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Homily – Nov. 7, 2021 / 32nd Sunday (Year B) ● 1 Kings 17:10-16 ● Psalm ● 146 ● Hebrews 9:24-28 ● + Mark 12:38-44 ●
Title: Marathon Sunday
[__00-a_] A few years ago, my classmate and friend ran the 26.2 miles of the NYC Marathon. Today – November 7th – is “Marathon Sunday” as the runners make their way through all 5 boroughs on their way to the Central Park finish line. 2021 = 50th anniversary of NYC-M.
I was very interested to know about
happens at the ‘starting line’ at the “starting point” in Staten Island at the
Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Before the
start, I understand it’s a good idea NOT to go crazy on the free food, but I really
wanted to know what do you do with your “possessions”. In other words, do you
just have to show up ready to run in your running shorts, short sleeve shirt
and shoes and without a phone or device or anything?
I was told this, “It’’s not like that. You can bring your
Nike or Under Armour warmup suit or sweat pants and your phone. Then, just
before the race, you put everything in a bag or knapsack and hand it over, your other layers of clothes and check in as
though you boarding a plane on United Airlines at JFK airport. Then you leave
and your bag (named/numbered) is transported to the
finish line, to Central Park, for you.”
That’s the way the COMPETITIION of the NYC Marathon is
structured.
In this Gospel passage, I would like to reflect on …
[1st
. The one preoccupied
with competition, “running a race” = the scribes !]
[2nd
. The 1 predisposed to
commitment, running a different race =
the widow !.]
[3rd. The 1 preparing for the cross = , running a
race on our behalf = Jesus Christ.]
[__00-b_] Where are the disciples in today’s Gospel
“race” or “event” ? In Mark, Chapter
12, Jesus and his disciples are
positioned / located geographically almost as though they are people in NYC-M
watching runners pass them by, on the Queensboro Bridge or 5th
Avenue.
The runners pass by on their way to the
temple treasury. They are the wealthy who deposit large ∑ $$ sums of money into
the treasury of the temple.
It's important to note here that Jesus is in [N]
neutral regarding his view of the rich, the person who makes a large monetary
financial contribution.
Neither the wealthy person nor family is
being mocked or denigrated Nevertheless, there is a critique of the scribes [S]
not for their “riches” but for their “religion”.
The [S] are preoccupied with competition and
also with their appearance and their robes (their garments)
Apparently, the [S] would not be willing to
remove their outer layers and hand them over at the beginning of the “marathon”
in Staten Island with the expectation of a return later.
They
are very fond of their long robes.
[__01_] [1st
. Those preoccupied w/
competition = [S] scribes]
The scribes are competitors, And they are
competitors out to take from others. Being a competitor is not always / necessarily
bad or evil. Whether in business or in the arts and music
and sports.
Even in school, we compete with our
classmates to learn and while only 1 person in the class can be # 1, or only
one person can be the valedictorian, isn’t it true that every one can learn more
by competing as an individual student.
This would be a so-called [+] POSITIVE sum
game. Everybody is raised up by the competition, as opposed to the [0] ] ZERO sum game played by the scribes.
This question then for you and me is not
whether we are going to be competitors or not. But are we going to be
competitors willing to recognize that our actions have consequences for others.
Am I competitor who recognizes CONSEQUENCES
or who ignores CONSEQUENCES of my actions?
And, if I recognize “CONSEQUENCE”, this also
calls me to repentance, to confession.
Or, are we competitors willing to turn our
repentance into confession, a confess
of our faith in Jesus Christ, to confess our sins and repentance, to confess to
admit our need for God.
Sometimes we can turn anything into a
competition rather than a confession.
For example, do I believe that I can win and
hold on to the affection of others, or that I am entitled to the affection of
others because of what I do for them?
If so, I am preoccupied with competition. In
a relationship, we don't earn affection by proving ourselves via action, but by
showing ourselves by fidelity…even loving our family members is an act of
faith, we do not know what the “return” or “result” will be.
Who is preoccupied with competition? The scribes. Any one of us can be a bit of a
“scribe” at times.
