Homily for November 4 2007 Thirty First Sunday of the Year
We've been talking about stewardship the last three weeks, and if you're tired of it, so am I. And I can't wait until I don't need to talk about it. But I do need to talk about it today.
First, I want to talk about the Gospel. I just want to rattle your chain a little bit with the Gospel, and I want to be an “equal opportunity chain rattler.” So if the first one or two examples rattle your chain too much, know that I am going to rattle somebody else's chain, too, the other way.
Imagine that Jesus comes to town now, let your town boundaries be very broad imagine Jesus coming to town. Whose house will he stay at?
Well, for some of you, imagine this: Jesus comes to town, and he stays at Dick Cheney's house. Or for others, imagine this: Jesus comes to town and he stays at Bill Clinton's house.
Or Jesus comes to town and he stays at the house of the head of Planned Parenthood. Or Jesus comes to town and he stays at the house of somebody who is very active in the pro life movement.
Or Jesus comes to town, and imagine Cardinal George in Chicago seeing him stay with the president of Call To action or Voice of the Faithful; or imagine, if you're the president of Call to Action, that he stays with Cardinal George.
Or imagine he comes to Holy Cross, and we all want him to go home with us, and he says, "No thanks. I think I'll stay here at church.”
And we think, "That's nice. He wants to be at his Father's house." And we come in church, and to our horror, the word "beware" has been written on everything. It's been written on my microphone; it's been written on the altar; it's been written on the pulpit; and we wonder, "Why would he do that?" And we begin taking it to heart. Our preaching, our talk becomes much more reflective and aware of the limitations of our vision and certainties.
Well, I've tried to throw out several categories of judgment, because I want to ask the question, "What if none of those categories exists in God's eyes? What if they're all human inventions, or what if there is a fundamental identity underneath all of them that we all share?”
I think Jesus did that in the Gospel, with Zaccheus. He said, "This man, too, is a descendant of Abraham, and that identity cuts across all of your scribe and Pharisee and tax collector and sinner categories? What would be that identity today?
Now, the question about stewardship. I have several things I want to do today, so I just hope you'll be patient with me. Next Sunday I'll ask you to turn in your stewardship intention card. It will have 3 parts: The United Catholic Appeal to support the Archdiocese, your support for the parish, and your stewardship of time and talent.
About the Archdiocese, if you've already decided you want to give to that, wonderful. If you're one of those who are ambivalent about that, just a word. First of all, in every denomination, people are ambivalent about giving to the headquarters. Whether you're Catholic, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Methodist, Disciple of Christ, there is always tension between the local congregation and the denomination.
The second thing I want to say is, when I look at things organized by humans, there is nothing so good that everybody has to support it, and there is nothing so bad that nobody can support it. So, whatever it is, if it's organized by humans, if you're looking for a reason not to support it, you will succeed in finding one. And if you're looking for a reason to support it, you will succeed in finding one.
So, you all have your own priorities. I ask you only one thing, and that is the initial good will that would allow you to look with an open mind at some things that are worthy of your support. In my letter in the bulletin, I point out, too, the work of Catholic Charities, and I singled out in that Holy Family Shelter for the homeless, and the support of our inner city Catholic schools.
I remember when I came here almost 12 years ago, people were still smarting from the thought that the Archdiocese wanted to close our school. Not only has it not closed it, but it has really stepped up to the plate to support it. So I encourage you to join in stepping up to the plate.
About our parish and its needs, obviously we need to do a lot more than we're doing. I think what we do as a parish is not nearly enough. We don't do nearly enough for our youth, or religious education of young people, or of adults; we don't do nearly enough by way of outreach. But we don't have enough to support what we already do. So I just encourage you again to be open and to be generous.
And lastly, about our stewardship of time and talent, I want to do something that might look a little gimmicky, but bear with me. And I want to start with things outside the parish. How many of you are involved in some form of community service? Would you please stand?
How many of you are involved in the parish in St. Vincent de Paul Society and its many works? Would you stand? Oh, keep standing.
