Sunday Homily, April 20, 08, 5th of Easter
Readings: Acts 6, 1-7; Psalm 33; 1 Peter 2, 4-9; John 14, 1-12.
Acts: This is another example of stories from the early Christian Community. On this occasion, the community is selecting from the community seven people, men, who will help free up the priests to do preaching. The seven chosen are like deacons.
A Chosen Race, a Royal Priesthood
Two things happened to me in Italy that came to mind when I saw this line in Peter’s letter about being a chosen race and a royal priesthood.
First, in Rome on our last evening before departing this past Friday. It was about 6:30. All four of us were planning to celebrate sunset at 7:45 and the end of our trip with a glass of wine on the rooftop of our 4-5 story, 500 year old palace & convent. A great vista point for the city.
Rosemary & I had taken a stroll and were coming home crossing the little plaza next to our convent, when a young Italian boy about 17 came up to me and in Italian asked me where the Pantheon was. This delighted me for two reasons.
First, he must have thought I was more of a local, not an American tourist. Ever since my time in East Africa I have always tried to blend in, not stand out as from elsewhere. That was hard in Tanzania. Secondly, because of the first, he spoke to me in Italian. I both knew what he asked, and I knew how to respond and guide him to the Pantheon, which I half walked him to because it was fairly near. For a last nighter, this was a gift.
The other event took place on a high point in Florence a week earlier. Again Rosemary & I had taken a stroll in the early evening while others rested & before going out together. I was exploring and had climbed a hill to see if I could spot a good place to see the sunset over Florence. I had heard about this place from one of the sisters at the Florence convent we were staying in. There were a series of steps in a switch back pattern leading up to a secondary basilica, called St. Miniato. The steps were quite a climb, with the basilica steps going straight up.
At one point Rosemary is wandering around & I am sitting at the very top, my legs hanging over the marble balustrade. I am looking over Florence & watching a rain storm approach from the west when I see a little man stooped with osteoporosis start to climb the steps way below me. He has a dark overcoat on and he uses an umbrella as a cane. He leans on the balustrade on his left. Slowly & steadily he climbs until he reaches the top, turns right, and starts to pass near me.
As he approaches I say in Italian, "Congratulations on climbing the steps." I reach over and shake his sweaty little hand. Bent over, he looks up and says, "What?" I repeat and he asks me who I am. After I tell him he says, "Are you Italian?" I am complimented, but say, "No, I’m not Italian. I am American." "Oh, bahh," he exclaims and goes on his way. I am slightly deflated.
As Peter says in his letter, we are all chosen, we are all a royal priesthood. Royal does not grab me, but priesthood does. Sometimes we feel more chosen, more priestly, sometimes we feel more rejected and certainly not royal.
The 17 year old boy chose me out of all the people in that plaza and asked for help. In the priest context, I was able to help & guide him. This experience is common to all of us. I chose to compliment the little man in a priest context, but he rejected me. Another common experience to all of us. Because we are all chosen by God, we are all called to priesthood. The challenge is to continue to congratulate, help, & guide the next person.
How are you doing this?
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