Sunday Homily, June 8, 2014, Pentecost
Readings:
Genesis 11, 1-9, The Tower of Babel story. This comes from the vigil Mass of Pentecost, rather than the Sunday Mass. A great story, which is why I chose to have it read.
Psalm 104, Lord, send out your spirit, and renew the face of the earth
1 Corinthians 12, 3-13, There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same spirit.
John 17, 1-11, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Genesis
What : The first book of the bible, very entertaining because it is imaginative story telling. It starts with the two stories of creation and takes off. It responds to the little kid’s question, “How did we get here, daddy?”
Who: there are at least 4 author streams, two primary ones, the Yahwist and the Elohist, and two secondary ones. The Greeks have the Iliad and the Odyssey. The Israelites have the Yahwist and the Elohist. Why these two words? Simple. It is the word the stream uses in talking about God.
Time: The Yahwist stream was put into a written form about 900 years before Christ. The others were put into writing in later centuries.
Our Passage: The little kid asks, “Daddy, why do people talk differently?” This is the answer proposed, the Tower of Babel.
Pass The Spirit, Please
I want to start this morning with a question. How do I get the spirit? Let me tell you. Today’s story of the week.
As you all probably know, on Monday evenings Rosemary & I go dancing at the Farmers’ Branch Senior Center. There are probably 50 people who show up every Monday and many of them can really dance.
At 6:00 there is a couple who provide simple dance lessons, ball room, swing, country western. They spend 6-8 weeks on each type of dancing.
At 7:00 a live band comes on and plays until 9:30 or 10:00, one week ballroom, the other week country western. You got to be 50 to get in, so a lot of you folks probably can’t get in. They will card you. There are lots of people who come alone and I admire their courage at getting out. There is even a blind woman, Janice, about whom I talked once.
This past Monday night during the live music dance session, at one point Rosemary and I were sitting out. We are watching everybody dance what was something like a swing.
One couple whom I had never noticed before, I noticed. They were not dramatic dancers, but they really had beautiful flow and creativity. They might have been using a cha-cha step. When they finished up, I got up, went straight to them, and complimented them on being terrific dancers.
Well, they were touched by the compliment and gracious in their thanks. They thanked me a bunch of times and we shook hands. Guess who else was touched. Yes, I was.
How do I get the spirit? First, you already have it. Secondly, it is augmented by giving it. By giving a compliment. What is the spirit? New life, new peace.
I remember when Rosemary & I did a lot of dancing, 4-5 nights a week. We were good in those days. People would compliment us and I would just be pumped. New life. We would thank them profusely. Compliments are spirit gifts. New Life, new peace.
I have a compliment I am holding for a special person. This is a black lady about 55-60 who works at the Tom Thumb on our corner of Preston & Royal. I see this lady often at about 7:00 in the morning when I am buying bananas after my morning spin class at the “J,” the Jewish Community Center.
This lady I so admire because she gets up about 3:00 A.M. to catch two buses to come open this grocery store by 6:00. We know each other by name.
Last Monday I was waiting in her checkout line while she finished with another lady. My friend’s name is Sondra. She was being her usual friendly self with this white, elderly lady. “Good Morning” and everything. As she finished, she thanks the lady, who had said nothing, and welcomed her back again. The lady left saying nothing.
I want to compliment Sondra on her non-stop friendliness to a lady who seemed to be an early morning curmudgeon. I was really hurt for Sondra and we chatted about other things. I want to return and compliment her this week.
How do I get the spirit? By giving it. A compliment is an amazing spirit gift. The Prayer of St. Francis says that in giving we receive.
I compliment that couple on their dancing. They get new life and new peace. And their response gives it back to me.
From whom have you received a compliment lately?
To whom did you give a compliment lately? Next time?
