Every week when I post a homily to this blog the words flow. On those weekends when I actually preach, I refuse to use a script so I make a detailed outline, deliver the homily and when I return home, write it out and post on the blog.
This weekend I preached and I prepared for quite some time. I delivered this homily three times today. I worked from an outline and have been trying to write it out and post it tonight, For some reason, I am having monumental writers block, even though I have delivered the homily three times. This has never happened before, and after some prayer, alas, I have given up!
I wanted to make a beginning of the Lenten season point that what we are called to do, penance, fasting, prayer, almsgiving really needs to come from who we are and not simply be about doing. We have a saying in the diaconate program here in New Orleans that it's not what you do but who you are that really counts. To illustrate this point I referenced the popular and long running theatrical production of Les Miserables. If you are familiar with Les Mis you may recall that the hero of the story, Jean Valjean, was a prisoner. His number was 24601. But who he is, once redeemed and reconciled with God, could not be denied, and he indeed is the hero. His protaganist, Javert, thought he was right with God because he was a rule follower, and saw his police work as righteoues. He lacked charity, yet, Javert is who he is. Les Mis, based on the student revolution at the French barricades, moves to a scene with the student leaders who ask this haunting question: it is time for us all to decide who we are. Do we fight for the right at a night at the opera now? Have you asked of yourselves what's the price you might pay...? The young men were being challenged to ask themselves; who are they! This is a question we too must ask as we realize that it is who we are, not what we do that really matters.
Of course I focused on the Gospel as St. Luke brought us to Jesus'visit to the desert. We know that He encounters the devil and is tempted three times. Jesus is able to thwart the devil because, well, He is who He is! And the devil acted as he did because he too is who he is. Jesus gives us an example to follow that, drawing in who we are, children of a loving and just and merciful God, can flow the power to thwart the very devil himself.
Temptation seems here to be an opportunity to discuss sin. Sin seperates us from right relationship from God; not because God withdraws from us but because we withdraw, pull back if you will, from God! If we live our lives from a statsu of who we are, we will reject sin and draw closer to the Father. We too will be able to encounter our own deserts our own encounters with the evil one, and persevere!
Then I focus on the historical event of the week and the resignation of Pope Benedict. His resignation tells all of us more about who he is than what he did! The Pope went into his own desert, discerned God's will for me, entered into powerful prayerful dialogue with God and is now doing the will of his Father. Like Jesus in the desert, Pope Benedict is giving us an example that all things, everything must put God first; and service to the Church includes being true to who we are.
As action steps for Lent, I read the letter of our own Archbishop, Gregory Aymond, who encouraged us to embrace who we are as a family and asked us to do more personal family time events, including prayer! Notice I did say "do". But this truly means to act upon who we are! A few other reminders of some good Lenten practices was discussed.
In closing, a reminder that it is who we are and not what we do that matter. Going back to that line from Les Mis, in this 1st week of Lent, it indeed is a great time to ask of ourselves who we are and what is the price we are willing to pay.
Jean Valjean, in his death scene in Les Miserables, tells us plainly; to love another person is to see the face of God. May our "who we are"and the what we "do"that flows from our very being, allow us to love often so as to see the face of God daily, now on our Lenten journey, in this life and the blessed life to come!
No comments:
Post a Comment