Sunday Homily, August 24, 2014, 21st Ordinary Time, A
Readings:
Isaiah 22, 19-23, I will pull you down from your station.
Psalm 138, Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
Romans, 11, 33-36, For from him and through him and for him are all things.
Matthew 16, 13-20, You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church.
Matthew observations–
First biblical scholars agree that Jesus did not say what is in this little story. Rather, the Matthean community shaped a highly stylized scene that attempted to establish Peter's position as leader of the new community. The writer, because he wants to authenticate Peter, creates a scenario where Jesus makes Peter The Man.
Isaiah observations—
- Notice the chapter, number, 22. Students of Isaiah, my favorite, will immediately know this is Isaiah 1. Chapter 1-39 make up Isaiah 1. Isaiah 2 and 3 follow.
- Since it is Isaiah 1, students will know that the composer lived before the Babylonian Captivity, which took place around 555 before Christ. Isaiah 2 is composed during the Captivity. Isaiah 3, whom we had last week, works after the Captivity.
- Knowing that things were not good before the Captivity, you can guess that Isaiah 1 is critical of Israeli life. You would be correct.
- Our selection today is both critical, “I will pull you down.” But it is also talking about a better day.
Mary Ellen Day at San Vino
I want to talk about you today, Mary Ellen. I hope you don’t mind. I did not ask your permission, because I figured a “No” would be what I would got.
I am doubly bummed because before I took off for the HHH, I had put together a few ideas tying you together with the line from today’s psalm; Do not forsake the work of your hands. I wanted to show how you have fully lived out the work of his hands, that is, life, and how you have lived!
Then, at about 5:00 this morning I read this article by Scott Burns, in The Dallas Morning News, Happy Money. It is about spending money healthily and happily. I think, ‘That is Mary Ellen." Burns’ ideas are
- Make it a treat.
- Buy experiences.
- Buy time.
- Invest in others
- Pay now, consume later.
Mary Ellen has done this all the decades I have known her. And this is the same as living the work of his hands.
For example, make it a treat. I know Mary Ellen has two favorites, ice cream and wine. What can you expect? She is, after all, Italian. Scott Burns’ treat was Starbucks.
Regarding investing in others, I know that for some time Mary Ellen tutored kids at Hillcrest High School in English. She also volunteers as an usher at various venues, like the Winspear.
I do not know how she has paid now and consumed later, but I do know how she has bought experiences and time. Two examples that involve her traveling to other countries with Rosemary and me.
I think it was 2007 when Rosemary & I planned a trip back to the scene of my work as a Jesuit, Tanzania. This was going to be a tenting trip and we were going to be traveling in an open topped Land Rover over very rough roads. I had a guy who ran safaris into the national parks, like Serengeti.
We invited Mary Ellen and she was ready, as always. Everything went super except one time when we were traveling through some wild terrain that had bushes, scrub trees, and tsetse flies. These flies can travel fast for short distances. They could catch us standing in the back of the Land Rover looking around. And they bite. Fortunately, we got away fairly quickly and there was no damage.
Another of the many times Mary Ellen bought into an experience with Rosemary and me was a trip to Italy. We had a crowd, about 8 people. We had to rent a van.
Mary Ellen not only went with us, she went over a few days early and went to Trieste, Italy. Why Trieste? To scatter some of her husband, Chris’s, ashes at the site where he was born.
Chris was a career Marine and Mary Ellen and he had met in Argentina, where Mary Ellen had gone to work for the State Department for a few years. This is another one of her experiences.
Chris had been born into a career military family, which was why he had been born in Trieste. His family was posted there.
Scott Burns could use you, Mary Ellen, as a beautiful example of just what he is writing about. I thank you for all the times you have included me and Rosemary in your experiences and time. I wish you a bon voyage and a continued rich life in Connecticut.