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This COVID thing is something. It is asking a lot from all us. But remember, the Greatest Generation which includes many of your parents or grandparents were called to war. You are being called to physical distancing. You can do this.
It’s tough. Early on in this pandemic, I heard of someone who was all confused about going out to stores. He said, “They told me that a mask is all that I need to wear. They lied. Everyone else had clothes on.” Yikes.
Or another person said that with all this frequent washing of hands, “I have absorbed so much soap and disinfectant that when I need to do my duty in the bathroom. It cleans the toilet.” Amazing.
Well, some of you find the gospel story amazing. For Jesus doesn’t seem very welcoming and sounds almost mean to this needy woman. Well you must remember that the setting is with and for Jewish people, and Jesus perpetuates a message . . . that God’s plan was first to be announced to the people of Israel (the Jews, who have been prepared and were waiting for this Messiah), then AFTER they accept this Good News, they would become the light for all people on earth and spread the message to non-Jews. (Like this Canaanite woman). And Canaanite woman means that she is from the area of north of Jerusalem. These people didn’t believe in the God of the Old Testament.
Still Jesus does not want to talk with her and in effect says that she is like a dog (which would be common reference from Jews to pagans, because pagans didn’t know the law of God). But here’s the main point to take away from the story: the woman is persistent; she shows up and good things happen.
So just as our Greatest Generation folks showed up to do their duty to serve the country, we all are called to show up and do what we can to fight this COVID disease. Like I mentioned in a homily a few weeks ago, one person described it, “I feel like a kindergartner who keeps losing more recess time because one or two kids can’t follow directions.”
So what can we do? I say . . . SHOW UP. And of course that is going to mean something different in different situations. For example, we can’t show up to a Twin’s Game (but we can still cheer for them), some of you students won’t be attending classes in person in the fall (but show up to your distance learning classes), some of you can’t visit that elderly family member in person (but show up with a phone call or mailing a letter), some of you can’t attend Masses in person on weekend (but do make a commitment to attend regularly on line or try out a Daily Mass). Incidentally, we will offer Mass outdoors on Sundays when we celebrate here in Princeton for the rest of this month and for September.
But here’s the big one it’s really the main point that I want to present to all you today and one of the major take-aways from the gospel. With your relationship with God . . . show up. It’s as simple as that.
Daily, our task (and invitation) is to commit to a time every day to be with God. Doesn’t have to be a huge amount of time, but it can be. Doesn’t have to be only one way, or technique, for there are countless ways to connect with God. The important thing is to commit to showing up with God, every day.
The only failure in prayer is stop praying. Use it as a time to think about what has happened or seek God’s advice about things that are to happen. Perhaps use the direction prayer that I talked about in my homily on July 26th.
But the main element is simply to be present with God. Mother Teresa says that we speak to God in the fullness of our heart. God speaks to us in the silence of our hearts.
For myself, there are times when prayer seems effortless, and times when it doesn’t. There are days when I seem to get a clear message and times when I don’t. There are people who want their prayer time to “feel good” and they get discouraged when it doesn’t feel good . . . and they think they are doing it wrong. Prayer isn’t about feelings.
Don’t treat prayer like an aspirin, something you go for when you are not feeling well. So here is your challenge, for a week set a time each day to check in with God. That is, set a regular time. But it could be as simple as during a shower or as you are driving to work. My best time is first thing in the morning, with my coffee, in my favorite prayer chair.
The important thing is to just show up. It’s not what we are doing. It’s about what God is doing in us, through us and with us . . . when we show up.