SIXTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
12 February 2017
Homily
One of my classmates in Catholic Elementary School stuck a cigarette
into the hands of the life-size statue of Mary that stood in the school hallway.
When the sisters finally figured out who had done this abomination,
They reprimanded him in front of the whole school.
When she was through the principal asked him if he had anything to say.
Of course she expected an apology.
What he said was: “Sister, if God can see everything, and we know God can see everything,
why do we do the bad things we do?”
Sister was quick on her feet. She replied, “Because sometimes we forget God is watching.”
My classmate persisted: “If God is watching, even when we forget God is watching and
God knows we’re going to forget he’s watching, why doesn’t God just leave us alone?”
In the beginning we are told, God said, “I will be your God, and you will be my people.
Here is how we will live together. I will love you and care for you.
You will love me, revere my name.
You will live with my other people by respecting their spouses, parents, possessions and lives.
Is it a deal?”
In the beginning, we are told the people thought it was a pretty good deal.
So they shook hands and had a party.
As the years went on the people forgot about the deal and the
handshake and the party and the love–and all they remembered was the laws.
And when they forgot about everything except the laws,
One of them asked the question, “What are the laws supposed to get us?”
And someone said, “Heaven”
What do you think the laws are supposed to get you?
After a bad day at work I’ve been known to say to whomever is around:
“I’m going to be mad if heaven isn’t good enough to make up for all of this?”
But that’s not right.
The purpose of life, of following the “laws”
is not to become rich, or smart, or to get a big reward in the end.
The final goal of all the stuff we do, is to live with God–
wherever that happens to be–even if that’s a ghetto in Cleveland.
If you and I have trouble with the laws–and I think we do.
If you and I wonder sometimes “why God doesn’t give up on us,”
Maybe it’s because we’ve forgotten where it all started,
and where it’s supposed to get us–not to heaven but to God.
And that’s why God doesn’t give up on us.