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Growing up, my
family used to take a summer vacation every year, usually in early- to
mid- June just after the school year ended. My parents’ long-range plan, they said, was to introduce us
to the different geographical sections and locales across the United
States.
Although our family
vacations weren’t exactly like the cross-country “Vacation” to
Walley World taken by the Griswold family in Clark’s
belief that “the best way to keep a family together is to take them on a
vacation,” there were some similarities. Our Rambler station wagon car
did buzz with the usual “Are we there yet?” question. There were many
parental threats issued that if my brother and I didn’t stop fighting
we’d get into really big trouble. My sister would bellyache that my
brother and I were “bothering” her. And, there was that astounding
wonder of nature, the “long arm of justice” wielded by my father―you’d
think he’d have to have dislocated his shoulder to reach that far
backwards to smack us―when he had finally had enough of our crabbing,
complaining, griping, and whining.
One year, our
destination was the southeast United States. Starting in Illinois
where I grew up,
moving through Indiana and Kentucky, and then on through Tennessee,
Georgia, and North Carolina, the final destination was Myrtle
Beach, South Carolina.
It was after
visiting the Brown Forman Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, that the Jacobs’ family headed to Mammoth
Caves. If you’ve never been to Mammoth Caves, it is an amazing wonder
of nature to see. But, one thing stood out in my mind: the entire trail
through the caves was lit by a string of electric bulbs.
At one point in the
tour featuring all sorts of stalactites and stalagmites, the ranger
gathered the visitors in a circle around him, told us the lights would
go out, and asked everyone to remain absolutely silent. Then, the
lights went out. It was pretty weird because all of us were plunged
into absolute, pitch black darkness, a darkness that was so total that I
couldn’t see my right hand, even when I touched its palm to my nose.
Now, while everyone
knew they were standing straight up on their feet, the darkness was so
disorienting that I wasn’t quite sure where front and back and left and
right and up and down were. And, although you could feel your feet
touching the ground, it didn’t feel like I was “grounded” on terra
firma. In the silence, the only thing I heard was the sound of
breathing which helped me to know that I was somewhere. But, I couldn’t
be sure precisely where I was because it also felt as if everything
could be twirling around me.
Then, the ranger
struck a match and it burst into a flame. An “Ahhh…” arose from the
crowd. No longer in total darkness, a sense of safety and of
groundedness returned, because we could all see again and orient
ourselves to nature’s
surroundings.
Jesus teaches his
disciples that they are to be the light of the world, the light that allows others to
see, to experience, and to become grounded in God’s love for them. Discipleship is like being
that ranger in Mammoth Caves, the person who strikes the match and when
it bursts into a flame, an “Ahhh…” arises from people around us because
they are no longer enveloped and disoriented by the darkness of sin. A sense of safety and of groundedness
returns because they can see again and orient themselves in the light of
Christ. In short, we make God visible to others as our lives reflect
Jesus Christ, the light of the world.
In this morning’s
first reading, the prophet Isaiah suggests four ways by which we can
give light to the world.
The first is when we
share our bread with the hungry.
Isaiah could
literally mean that we provide others loaves of bread to feed and
sustain them. But, on a spiritual level, the challenge Isaiah is
issuing concerns how we nourish others in virtue and holiness through
the example and teaching―the “bread of life”―we offer them
by our words and example. Isaiah’s
challenge can be posed by asking two questions: How do spouses nourish
one another in virtue and holiness by providing each other the spiritual
bread of life they need? Or, how do parents nourish their children in
virtue and holiness by providing them the spiritual bread of life they
need? It is so much easier, isn’t it, to immerse ourselves in what interests us
and to leave it to others to provide the spiritual bread that our
spouses and children need?
The second way
Isaiah says we give light to the world is to shelter the oppressed and
the homeless.
Yes, providing those
who are literally oppressed and homeless a place to be safe and secure
is a very good thing. But, on a spiritual level, the challenge Isaiah
issues concerns how we help those around us to experience safety and to
feel secure in our presence and in our homes. Again, Isaiah’s challenge
can be posed by asking two questions: How do spouses make their home a
warm and inviting environment that makes each of them feel safe and
secure as they deal with the challenges that life throws at them,
whether that be the challenges being married, the challenges of being an
employee, and the challenges of responsible citizenship? How
do parents make their home a warm and inviting environment that makes
each child feel safe and secure as the challenges of growing
up and maturing as God’s children confront them? It is easier, isn’t
it, to turn our homes into war zones by oppressing those who have hurt
us and making them feel unwelcome?
The third way Isaiah
says we can give light to the world is to clothe the naked.
