Fr. Ev's Homily: 07 September 2008

I have had people txt msg during prayer time, yes and even during Sunday liturgy. Our high-tech, communications world can actually prevent us from communicating with each other. Listen to psychotherapist James Hillman:

"I can watch 134 channels of TV; I can get on the fax or cell phone and communicate with people anywhere. I've got call waiting, so I can take two calls at once. I can be everywhere and nowhere. I'm on the phone, car phone,... plane phone ... I have emails and IM and faxes coming in day and night, I can get all the world's stock prices, commodity exchange...and breaking news... on my...smart phone. I am everywhere, man - but I don't know who lives next door to me. I have never talked to them."

-James Hillman and Michael Ventura, We've Had a Hundred Years of Psychotherapy - And the World's Getting Worse (slightly edited)

All three readings today directly address our responsibility to offer correction or admonition to others. In a country founded upon individual rights rather than community obligations; in a country which holds diversity as a supreme value; in a country where our national policy seems to be "We will go it alone" these readings are hard for us to hear, and even harder to preach.

Admonishing, or correcting, has never been easy for most people, but I think it is particularly difficult in our age and in our country.

Paul & Jesus, in today's 2^nd and 3^rd readings help us to understand how we can do this important human & spiritual action. Paul says it must all be rooted in love, a caring for the other person.

Our admonition of others -- church, family, work -- wherever, must flow from our love of them. Not an erotic or emotional love, but a genuine caring for the well being of the other person. "Love is the medicine for the sickness of the world." -Karl Menninger

Let me say three things which might help us to positively do the work of today's scriptures.

There are MANY, thousands of our fellow Iowans hurting because of severe flooding. The media is gone, the state and federal government are battling over who to help. It is about this time that disaster victims describe their lowest point, their most apt to be depressed. The Archdiocese is inviting us to make a commitment of reaching out to them, especially in prayer. See today's bulletin.
AMBASSADORS at STA are undergrad students who volunteer to reach out to fellow Catholics in their residence hall or their Greek house. Not to hassle or badger them, but to invite them to Church and perhaps to share in some of the many programs we offer.
Finally, I think we need to ask ourselves the question : Do I allow anyone close enough to me that they can tell me I have a problem? We distance ourselves, making it difficult, if not impossible for someone to correct us. A long time friend of mine told me this summer: "you know, Ev, I don't go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation anymore. I really don't need it." Oh really! Have you asked your wife? Sometimes those who know us most intimately now best our need for forgiveness.

Our high tech world does not make it any easier to admonish the sinner. I think Hillman is probably right. We have fax, telephones & pagers of every sort, email and instant messaging. But I still don't know the couple who lives in apartment 14-B. Ultimately, community, a community of love, is essential. As we construct a building for the people of God, we must continue to build the community, the people of God.