Homily
for September 24, 2006
Liturgical Year B - Cycle II
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. John Carney Topic:
Serving Others
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Gospel
Mk 9:30-37
Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through
Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching
his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to
men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of
Man will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and they were
afraid to question him.
They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask
them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained
silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was
the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
“If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the
servant of all.” Taking a child, he placed it in the their midst, and
putting his arms around it, he said to them, “Whoever receives one
child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There’s a book entitled, How to Meditate, and in that book
there’s a story about a monk who had a vision. He was an elderly monk
and had been in the monastery for many decades, and he prayed that God
would strengthen his faith with a vision of some sort. He believed but
like all of us, his faith was imperfect and so he turned his back on
the world. He gave up wealth and family. He gave up privacy and he
entered the monastery trying his very best to please God. One day when
he was alone in the chapel around noon, lo and behold his prayer was
granted and he received a vision of God. Just as the vision appeared,
the bell for the monastery was rung and he happened to be on duty that
day. It was around noon, the poor would come to receive food and drink,
and he was frustrated because he had finally received his vision and
yet, he had a job to do. Reluctantly, sadly, he turned his back on the
vision and went to the door and fed the poor. Saddened and downtrodden,
he returned to his cell, he opened the door of his cell, and there was
God in this vision. God said to him, “I would not have stayed if you
did not serve the poor.”
Kind of a corny story but it brings out the point, I think,
of today’s Gospel. The best way to please God, to serve God, is to
serve others. That’s what Jesus meant when he said, “Whoever wants to
be first, must place himself last of all and be the servant of all.”
The question is, “How can you do that? How can I do that?” We want to
please God and so how can we be “the last of all?” How can we be “the
servant of all”? Now, if there are six hundred people here or so, there
are six hundred different answers because that depends on how we serve
God in others. It depends on where we are, our status in life, our
vocation. It is helpful, I think, to be inspired by others. Therefore,
I would like to talk briefly about someone most of you know, Father
Anthony Romero.
He was with us the summer of 2003. That was the summer
before he was ordained a priest. He was ordained in 2004 and has been a
priest for two years. Father Anthony was born with cerebral palsy and
was not expected to live. The doctors told his mother there was not
much chance that he would make it. Not long after he was born, his
mother took him to the Carmelites in Santa Fe and dedicated him to God.
The Carmelites had kind of this “lazy Susan” deal. You cannot look at
them and they are in cloister. So, Mrs. Romero, Bertha, I believe her
name is, put her son on the lazy Susan and passed him through to the
nuns and they passed him around. In fact, Bertha later said she wasn’t
sure she was going to get him back but they finally returned him. Of
course, he survived and he grew in strength and even with his
significant disability, he was able to be somewhat successful and to
make a living. There was a period of his life, Tony admits, when he was
steeped in sin and trying to find happiness in all the wrong places.
Finally, when he was around thirty or so, Tony looked at life and he
said, “You know what makes me happy? What gives me fulfillment? What
gives me peace?” His answer was, “Serving others.”
Anthony had done some of that. In fact, he had driven a bus
in Bernalillo County, for the city of Albuquerque. He use to take
handicapped people to appointments or whatever and he enjoyed doing
that. Remember that for Tony, it’s an effort for him to walk. He, in
effect, drags part of his body and it is a real effort. Nevertheless,
he loves to run in front of people and get the door for them. He says
when he does that they glow and he glows too. That’s how that works,
isn’t it? Little things like that. Friends would come to Tony and say,
“You know, would you speak to so and so, she’s down and feeling sorry
for herself. But if you speak to her, you can help her.” Life is tough
for Tony and when he has hope and faith, he inspires us.
When I was the vocation director for the Archdiocese, I
interviewed Tony. He told me, “Even these little things that I did made
others feel better,” He said, “I want to do that full time.” He wasn’t
married and he became a priest. By the way, he is now the pastor of St.
Martin of Porres Church on the Westside of Albuquerque. It’s a big job
for him and I hope he’s all right. I tell you though; for sure, his
people are blessed and inspired with him.
