Readings - http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/071711.cfm
We find ourselves this month in the heart of Ordinary Time. And in the United States (and much of the world) this means that we find ourselves _in the middle of summer_. As such, the Readings we find during this time of year were probably chosen (by the those in the Church who’d be responsible for choosing these things – a Liturgy Commission at the Vatican) to be relatively simple.
Indeed, you will have probably noticed today, that the Gospel Reading was rather long (that’s why I had you sit down). And yet, despite its length, it offered three parables – about the Wheat and the Chaff, about the Mustard Seed and about the Woman adding Leaven to Bread.
Why? Well it could well be because in most of Europe it is hot, just like it is hot here in Chicago this time of year. And because it is hot (and until recently _there was no air conditioning_) the expectation was probably that the Gospel would be proclaimed and there probably wouldn’t be much of a homily. But since the Gospel was about 3 beloved parables _that most of the people would already know_, there probably wouldn’t be much need to add anything to them. And the people would still have something to reflect on during the week as they worked in the fields, or sat under the shade somewhere.
Since we _do have air conditioning_ here at Annunciata, I will, however, say a few words ;-):
First, it is clear that the Commission which prepared our Lectionary and hence picked the Gospel Reading for this Sunday wanted us to focus on the first parable of the three that we hear today – the one about the Wheat and the Chaff. I say this because the “shorter version” of this week’s Gospel contains ONLY this parable and the “longer version” which contains the other two short parables ends with the disciples asking for an explanation of the first parable again, which then Jesus provides. So there’s no escaping saying at least a few words about that first parable.
And the words could be this: Thankfully, it will be up to the Angels and God to “separate the wheat from the chaff,” that is, separate from the good people and the bad. And I do believe this to be GOOD NEWS because if it was left to us _I am positive_ we would mix the good with the bad. That is, while I’m sure all of us would feel completely certain in our ability to identify the people we’d like to send to Hell and proceed to try to send them there, I am also equally certain that there’d be plenty of people who’d probably want to send us there as well. So it is probably good that it’s _not_ up to us (but rather up to God) to determine who’ll go to Heaven and who goes to Hell. And indeed, as I say, that _could_ be the Good News in that parable.
But having then talked at least a little about that first parable, I’d like to focus on the second one, the one about the “Mustard Seed.”
I LIKE THIS PARABLE. It’s one of my favorites and it is so because it gives a beautiful example of what the Church is called to be and what a Parish, (_any_ parish) could come to be.
We’re told that a little mustard seed (symbolizing even a small amount of effort) can grow into a large shrub, and large enough so that “all the birds of the air” could find room to nest within it.
What a beautiful symbol for both the Church and a Parish! I say this because if we are honest, the Church has to be big enough for everybody, certainly big enough for _everybody of good will_. And even in a parish there is _always_ diversity.
In a parish like Annunciata, it would perhaps be both easiest (and most problematic) to talk about race. But really we are talking about more than that. There is a diversity in _any_ parish of not just ethnicity but age, need and sensibility. There families with dogs, there families with cats. There are families with big dogs, small dogs, lap dogs, hunting dogs, playful dogs, lazy dogs, and families with everything from "show dogs" ("dogs with papers") to "mutts." And the same thing could be said then about families with cats. What then of families with birds or lizards or gold fish? Then there are families of gardeners, scouts, athletes (Annunciata has a great athletic program), musicians, gamers, avid readers, hikers, accountants, etc. And this is all reflective of different sensibilities and personalities. And a parish ought to recognize these different gifts and look for ways to include them and put them to use.
And to a good extent we do that. Each year we probably see this best at Annunciata Fest where the hope is to bring in as many of the different people of the parish to celebrate it and offer the gifts that we have to the others.
And it is important that we do so, that we come to see the “Other” not as a “Stranger” or even as a "potential threat" but as someone who has gifts/talents to offer to others.
Again, I’m trying very hard here _not_ to hit directly the issue of Race or Ethnicity (but certainly we can see that it can apply here). We all have a lot to offer each other even as we do have differing sensibilities. And it’s really _our choice_ as to how we _choose_ to respond to difference / the diversity among us. We can _choose_ to make it a problem or we can see it as a gift -- an opportunity of inviting a "new birds" (and younger birds) "to nest among our branches."
Because ultimately we are all -- the young, the old, dog people or cat people, gardeners, artists or athletes -- children of the same God.
Those who have ears, ought to hear ;-). God bless, and have a nice nice week ahead!
No comments:
Post a Comment