READ THE HOMILY:
In my former parish, one morning I woke up to discover that someone had entered my house during the night and stolen my TV set (and the remote). Not only was I mad about it, it was also eerie to think that someone was in my home while I was sleeping. And to make it worse, the back door had no door handle on it (for it was being repaired) and the evening of the robbery I hosted a reception in my house for Groom’s Dinner, so the thief was probably someone who was at my house, saw the door and came at night. Gee, I felt betrayed that is was probably someone that I knew and trusted. In a small way, just like Jesus must have felt toward Judas.
But more so, I felt the entire “energy” of my home was disrupted. You see, a home should feel safe and comforting [Wave my hands in a clock-wise motion.] But when something happens like a robbery, or a huge fight, or even something awful like a suicide . . . the energy is mixed up [Wave my hands in a counter clock-wise motion.] And things just don’t feel right.
Now, this is weird . . . for I wasn’t harmed, there was no damage to the house, I had the finances to replace the TV . . . but the energy (or flow of goodness) was messed up. So what did I do? Well the police were no help in retrieving the TV, just as I assumed. I eventually bought a new TV. But more importantly . . . I needed to “bless my house” and set the energy back to a good flow [Wave my hands clock-wise] for me to feel safe again.
We are all probably feeling a broken energy lately with the COVID 19 epidemic. [Wave hands counter clock-wise] Even if we are not personally sick or know someone was is sick with the virus, the entire flow is messed up. That is, this is NOT how life should be in mid-April. There should be regular school, the Twins should be dominating the Division again, and we should go to restaurants and movies theaters. There should not be so much fear, isolation or lack of trust.
Sometimes, upsetting the flow is intentional. Like Jesus did in the gospel when he washes the feet of his disciples. If anything, they should be washing his feet. You see, it was the “lesser one,” usually a servant, who would do such menial things. Foot washing was common in the time of Jesus. There was no paved roads or sidewalks, instead it was only dirt paths or dirt roads. So with people wearing sandals, when entering a house it was customary to have one’s feet cleaned up.
Jesus messes with the flow. He even dresses the part by taking off his garments and putting a towel around his waist (to look like a servant). The entire thing would have felt like a disruption to the flow of the disciples thought of Jesus. That is of him being in charge, the leader, the teacher, the Messiah, the Savior.
And then comes the most important line of the whole gospel (it was at the end John 13:15) “so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” None of us like this messed up energy from the COVID 19, but maybe we are invited to look at life differently. Maybe we are to enter into a messy world so that we become messed up. For example . . .
-not take work or school for-granted
-realize how important human interaction and human touch is
-appreciate the role of institutions to make decisions and give help to those in need
-stop doubting the importance of science
-realize that maybe our ways of receiving accurate news and information is NOT from
Facebook, Tweets, YouTube, Memes or Cable networks. Start using reliable sources.
-to get off our couches and GO MAKE A DIFFERENCE . . .
call someone who is elderly,
write a letter,
make a donation (like to the church, so that we can be
generous to those who are hurting)
-realize how little you actually can get by with
-go and be different . . . find things to be grateful for
(instead of only complaining),
make your bed, tidy up the house
(it will improve your spirits),
be nicer to people that you live with
(for as you have figured out,
you can drive them crazy)
-embrace how valuable attending Mass and receiving the Eucharist actually is
-and when the world around you feels messed up . . .
offer blessings,
give compliments,
and thank others and God for what you have.
“So that as I have done for you, you should also do.”