[__02_] [2nd . The 1 who is is predisposed to commitment = the widow.]
The widow is not a competitor in the way the
scribes are, she is running a different race, the widow is predisposed to a
commitment.
It is interesting to note that Jesus in the
Gospel speaks to 2 different audiences or groups of listeners.
First, PUBLICLY/LOUDLY to the crowd, Jesus
criticizes the [S] for their FESTIVITY, the FLATTERY they enjoy and their 1st-CLASS
STATUS.
None
of these is bad. It’s not even bad to b “flattered” but the question – am I
attached to being FLATTERED?
Secondly, PRIVATELY, to his disciples, Jesus
praises the widow.
The scribes do everything for show, and Jesus
denounces them in a loud public voice.
Are you willing – am I willing – to do
something for someone else even before or without having all my so-called “ducks in a row”. I prefer to have my “ducks in a row”, all the I’s dotted, t’s crossed,
spell-checked, etc., etc.
But in all of this, am I really predisposed
to making a commitment or or am I preoccupied with the competition?
Do I really need the LONG ROBE of my ADIDAS or Nike or Under Armour outfit in
terms of my level of or organization or appearance?
Rhetorical.Q. Do you and I take the time to consider to what and to whom we are committed? What am I committed to? To whom am I committed? What do I spend my time and my money on?
The widow is a powerful example by giving our
whole livelihood to God.
The widow is not making this as an impulse
buy as an impulse purchase, or an impulsive contribution. But she has in her
heart a deep intention. She does not need an outer layer with Adidas/Nike.
When I am asked to do something, am I
predisposed to make the commitment to make real commitments? Or do I only do
the minimum to get started in the door and then take back for myself later as I
go along. Do I keep the marathon of
giving and commitment going ?
So we've discussed the scribes who are
preoccupied with competition, the widow who was pre disposed to competition to
commitment.
[__03_] [3rd. Jesus is preparing for the cross.]
And now there's Jesus who is preparing for
the cross in which Jesus will do the maximum for us, he's not going to do the
minimum he's going to the maximum in forgiveness of our sins. Jesus also gives his all…
In a similar way, the NYC-M runners must give
up their possessions to start the race.
We read in Paul’s letter to Timothy: “For we brought nothing into this
world: and certainly we can carry nothing out.” (1
Timothy 6:7)
I.e., refers to the fact that we are born with no possessions and we leave this world with no possessions. You can't take it with you.
It also reminds that we become more and more
like Jesus Christ, not only by what we store up by what we give away, hand
over, we become more and more ourselves, not by what we store up by what we give
over what we hand over. And Jesus Himself gives us his example, his own
personal commentary by giving up his life, and there's a notable contrast here.
CONTRAST
– Long Robes vs. Removing the Robe. The scribes are being
criticized because they wear long robes, apparently, they're really into their
robes, their appearance, their being perhaps photographed, of their selfies,
and how they appear.
Jesus has a different attitude to his
robe. At the Last Supper, we read that
he removes his robe, before he washes the feet of his disciples, removing his
robe, his outer garment he becomes more and more our Savior.
And, there is a further stage and solemnity
of removal when he goes to the cross, He removes even more layers in that he is
totally stripped and he suffers on the cross in HD and we can see in HDTV who
Jesus is by what He has given up in his suffering for us.
This gives you and me eternal life. We still
have a calling in this race.
We are also called to put aside the
competition to confess our sins humbly before God.
In doing so, we are also called to prepare
privately in our own surrender in our own silence, and we are strengthened to
follow Christ confessing of our sins.
Repenting is also an action of giving it all
away, giving away our whole livelihood giving away our sins, giving away things
perhaps that even give us comfort.
At the NYC-M, the vast majority of runners
are not there to WIN and be # 1 for some monetary gain. They are not there to win the race, but to
finish the race.
We are here also, in prayer and support for
each other to finish the race as well, to give ourselves back to God.
Sometimes, it takes a lot of energy – mental strength, aerobic energy, to love our neighbor to follow the Commandments, to fight the good fight and finish the race, for as many miles as it takes. [__fin_]
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