, I just couldn't
get there. So I turned around somewhere in Connecticut
and came back home. I felt like the guy going in the wrong direction in that
joke.
My friend was glad that I at least tried. He sent me a text
message later saying, Well, you know what, Jim?
The bad news is, I'll be back. So he left Boston. But he said the
bad news is I'll be back that was a sarcastic joke.
What does it mean to live forever? What does it eternal life means
it means that you will be back and old
and even more importantly, that Jesus is back in our lives.
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