I never took a course in Homiletics. I didn't need one. I am pretty sure I was born "talking." And I know that I have sat through approximately (50 Sundays a year x 50 years)+(8 Catholic holy days of obligations a year) = 2,900 homilies, give or take. So now even though I am jobless, I am contemplating writing a book on Homiletics because even though it doesn't say it on my resume, It is What I Know. What the heck do I know? I know this: The content. The desired outcome. What Not to say.
I have sat at the feet of Masters. People who were able to talk about the Faith in such a profound and inspiring way, they made the apostles look like bunglers. Which, given some of the descriptions of their activities and responses to Christ, might not be too far off. To the very Head of the Church that Jesus started, Jesus once said: "Get behind me you satan. You are thinking like a man, not like God thinks." People preach that particular incident as if Jesus called Peter "Satan." He called him "a satan," more loosely translated: "you adversary." There is a difference... especially if you are on the receiving end of that injunction. It was tone of voice that got lost in translation I am sure. I think the function of the comment was, "Straighten up and fly right, buddy."
I referenced the Master-preachers. I just want to tip my hat, albeit post-humously, to one of them. He was a former monk, I believe Carthusian or Cistercian, a major-leaguer at any rate. So he had lived a life of deep prayer, soaked in the Scriptures. Then he came to teach us at University. He spoke, I think, at least eight languages. My guess is they might include the following: English, Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Arabic, French, Spanish, German, and Italian. When he would turn to the chalkboard to write a word on it, it was not uncommon for him to look at our confused faces, and then turn back to the chalkboard, ball-up his fist and erase the word and write its translation in English. He would chuckle. And we chuckled but we all knew we were sitting at the feet of a Brilliant Star. Although I will say that, just for fun, I have done the same thing with a random Greek word when I was teaching kids because I enjoyed the group befuddlement. You don't have to know the whole language's words to just throw one or two out occasionally for fun. And it is fun.
This particular preacher - or maybe he was really a Christian Jedi Master - could speak the message of Christ and the Gospel right to your heart. You could put down your pen and forget your notebook. Just let the words of fire blaze right into your soul. I remember just shaking my head, I was so overcome by the power. It was not a stomping, Bible-thumping, Hallelujah-jumping method. It was words that made sense on a whole new level. Just quiet Truth stepping into my reality and making me blink with astonishment.
Well that was over 40 years ago and no homily or conference has made me feel that since then. It doesn't mean it is not possible. It just means that no one knows how to tap into that level of Truth unless they have the prayer life of Mother Teresa. And that is rare. We are all so tainted by our pre-conceived notions of reality and the background garbling of politics, upbringing, and culture inside our heads that it is a wonder we make any sense at all.
I listened to a homily last week and thought, "Oh heavens, this is more boring than a football game," and for precisely the same reason: it did not engage me personally on any level. The homilist talked about some great college kids that served the poor in their spare time and how inspirational that was to him. Good for you, Father. But that and two bucks will get me a cup of coffee at Denny's. Well, just about. We forget, when we craft these almost inspirational messages, WHO is actually sitting in front of us. A few weeks ago, another homilist challenged the weekend congregants to not be impressed by the cultural role models of Hollywood. And yet ... from where I was sitting BEHIND 75% of those people, in the back of the church, judging from all the silver-haired faithful in front of me, his accusation was misplaced. He was giving a Youth homily to an Adult Audience. That is an important consideration because those people are not role modeling after Hollywood unless Pat Sajak and Ken Jennings count. (Sorry, gentlemen.)
My saintly preacher from years ago used to remind us that everything should point to the Cross of Christ. "Listen for the cross," he used to say. Why would that be? It's because the fundamental message of the Gospel is NOT about being Christian social workers. YES charity is important. YES justice for the poor and the downtrodden is important. But those things are only particulates of the whole message. The whole message is, as shown on signs at baseball games: "John 3:16."
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever shall believe in Him will be saved."
If you have one homily to give, that's the one to give. Each word or phrase matters. God. Loved. the World. His only Son. Whosoever. Saved. That's it. The sacrifice of the cross was preceded by the sacrifice of a benevolent Creator/Father. And every single scoundrel among us is the "whosoever" that can be saved. That is powerful stuff. That will preach. Yes, sir.
Don't tell me about college students doing good things. Tell me about what YOU did that was good - something that changed YOU. I don't want second-hand inspiration, the flavor is muted. I did a good thing once. (that's all I really remember) After driving by the girl on the street corner with the Hungry Sign and Vacant Eyes for, oh, about three YEARS, I couldn't stand myself anymore. I pulled into the parking lot, shut off my car and walked right over to her. I looked her right in the eyes - pained eyes - and said, "What is your name?" She said, "Beth." I said, "Beth. I SEE YOU. I drive by you. I pray for you. But you need to know you are not invisible. I SEE YOU." Later I brought her a brand new jacket that I never saw her wear. Shortly after that encounter she moved to a different location. I asked her a couple of questions that had very predictable answers. But I will never forget that face, those eyes. I wasn't afraid of her. I hurt for her. I gave her information I hoped would help her move her life out of that rut. This doesn't make me good or special or much of anything. It just means that for one tiny 15 minute period of my life, I did exactly what God wanted me to do: I acknowledged the suffering of humanity and gave a moment of love.
Preaching should move people. Not move them just to "do good things." It should move us to be better, deeper, more thoughtful people. When someone says to me, "I'm not religious; I'm spiritual," I really have to watch myself. Because everything in me wants to say: "Even a satanist is 'spiritual.' We are all SPIRITUAL BEINGS - that is what it means to be human! So what are you doing with these warm feelings inside your heart?" I know I am fresh. I can't really help myself, but I try to not shoot them out of the sky. Really, you are 'spiritual'? what the heck does that even mean?!
Spirituality, has to have a direct relationship with what is True. If it does not, than of what more import is it than drinking a glass of brandy on a stormy winter night? Sure it makes you feel good when you ponder it. But other than that passing feeling, what exactly IS IT? I suggest that Spirituality has to be anchored to concepts of Reality that are True, and as such are extensions of What God is. If, as philosophers put forth before I was born, "God is: Beauty, Truth, Wisdom and Love," then that is going to put a lot of things in better perspective.
Let's start with a cease-fire on God's Goodness. I absolutely HATE when people say, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Heck. Wake up. Bad things happen to all people. The degree of bad varies according to circumstances, relationships, situations, etc. But we all can yell: "Unfair!" at least once in our lives. I will write more on that another time. I just want to thank Father Stan Fortuna, the rapper priest for his song, "Everybody Gotta Suffah," because truer words were never spoken. It is part & parcel of the human condition that we suffer. And God does not dish it out to us. He walks through it with us. This I know. But that is another Homiletics lesson for another day. Go chew on this for now. I gave you a lot to think about.
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