That’s how Tony interpreted the scriptures. Of course, his
motive was to be happy. The only way we can be happy, is doing it
right; doing it according to God’s way. However, the question remains
for you and me: How can I best serve God? How can I be the servant to
others? The adults here have already chosen their vocation. You’re
asking the question: What vocation will I choose to serve God? And
you’ve already chosen that. I think what we need to fulfill this
Gospel, is not so much a plan but an attitude. I think we need to have
a spirit of service in our hearts, which in effect is a spirit of
humility.
Jesus said, “The last will be first. The first will be last.
Be a servant to others.” I don’t see any way we can be good servants
unless we’re humble and so maybe we’re talking about the same thing. If
we have an attitude of service, we will do things in a certain way and
the cumulative effect of that will bring about the kingdom. If you are
married, you have a built-in person to serve in your life and you know
that’s not easy. However, that opportunity is there to put your spouse
first. Even at work, you can be of service. You know, the boss can open
the door for someone. The boss can get you a coke or a cup of coffee.
Just because he or she’s the boss doesn’t mean they preside over every
aspect of the workplace. We can appreciate those who serve us. If you
don’t tip the hotel maid, you are missing a great chance. Her name is
always Maria and they don’t have much, you know and they work hard.
Most of you can afford to leave ten bucks a day. The beautiful thing
about things like that is she’ll never say thank you because you won’t
see her. I’m convinced that’s the best way to do things.
Don’t complain. Listen to this one. I mean this. An attitude
of humility, don’t complain about the service. If the coffee’s not hot,
shut up and drink it. You don’t have to make a scene. I’ve been in a
restaurant and, “Excuse me! Excuse me, this is not hot!” You know, I
feel like taking it and… Eat it.
I know a fellow who’s a priest today because of sour milk.
Father Ron Stone, he’s the pastor of Mountainair. He had a mentor in
Alexandria, Virginia and I was debating whether or not the Archdiocese
of Santa Fe should accept Ron. He had a troubled past that he had
overcome. Father Robert Martino in Alexandria or Arlington said to me,
“You know John, the day I thought that Ron had a vocation and that he
would be a good servant, was when we were having breakfast and he was
eating his Cheerios or his Wheaties or whatever. I got my cereal and
put milk on it. I took a bite and spit it out. The milk was sour and
Ron was chomping away. I said, “Ron, this milk is sour.” He said, “Yes,
Father, but it’s okay.” I know, just an attitude. Don’t complain. I
think that’s what humble people do. You know they just accept. There’s
no age restriction. We never retire from being a servant. As a matter
of fact, today, later on today, one of our parishioners will be honored
as a living fossil, (laughter) a Living Treasure. John Buchen (and
Barbara, the two are a team) has served people his whole life. He does
more than open doors for them. He does everything. John, stand up
please. We want to congratulate you on being accepted as a Living
Treasure. A Living Treasure. How many of you know him? Isn’t he a
character? Poor Barbara. William Wordsworth, the poet said, “That best
portion of a good man’s life is little, nameless, unremembered acts of
kindness and of love.”
The question is, “What is your spirit of service and what is
mine? How can you bring to your work, to your family a greater spirit
of service than you have now?” For the young people here, who have not
decided on their calling, Albert Schweitzer has some advice. Albert
Schweitzer, of course, was a very wealthy man from Europe. He was born
in the Alsace-Lorraine area of France. He had the talent to be a great
concert musician, a wonderful organist. He became a medical doctor so
that he could serve. He spent most of his life in Africa, in Gabon,
serving the poorest of the poor. He won the Nobel Peace Prize, and he’s
infamous. He said this, “I don't know what your destiny will be, but
one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are
those who will have sought and found how to serve.”
Please bow your heads as we
pray this prayer of St.
Francis:
Lord, make me
a channel
of your peace, Where there
is hatred, let me bring your love; ...where
there is injury, pardon; ...where
there is doubt, true faith in you; ...where
there is despair in life, let me bring hope; ...where
there is darkness, only light; ...where
there is sadness, ever joy; ...it is in
pardoning that we are pardoned; …in giving of
our ourselves that we
receive ...and in
dying that we are born to eternal life.
O
Master, grant that I may never seek so much ...to be
consoled than to console; ...to be
understood as to understand; ...to be loved
as to love with all my soul. We pray
through Christ our Lord. Amen.