Sunday Homily, April 14, 2013, 3rd Easter C
Readings:
Acts 5, 27-32 & 40-41, We must obey God rather than men
Psalm 30, I will praise you Lord, for you have rescued me.
Revelation 5, 11-14, Blessing and honor, glory and might forever and ever.
John 21, 1-19, Put your finger here and see my hands.
Homily by Mike
I have an app that makes me aware on my iPhone when there is an important news event. This happened some weeks ago when white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel. After I looked at it, I turned my sound to off.
What was going though my mind was, ‘How did the conclave decide so quickly.’ I was apprehensive, and didn’t want to know who had been chosen.
When I did turn it back on later that day, I had a number of phone calls to return. All but one came from friends who were not Catholic [however, who are one with us through the power of the Holy Spirit].
One thing each of them spoke about with joy was the name our new Pope had chosen, Francis. The name had been immediately identified to the universal prayer of St. Francis, which seeks to have us become sowers of the good news. It helps us to recognize that all of us are part of the papacy of Francis! Together we are one body; our name has become Francis, too.
For the last decade I have spent a great deal of time studying the structure spiritual writings: all of which have been composed with some type of structure.
Look at the copy that I have made for you. The bold print is a mini summary of the Gospel, where we are to be sowers of the good news! What is not in bold print in the first section are those who have not received or not allowed the seed to take root, to whom we seek to console, understand, and love. Notice that we address God in both the bold and un-bold
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.
Today’s gospel reading begins after the Lord has witnessed his Peter, a good man, being the buffoon: going fishing for gentiles in darkness, without casting out the net [composed of his good news] to the gentile side of the lake.
Our Lord had chosen a motley group of sinners, and had led them to forgiveness. Today he comes to Peter, whom he had chosen to lead the church, to reinforce within Peter his responsibility to feed his flock! How? In the light of day in this celebration of Word and Sacred Meal. The New Covenant meal fulfills not only all of the Jewish feasts; but their Sabbath Scripture study as well.
Recently I saw a film that made me think about Peter, our first pope. It was entitled, An Afternoon with Marguerite.
It is about a man about 5o who meets Marguerite, 95, in a park. She is a holy, and very educated woman, never married, whose mission has been to serve those in need. She currently resides in an assisted living facility.
He is a large man. He had been severely abused as a child by his mother, whatever man was living with her, and by his teacher at school. He never went back. He had lived all these years essentially illiterate tending his garden and doing odd jobs. He meets Marguerite. He reaches in his pocket and sows some seed to the 19 pigeons that he knows by name. He is known by some as a good man, by others as a buffoon.
She sees the goodness within him and begins to sow words. She always has a book with her, and asks if she can read to him aloud. A friendship has begun. She reads and asks him questions, day after day; and her words enlighten him. She leaves a book with him, later a dictionary.
At first he is frustrated; later, for she is going blind, he reads to her. Her nephew sensing that she has a very short time to live, stops paying her monthly rent and sends her to a public facility to spend the rest if her life.
[ ] searches for her, finds her, and steals her away from her dismal surroundings. The film ends with him driving her to his home where he will take care of her.
These are some of the words we hear coming forth from his heart as they drive away laughing, talking to one another and sharing a sandwich: ‘This is not a typical love affair; but love and tenderness are there. Named after a daisy she lives among the words surrounded by adjectives in green fields of verbs.
Not always are love stories just made of love, sometimes love is not named, but it is love all the same. Don’t die now; just wait, it’s not the hour, my little flower. Not always are love stories made of love; love is not named, but it is love all the same.
Tape this prayer of St. Francis on your bathroom mirror at home. Try to become aware of those who seek to be consoled, understood or loved…for it is giving that we receive; it is in pardoning….