Sunday Homily 6-15-08, Fathers” Day
Readings: Exodus 19, 2-6; Psalm 100; Romans 5, 6-11; Matthew 9, 36-10, 8.
Exodus: The second book of the Torah or Pentateuch, following the book of Genesis. The book describes probably the greatest event in Israel's history, the departure of the people from Egypt under the leadership of Moses. Today's selection is simply Yahweh's reminder to the people that if they are faithful and good to him, they will prosper.
A Fathers' Day Story
When I was a Jesuit and lived in Tanzania about 10 miles west of the mountain, Kilimanjaro there was a small Jesuit house. I used it as a base, coming back to it after months traveling around the country giving seminars to nuns & priests.
One Sunday afternoon I wanted to go up the mountain about 7000 feet to a Capuchin monastery & convent where my team & I gave a lot of the seminars. I took my travel bag, walked to the town bus park, and boarded a rattle trap old bus just departing for a little village just below the monastery, a trip that would take me 90 minutes.
Half way down the road to the cut off to go up the mountain the old bus pooped out. Everybody gets off and stands around. Shortly, miracle of miracles, another old rust bucket of a bus headed up the mountain comes along. Most did not want to pay two fares, so they stayed. I, however, hopped on an already overloaded antique. We take the cut off and headed up the mountain. The bus huffs & puffs, the gears scream & groan, steam starts seeping from under the hood. You guessed it: the bus dies just as the road begins to seriously ascend.
It is now about 6:00 or 6:15. Because we are right on the equator and twilight always lasts just 20-30 minutes, I know I have only about half an hour to get to the monastery. I have a decision: stay on the switch back road and take an hour or take shortcuts which may get me there in 30 minutes. I chose the shortcuts.
30 minutes did not get me to the monastery. In fact, it got me into total blackness. I could see almost nothing. I know generally where I am but I cannot see even the trail. Somewhere amid the darkness through the forest of banana trees that are cultivated at this level, I see a dim light from a kerosene lantern and head toward it. It is a family's hut.
I walk up speaking the Swahili word for 'hello,' 'hodi.' A lady comes to the door and is very hospitable even though I must have scared her. However, she is Catholic like almost all the members of her Chaga tribe which lives on the mountain. She is used to white priests.
I tell her, of course, that I am headed for the monastery & cannot find the way because of the dark. She calls to one of her children, a little boy of probably 6 years. She tells him to take me to monastery and off we go up the trail.
I can hardly see this little kid and he just zooms silently along climbing all the time. We pass other little family huts with faint lights, we walk in total darkness, and eventually he brings me to a point from which I can see the lights of the monastery above.
I thank this shy little boy, hug him probably, and he disappears back down the trail while I walk up to the monastery. I never saw him or his mother again, and I could hardly find their house in the daytime.
For me this story has a metaphor quality. It is like a parable. College educated priest lost in the dark and guided to the light by a little boy.
Sometimes we are the guide, the nurturer. Other times we are the priest in the dark who needs guidance and the guide may be a small creature, a child.
I see the child guiding us to three things: to simplicity, to interdependence, and to play.
- A child may like a lot of Stuff, but can self entertain with the simplest toy. I saw so many kids in Tanzania play soccer with a home made ball.
- A child cannot exist along, independent of others. As we get older we love our independence. We shun co-dependence. The child teaches us to interdepend.
- A child especially helps me to value & engage in play. The Type A does not play.
We celebrate Fathers' Day today, which is mostly a celebration of the nurturing side of dad. For this moment, you dads, how do you come to greater light through kids?
AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-06-15.mp3
In honor of Fathers' Day we have some helpful communication hints. Nobody ever gave me such valuable information before my marriage.
Download 9_words_women_use.doc