Sunday Homily 7-13-08, 15th, Ordinary Time
Readings: Isaiah 55, 10-11; Psalm 65; Romans 8, 18-23; Matthew 13, 1-23
Isaiah: The Great One lived around 750 B.C. He is one of the 3 Major Prophets along with Jeremiah & Ezekiel, mostly because their works are larger than the 12 Minor Prophets. Like all prophets he condemned the behavior of the people, promised punishment from Yahweh, and foretold that a better day was coming after the punishment.
Isaiah has some of the most beautiful passages, many of which are seen as foretelling the coming of the Savior. His readings are used all through the Advent & Christmas readings, as well as in Lent.
Note, however, that there is evidence from different writing styles and length of time that three authors at least make up the book of Isaiah.
Both the Isaiah reading and Psalm 65 are beautiful.
What Kind of Soil Am I?
One day when I was a little kid, so little I was not in school yet, I was playing in the driveway beside our house. We had a driveway that ran from the street, along side the left side or east side of the house, all the way to the back where the two car wooden garage was. We had no fence along that side of our back yard and the neighbor’s house had no fence.
At some point in my play the lady who worked for the neighbors came to the back door. I did not like this lady. Actually, she had a small apartment attached to their garage where she lived when she was not working in the house.
I do not know what it was that got me off on her. Certainly she was not friendly, nor warm & fuzzy with this little boy. So, out of the blue, I say to her standing there in the doorway, “You are a big, fat elephant.”
Maybe I ran. I don’t know. But, I give that lady credit. She marched right over to our house and told my mother. And my mother went ballistic. I got a spanking. Which certainly did not make me more fond of that lady.
As a result of this event, plus numerous other little behaviors that were unacceptable, I entered adolescence with the thought that I was a pretty bad kid. My soil was rocky and I was probably on the express train to hell. Which definitely played a role in my decision to enter the Jesuits and become a priest. Save my lost soul before it was too late.
I talk about this because it connects me with the parable of the sower, one of the many so called agricultural parables found in Matthew. In the parable, Jesus says we got four chances to get the message and with three of them we don’t get it. Not good odds. I go along with this and suggest that the path, the rocks, and the thorns symbolize three ways we sabotage our process of getting the message.
- First, I suggest the path symbolized a lack of gratitude. We take for granted all the blessings and beauty that make up our life and, in fact, often feel entitled. Our time is so limited that we never reflect.
- Second, the rocks symbolize our middle class obsession with stuff, toys, things. We have to have the latest thing, the biggest, the best.
- Thirdly, the thorns may symbolize the fact that I hear the wrong message. I pick up that I am bad, like I learned when I was a little kid.
What is really devious about these three, is that they are reciprocal. They interact among themselves. Here is what I mean.
Say, I have the self image that I am bad. If I am already bad, why make an effort. Certainly, I don’t incline toward gratitude. I do incline, however, toward toys & stuff. The toys are medication for my disappointment in myself. If I have enough toys, I think that others will think I am hot stuff.
I was into toys as a teen. No doubt. One of the best things that happened was when I joined the Jesuits, I let go of it all. I had no possessions to impress others with. None of us in my class had possessions. We were just guys.
The reason this is pathetic is that while I am ungrateful and obsessed with toys because of my lack of self acceptance, I never achieve The Peace, which is where the rich soil is that yields a hundred fold of peace. I don’t get the message. The message is I’m okay.
How do I break this cycle? I think I can intervene anywhere along the process. I can focus on gratitude, I can detach from stuff & toys, and I can work on self acceptance. Maybe all at the same time. That is getting the message.
The beauty about all this is that ultimately, wherever I am, I am okay. I am accepted. I am not riding the express train to hell. Jesus presents us with ultimate demands, and ultimate acceptance.
What is the challenge to you? How do you get The Message?
AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-07-13.mp3