Sunday Homily, July 7, 2013, 14th Ordinary Time C
Readings:
Isaiah 66, 10-14, Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad.
Psalm 66, Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Galatians 6, 14-18, You are all called for freedom.
Luke 10, 1-12, 17-20, The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.
Isaiah 11 observations & review:
Author:
Remember, 3 primary authors are responsible for the 66 chapters. Isaiah 1
covers chapters 1-39. This book is one of the Big 3 O.T. prophets, along
with Jeremiah and Ezekiel. This is because the works are the
longest. There are 12 minor prophets, authors who have small books.
Time: around 555 before Christ, a
compiling that is taking place with the end of the Babylonian Captivity in sight or
already done.
Message
of Isaiah 66: The profile of the prophet was usually 1. criticism, 2.
prediction of dire payment, 3. consolation.
This is the last chapter, so guess which of the 3 authors and subject. Yes, the third. And…
Today’s
message: consolation, joy, song.
The Laborers
are Few ?
This morning I want to focus on the line that the laborers are few. I disagree.
I see lots of laborers these days.
Let me give you 3 examples.
Professor Jim Mahar. You remember
him. He spoke to us a year or so ago, he
and some students.
Jim is a finance professor at St. Bonaventure near Buffalo, NY, a
Franciscan college. A competitor with
the Jesuit college in the same area, Canisius.
You could imagine that Jim as a professor would be spending all his time
with his students, teaching, testing, grading, and advising. In summers he might do research and spend
some time at his cottage in the Catskills or on the NJ shore.
Nope, not Jim. He does all the
professor with the kids, but his second passion is relief work. I first met him when Bill Hammond & I
drove down to Galveston to work with him and about 30 volunteer students a few
years ago. We spent a week cleaning, tearing
down, building, and living side by side in dorms with the Baptist Men (another
great group) and other volunteers.
After Hurricane Sandy hit NYC, where was Jim and his bunch of student
volunteers? Right where it was the
worst, like Breezy Point. They even spent so much time there that they
established a base house.
Where again was Jim and his gang after the OK tornadoes in May? I can tell you personally he and his gang
worked hard, even working through lunch and up until sundown. We ate finally at Central Market about 9:30,
closing the place at 10:00.
Jim is not just a laborer. He
invites and facilitates other laborers, like me.
Then we have the lady I talked about last Sunday, the vivacious real
estate agent who had a good month of June.
She out of nowhere gives us $1000 to be used in whatever way we see
fit.
I wanted to go personally with that check to work with Habitat Granbury
this coming week, but they are not working over the July 4th
period. Maybe our Habitat group?
Mentioning our Habitat, I had a good friend ask about working. I suggested he work yesterday at our
house. At about 8:15 he calls me and
says, “Where is everybody.” Apparently
we also took the week off.
That $1000 check so touched me that I decided I was going to give $20 to
each of the guys who pick up our recycle every Monday morning. I usually do this at Christmas. I did
so this time in connection with July 4th and was so touched. The three guys could not tell me often
enough about how grateful they were.
One word about our community. Can anyone imagine how we would make it without all the people who bring the sound, coffee, pastries, wine cups, take pictures, read, and sing, just to mention a few of the labors that take place?
Finally, I know another person whose name will remain unmentioned. I’ll whisper so she cannot hear. This
woman goes for an exploration meeting at Meals on Wheels. There she runs into an old friend and
neighbor who has moved out of the neighborhood and is likewise interested.
Now they are a team delivering Meals on Wheels every Thursday. I think I sleep with this person.
So, you, know any laborers in the vineyard? And you?