& Thank you to Sisters of Charity (2022-03-20, 3rd Sunday Lent)

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2022-03-20 –  3^rd Sunday Lent ● Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15 ●  Psalm 103 ●  1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12 ● +Luke 13:1-9 ●

[_00-a_]      Do you remember the movie – Hollywood film – GROUNDHOG DAY ?

          The title refers the day popularly known as “Groundhog Day” or February 2^nd  on which a bunch of people in Pennysylvania watch an animal – a groundhog – to see whether or not he will come out of hiding or not in the middle of winter. So, the groundhog’s behavior tells us something about whether or not WINTER is going to continue or whether or not WINTER is going to end.

          In the movie – GROUNDHOG DAY – there is also a theme of repetitiveness, not the repetitiveness of winter weather, but the sheer repetitiveness of life.

          And, the main character “Phil Connors” (Bill Murray) is forced to re-live the same day of his life over and over again. Phil is a cynical television weatherman covering the annual Groundhog Day event in Pennsylvania, who becomes trapped in a time loop, forcing him to relive February 2nd repeatedly.

          Phil Connors – is a figure similar to Augustine (pre conversion to Christ) or to the Prodigal Son (during his time of being away from his father in the parable).  By the way, the Prodigal Son parable comes up next Sunday on 4^th Sunday of Lent.

    In the beginning of the movie, whenPhil he notices the repetitive nature of his life, he uses this to take advantage of other people, to get what he wants.  And, the film starts out in a very cynical tone in which Phil comes to assume there are no consequences for his actions, except for the fact that he wakes up every day and the calendar is still Feb 2^nd.

Then, Phil goes through a bit of conversion decides that if his circumstances are not going to change, and if he is going to be “condemned” to repeat the same things over and over again, then he is going to make some changes. And, he is starts to accept responsibility for his actions.

          Later, in the movie, he changes – goes through something of a conversion – and uses the repetitive nature of life to give himself generously to others.  So, for example, when he sees someone’s pet cat trapped in a tree, he does not ignore the problem, but rescues the cat. And he rescues the cat over and over again. Because it’s Groundhog Day, and the day repeats itself.

[_00-b_]     I reflect on this example because the Gospel this Sunday speaks about the development of faith using the metaphor of a fig tree. And, Jesus says that there is someone who is about to cut down the fig tree, because it has not borne or given any fruit.

          Why do you cut down a tree? Why do you and I remove trees from our property? Usually, it is because it is suffering a disease, or it is dangerous to someone or something.

the tree itself has died,

DISEASE – DANGER – DEATH.

          In the movie Groundhog Day – with Bill Murray – we might say that Bill Murray is going through a phase of “DISEASE” or at least UNEASE. He is distraught with all the repetitions he must go through.  He does not know when the repetition will end. 

          And, the fact that he – for a while – takes advantage of these repetitions because he can now predict the weaknesses of others… this is really not an advantage. This is a DANGER to him. It could be and would be his undoing.

          Also, while Phil tries to help many people during the movie as he goes through his change from “cynical” to “charitable”,  he takes particular interest in a homeless man on the street and tries to help him, to help him get better …to help him avoid death. In the movie, the homeless man dies and we see this actually happen.

          It is also a message to the character Phil and all of us that we cannot avoid death by our good deeds … whether good deeds done by us or for us.

          I find the movie a metaphor for living and dying and death …and also for conversion because Bill Murray is being offered the opportunity to change, to convert, to turn his life around. 

          And, in some ways, he also recognizes that while things do repeat … they will not repeat forever, he has a limited time, as we all have limited time in order to change our ways, to repent.

          The Good News is that God does give us more than 2^nd or 3^rd chances… he will give us many chances, because he does not want to cut you down. He wishes you and me to live, forever with Him.

ADDENDUM – S.C.

If there is one thing that seems repetitive – in our lives – it is going to school. I have trouble recalling specific things about my days in school – because – in my memory – they were all the same. It’s hard to distinguish what happened in 5^th grade from 6^th grade.

But I do give thanks that I had teachers who were willing to make the journey with me – on all of these Groundhog Days.

One of my particular memories of my Catholic grammar school was that I was selected – and felt honored to be selected – to be part of a special math/arithmetic study group with 3 classmates that enabled us to get out of our classroom several times a week.   There were 4 of us – Fernando, Billy, Dave, me.  For this special group, we went to the convent to study multiplication tables with Sister Eileen, a sister of charity who was probably retired from her regular mission of teaching at the time.

First of all, I was kind of shocked to realize that I was good at math.  And, in my experiences of math after that – in high school, college and beyond … I often found math a struggle. But, Sister Eileen had confidence in my 3 classmates and me – I thought – and still think – they were much smarter than I.

In any case, we had these multiplication table drills and I really learned from them. It was repetitive I also have very fond memories of Sister Eileen and other Sisters of Charity at my Catholic grammar school, St. Catharine’s.

I bring up this episode because the Sisters of Charity in our convent are going to be moving, and Sister Barbara, Sister Joan and Sister Jean are the last 3 Sisters in our convent.  Sister Jean and Sister Joan both taught in our school and are currently retired.  Sister Barbara moved to our convent after her own mission of teaching in Jersey City and elsewhere. Sister Barbara is continuing her work for her religious order in Paterson.  Sister Barbara is actively working.

I am grateful – we are grateful – for their prayers and service to Lourdes and to our Catholic church.

The Sisters of Charity taught me that self-esteem and personal value does not come from material things.

It does not come from success or even from good grades on the multiplication tables or in math.

          I learned from the Sisters of Charity that our worth is based on God’s love for us and Christ’s charitable gift. On behalf of our whole – all of our priests --- we thank for your service, for being there every day for us, in school, in prayer, to help us know our true worth and our dependence on God’s mercy to grow as strong trees bearing fruit that will remain.[_fin_]