How many of you are involved in our liturgy functions, as a reader or musician or greeter or Eucharistic minister?
How many of you are involved in athletic programs for the young people? And if you're young people, stand. How many of you have some involvement with our school?
How many are involved in prolife activities? How many are involved in some form of religious education, RCIA? How many are involved in health ministry in any sense?
Help me now. I didn't make an exhaustive list. What am I leaving out?
How many are involved in selling raffle tickets? [laughter, applause]
What else? How many are involved in food baskets, the Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets? How many are involved in prison ministry?
Okay. How many come to Mass on Sunday? [laughter]
Well, thank you. On your stewardship card you will have the opportunity to list all of those things, and be patient with us if you do. We're not very good at following up; we've yet to develop the system. By the way, that's true of every organization, too. People say, "How do you get involved?" And then you've got another group of people saying, "How do you involve people?" And they never meet together.
Then lastly, there is one thing that the parish council wanted to do today. This is last, but by no means least. We've talked over the years about the need to honor and recognize stewardship when it exists, and I think more than any sermon on stewardship, the living example of people stands out. Well, we have one person that the parish council wanted to really recognize today.
Joan Boersig has been around when did you first come to Holy Cross? When you were 55! [Laughter] Twenty four or twenty five years ago. The first summer Joan was here, she literally went and knocked on the door of every house in this neighborhood, inviting them to come to Holy Cross. Joan has been involved well, she has been the St. Vincent de Paul Society for many years, making home calls week after week to needy people; coming here at the office to answer the phone, to give out food vouchers and clothing vouchers every week; going to Horizon House every week to give out food and clothing vouchers there; I think just generally being an example to all of us for reaching out, for being concerned, and for going that extra mile to help people. So we wanted to give her a special recognition today, I think, as an example of stewardship for all of us to emulate. So Joan, would you want to say anything? [Applause]
Joan: Thank you so much, thank you.
[Applause]
[a moment of confusion avour standing or sitting] Well, we'll figure it out. I've only been doing this 40 years, and I still don't get it right all the time.
First, I want to talk about the Gospel. I just want to rattle your chain a little bit with the Gospel, and I want to be an “equal opportunity chain rattler.” So if the first one or two examples rattle your chain too much, know that I am going to rattle somebody else's chain, too, the other way.
Imagine that Jesus comes to town now, let your town boundaries be very broad imagine Jesus coming to town. Whose house will he stay at?
Well, for some of you, imagine this: Jesus comes to town, and he stays at Dick Cheney's house. Or for others, imagine this: Jesus comes to town and he stays at Bill Clinton's house.
Or Jesus comes to town and he stays at the house of the head of Planned Parenthood. Or Jesus comes to town and he stays at the house of somebody who is very active in the pro life movement.
Or Jesus comes to town, and imagine Cardinal George in Chicago seeing him stay with the president of Call To action or Voice of the Faithful; or imagine, if you're the president of Call to Action, that he stays with Cardinal George.
Or imagine he comes to Holy Cross, and we all want him to go home with us, and he says, "No thanks. I think I'll stay here at church.”
And we think, "That's nice. He wants to be at his Father's house." And we come in church, and to our horror, the word "beware" has been written on everything. It's been written on my microphone; it's been written on the altar; it's been written on the pulpit; and we wonder, "Why would he do that?" And we begin taking it to heart. Our preaching, our talk becomes much more reflective and aware of the limitations of our vision and certainties.
Well, I've tried to throw out several categories of judgment, because I want to ask the question, "What if none of those categories exists in God's eyes? What if they're all human inventions, or what if there is a fundamental identity underneath all of them that we all share?”
I think Jesus did that in the Gospel, with Zaccheus. He said, "This man, too, is a descendant of Abraham, and that identity cuts across all of your scribe and Pharisee and tax collector and sinner categories? What would be that identity today?
