Readings: Acts 9, 26-31; Psalm 22, I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people; 1 John 3, 18-24; John 15, 1-8
Acts: a review–
Date: 70-100 A.D.
Author: Luke wrote both the Gospel and Acts
Plan:Chapters 1-8 tell of the early community with focus on Peter & John and on the Resurrection, Ascension, and Pentecost. The rest of the book focuses on Paul, his conversion and travels.
Our Selection: We finally have moved from chapters 3-4 with the focus on Peter & John and now in chapter 9 we focus on Paul. What has happened is this. In chapters 7 & 8 Stephen is stoned for being a Christian. Paul is watching and approves. At the beginning of chapter 9 Paul gets permission in Jerusalem to go to Damascus and round up more Christians so they can be put in prison and probably stoned.
Just outside Damascus a bright light flashes around Paul and he falls to the ground. A voice says, "Why do you persecute me, Saul?" Paul asks the voice, "Who are you, Lord?" The voice tells him to go into Damascus where he will be told what to do. When he gets up he cannot see. He spends three days in Damascus without eating or drinking.
Meanwhile the Lord appears to a Christian named Ananias and tells him to go bless Saul. Ananias is afraid because he knows Paul's reputation. But he goes and when Paul is blessed he can see again. This is Paul's conversion and he sets out immediately talking in Damascus about what has happened to him. Then Paul goes to Jerusalem and we read what happens there.
This selection talks about Paul, 3rd person, i.e., he did this, he did that. Chapters 22 & 26 of Acts have Paul himself speaking, 1st person, about his conversion experience. Biblical students suggest that Luke was not presenting an historical event so much as emphasizing the power of the risen Lord.
Mothers' Day
In honor of Mothers' Day I have a story for all you moms. The rest of you can tune out if you want. In fact, you may go get a donut or a coffee or a juice. Return after my usual 5 minute homily.
Let's say, for the story's sake, you have a son. Say he's about 4 years old. He tends to get into mischief.
One day you are driving along in your car, not on a freeway but on a suburban street. Your car starts to buck and cough. What's wrong, you wonder. It seems like the car is running out of gas, but the tank is more than half full. Finally the car dies and you roll over to the side of the road. You call AAA, they come, cannot get it started, and tow it to your garage.
The man checks everything and it all seems okay. Gas, oil, electric. But it still seems to not be getting gas. Finally, he checks the gas line for maybe a kink. What does he find? Water. The tank had been filled with water. Who did it? Suspicions arise. Mom goes home and begins to ask around. "Anybody around her put water in my gas tank?" Word has gotten around that this has caused a lot of trouble, so there is an atmosphere in the house. Nobody says anything.
Finally, with a little more questioning, a confession is forthcoming. Suspicions were correct. This 4 year old boy had filled the tank so his mom would not run out and have to pay the high price of gas.
What does mom do?
Same mom, another day. She has been working around the house. Beautiful day, kids are playing all up and down the block because it is safe. She goes in and begins to arrange things to prepare the evening meal. Eventually everyone comes in and has dinner.
Asking everyone how their day was, she finally asks her 4 year old. He was playing with his little buddy a couple of doors down. They are inseparable. But toward the end of the afternoon his mom asked him to come get in the car because they were going to go out for a bit. Our little boy could walk home on his own a couple of doors away. Everyone finishes telling their story, they finish dinner, and the older kids go upstairs to finish homework while mom cleans up the kitchen with our 4 year old playing around on the floor. All is peaceful.
Half way through cleaning up the doorbell rings. The other little boy's mother is outside and asks if she could talk for a moment. Does she know where her little boy is? Sure, in the kitchen.
Turns out when the woman came home she opens the door and finds her bottom floor flooded with water. She immediately thinks of a broken pipe or a toilet. She runs around but cannot find where it is coming from. Finally as she passes the front door, she sees the culprit. The garden hose has been stuck through the mail box in the door and is running full blast. She turns it off and has suspicion.
She talks with her little boy. Yes, they had been playing with the hose before they left in the car. Yes, it probably was still on when they left.
The neighbor mother narrates this event to mom. More suspicion. The little boy has been listening and disappeared. Finally, he comes out from where he was hiding and admits he had put the hose into the mail box. Why had he done it? He says he does not know.
What would you do, Mom?
To aggravate the event, the family had to have the whole downstairs of their 2 story Tudor replaced. The neighbor, however, never was irritated or critical, in fact, very forgiving and accepting. Fortunately, her husband worked for an insurance company.
What would you do, Mom?
I see three possibilities.
First, if you are really mad and embarrassed, after each of these events you might spank the boy, or get dad to spank the boy. Got to teach him not to do stupid things.
Secondly, if you are less mad, you can give him a firm admonition, dress him down, with, maybe, a threat of severe consequences. Even make him stay home and not play outside for a week or so.
Thirdly, you might accept that he does crazy things and does not know why. And put your hands gently on him and hold him. Maybe tell him it okay. The touch of mom is so healing and comforting. All women have it.
I am not the hero of these stories, but I have been there. I know the guilty feeling and how lame it sounded when I said, "I don't know why." A hint: this little boy grew up in West Hempstead, NY, the next to the last of six.
So, what would you like to do, Mom?
AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2009-05-10.mp3
Picture 1: Beginning Mass, T.J. helping
Picture 2: Birthdays, Stephen, Ron, Abby (17 today); Anniversary, Rosemary; 1st Communion, Ginny
Picture 3: Mothers' Blessing left
Picture 4: Mothers' Blessing right