While sharing our
clothes with others―especially when we consider the cold of winter―so that
they are not naked is undoubtedly virtuous, Isaiah is offering a much
different challenge. Just as nakedness causes human beings to blush
from shame, so it is with spiritual nakedness that also causes us to blush
from shame. So we must ask ourselves: How are spouses helping each
other to experience pardon and peace by assisting one another to
“re-cover” from their mistakes and sins? How do parents help their
children who are ashamed because of what they have done to experience
pardon and peace by assisting them to “re-cover” from their mistakes and
sins? Isn’t it much easier to judge others and hold them accountable
for their mistakes and sins?
The fourth way
Isaiah suggests we can give light to the world is by not turning our
backs on our own.
It is so easy today
to turn our backs on our own and, when we do, to fail to realize that
the self-inflicted wound from which we suffer―the wound of a broken
heart disoriented by the darkness of sin―will not be healed until we return back to our own.
Today, perhaps the
most prominent way people turn their backs on their own is by putting
oneself first, ahead of everyone else, the type of selfishness that
leads to divorce. These are the choices that are so easy to make when, in a marital
relationship, the words “I”, “me”, “my”, and “mine” flow forth so easily
from our mouths. Focusing solely upon oneself and neglecting what the
words “I will love, honor, and obey you all the days of my life” really
mean and require, the statement “I have my needs” is perhaps the most
flagrant example of how we turn our backs on our own and look for
satisfaction everywhere but where God has called spouses to find it.
The words “we”,
“us”, and “our” are notable by their absence from our vocabulary.
And where does all
of this turning one’s back lead?
Disorientation
caused by the darkness of sin and a broken heart that
cannot be healed until we return home. There is no husband or wife who
does not desperately want a close, loving, and respectful relationship
with one’s spouse. Any spouse who says so is simply lying. But, unfortunately, there are all too many husbands
and wives who turn their backs on their spouses only to discover their
hearts are full of darkness as well as empty and void of that which can only be filled by their
spouse, as God has ordained it in the Sacrament of Marriage.
Another prominent
way many people turn their backs on their own is through disobedience.
Teenagers are
especially tempted to sin in this way. Instead of “honoring your father
and your mother” as the fourth commandment states by listening to what
their parents are trying to teach about what virtue and holiness
require, it’s so much easier for teenagers to disobey their parents by
turning their back on their parents and listening to what others are teaching about what they believe leads
to happiness and a whole lot of fun.
And where does this
turning one’s back lead?
The darkness of sin
and a broken heart that
cannot be healed until teenagers return to their parents like the
prodigal child and, in honoring their parents, take to heart the lessons
about what virtue and holiness require. Make no mistake about it: there
is no child who does not desperately want a close, loving, and
respectful relationship with one’s parents. Any child who says so
is lying. But, there are all too many teenagers today who are only all too willing to turn their backs on their
parents, only to discover their hearts are full of darkness and empty of what only their parents
can provide.
“You are the light
of the world,” Jesus teaches his disciples.
Until spouses
nourish one another in virtue and holiness by providing them the
spiritual bread of life they need and parents nourish their children in
virtue and holiness by providing them the spiritual bread of life they
need, your light shall not break forth like the dawn and your wound will
not be healed.
Until do spouses
make their homes a warm and inviting environment that makes each of them
feel safe and secure as they deal with the challenges that life throws
at them and as parents make their home a warm and inviting environment
that makes each of their children feel safe and secure as the challenges
of growing up and maturing as God’s children confront them, your light
shall not break forth like the dawn and you wound will not be healed.
Until spouses help
each other experience pardon and peace by assisting one another to
“recover” from their mistakes, offenses, and sins and parents help their
children who are ashamed because of what they have done wrong to
experience pardon and peace by assisting them to “re-cover” from their
mistakes and sins, your light shall not break forth like the dawn and
your wound will not be healed.
Until husbands and
wives no longer turn their backs on one another and teenagers no longer
turn their backs on their parents, your light shall not break forth like
the dawn and your wound will not be healed.
“Your light must
shine before others,” Jesus says.
As Jesus’ disciples,
then, our mission is to allow our light to shine by providing others the
spiritual bread they need, making our homes warm and inviting
environments that allow others to feel safe and secure, helping others
to experience pardon and peace, and not turning our backs on our own.
As Isaiah the prophet reminds us:
Then your light shall
break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed, your
vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the Lord shall be your
rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer, you shall
cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
God has called each
of us by name for this mission―an extraordinarily great mission―of being
instruments for the conversion of those around us. We do this as
we provide them the light of Christ that will dispel the darkness of sin. This mission far transcends yesterday, today, and tomorrow, because
God calls us to help everyone to “see the light” here and now so that
all of us will experience the promise of the Resurrection. |
HOMILY