Now, the question about stewardship. I have several things I want to do today, so I just hope you'll be patient with me. Next Sunday I'll ask you to turn in your stewardship intention card. It will have 3 parts: The United Catholic Appeal to support the Archdiocese, your support for the parish, and your stewardship of time and talent.
About the Archdiocese, if you've already decided you want to give to that, wonderful. If you're one of those who are ambivalent about that, just a word. First of all, in every denomination, people are ambivalent about giving to the headquarters. Whether you're Catholic, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Methodist, Disciple of Christ, there is always tension between the local congregation and the denomination.
The second thing I want to say is, when I look at things organized by humans, there is nothing so good that everybody has to support it, and there is nothing so bad that nobody can support it. So, whatever it is, if it's organized by humans, if you're looking for a reason not to support it, you will succeed in finding one. And if you're looking for a reason to support it, you will succeed in finding one.
So, you all have your own priorities. I ask you only one thing, and that is the initial good will that would allow you to look with an open mind at some things that are worthy of your support. In my letter in the bulletin, I point out, too, the work of Catholic Charities, and I singled out in that Holy Family Shelter for the homeless, and the support of our inner city Catholic schools.
I remember when I came here almost 12 years ago, people were still smarting from the thought that the Archdiocese wanted to close our school. Not only has it not closed it, but it has really stepped up to the plate to support it. So I encourage you to join in stepping up to the plate.
About our parish and its needs, obviously we need to do a lot more than we're doing. I think what we do as a parish is not nearly enough. We don't do nearly enough for our youth, or religious education of young people, or of adults; we don't do nearly enough by way of outreach. But we don't have enough to support what we already do. So I just encourage you again to be open and to be generous.
And lastly, about our stewardship of time and talent, I want to do something that might look a little gimmicky, but bear with me. And I want to start with things outside the parish. How many of you are involved in some form of community service? Would you please stand?
How many of you are involved in the parish in St. Vincent de Paul Society and its many works? Would you stand? Oh, keep standing.
How many of you are involved in our liturgy functions, as a reader or musician or greeter or Eucharistic minister?
How many of you are involved in athletic programs for the young people? And if you're young people, stand. How many of you have some involvement with our school?
How many are involved in prolife activities? How many are involved in some form of religious education, RCIA? How many are involved in health ministry in any sense?
Help me now. I didn't make an exhaustive list. What am I leaving out?
How many are involved in selling raffle tickets? [laughter, applause]
What else? How many are involved in food baskets, the Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets? How many are involved in prison ministry?
Okay. How many come to Mass on Sunday? [laughter]
Well, thank you. On your stewardship card you will have the opportunity to list all of those things, and be patient with us if you do. We're not very good at following up; we've yet to develop the system. By the way, that's true of every organization, too. People say, "How do you get involved?" And then you've got another group of people saying, "How do you involve people?" And they never meet together.
Then lastly, there is one thing that the parish council wanted to do today. This is last, but by no means least. We've talked over the years about the need to honor and recognize stewardship when it exists, and I think more than any sermon on stewardship, the living example of people stands out. Well, we have one person that the parish council wanted to really recognize today.
Joan Boersig has been around when did you first come to Holy Cross? When you were 55! [Laughter] Twenty four or twenty five years ago. The first summer Joan was here, she literally went and knocked on the door of every house in this neighborhood, inviting them to come to Holy Cross. Joan has been involved well, she has been the St. Vincent de Paul Society for many years, making home calls week after week to needy people; coming here at the office to answer the phone, to give out food vouchers and clothing vouchers every week; going to Horizon House every week to give out food and clothing vouchers there; I think just generally being an example to all of us for reaching out, for being concerned, and for going that extra mile to help people. So we wanted to give her a special recognition today, I think, as an example of stewardship for all of us to emulate. So Joan, would you want to say anything? [Applause]
Joan: Thank you so much, thank you.
[Applause]
[a moment of confusion avour standing or sitting] Well, we'll figure it out. I've only been doing this 40 years, and I still don't get it right all the time.
Labels: Homilies
posted by Fr. Larry Voelker at
5:57 AM
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