Hi everyone – here’s my homily for the FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – February 8, 2009 – the readings can be found at https://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/020809.shtml – Thanks for reading and your feedback! God Bless- Fr Jim
Just a few weeks ago, people throughout the NY tri-state area stopped their everyday routines and tuned into radio or television reports about a plane that had been flying “dangerously low” and that appeared to “crash” somewhere along the Hudson River. For some, their thoughts went back to September 11th, 2001, fearing that this could be the start of another terrorist attack.
When that concern proving to be unfounded, people turned their thoughts and prayers to those on board this plane, assuming the worst – imagining that there might be numerous fatalities and serious injuries. Yet as time passed, the reality and the facts began to be pieced together. This Airbus heading for North Carolina had been in the air just a few minutes when it’s engines hit a bunch of Canadian geese (geez those Canadians!). Both engines failed as a result and the pilot somehow was able to navigate the plane, filled with passengers, fuel, at one of the busiest times of day in the city (afternoon rush-hour) safely into the Hudson River. All 150 passengers survived with a few minor injuries. If I remember correctly, only a few needed to stay in a hospital for just a few hours.
It was more than just a remarkable feat. It was utterly unbelievable. Can anyone recall hearing a story about a major plane like this having a “crash landing” where everyone was able to survive the ordeal?
Within minutes the pilot of the plane was being called a hero, for good reason. Colleagues began appearing on TV and radio shows explaining just how incredible the save Captain “Sully” made really was. Co-workers and passengers admired his grace under pressure, how he very simply said, “Brace for impact,” as he landed the plane. Mayor Bloomberg expressed the emotions of so many as he extended his gratitude for the actions of this pilot averting a potentially devastating tragedy, which threatened not only the lives of those on board, but countless others on the ground.
At a special “welcome home” reception with over 3,000 of hi s local townspeople on hand to greet him, Sully said he appreciated the support, “But I know I can speak for the entire crew when I tell you we were simply doing the job we were trained to do.” His wife echoed that humble sentiment, revealing that this latest “American hero” is the “man who makes her a cup of tea every morning.”
It doesn’t seem to compute with us – that someone at the center of something so extraordinary could be so ordinary. Could be so normal. And the more we seem fascinated by the events of that day – the more Captain Sully seems to be at a loss to explain it , or to understand our being so caught up by his “simply doing the job [he] was trained to do.” Shouldn’t he be landing book deals, be on a Wheaties box, or maybe guest hosting SNL (with a skit where he’s sued by the Canadian geese’s families?)
Everyone has good days, bad days… sometimes we might have a lot of challenges to face – sometimes a day can be boring because it’s so routine. This started out as a bad day for Captain Sully and his crew, in terms of the circumstances around him. Crashing into birds, having his engines die, the reality that his next decisions would determine whether people lived or died is – yeah, that’s a rather stressful day. And because he made the right decisions, the right calls, he’s applauded as a hero. Yet in a way, his humility comes from his belief that he simply did his job the best he could on a really bad day – and he’s immensely grateful that things went the way they did – that everyone worked together, that the emergency response was as terrific (and fast) as it was – that everyone made it home safe that night.
So while we continue to be fascinated and want to know more and more about this man -as an eager and hungry media continues to pursue him more and more for every possible detail -Captain Sully seems content to repeat over and over he was just doing the job he was trained to do.
We find Jesus in a similar situation in today’s Gospel. Over the last 5 Sundays, we’ve been kind of slow readers. We’ve only delved into the first 40 verses in the first Chapter of Mark. But a lot has happened already. People who have been possessed by demons are being set free by Jesus’ word. His preaching has gained incredible attention, not simply by the words being said – but the authority with which those words were given. Miraculous healings restoring people’s health and well-being are occurring with more and more frequency (especially as word of what Jesus is doing keeps spreading).
In today’s Gospel, you have to read between the lines, though, to see what’s going on. There’s this sense from those around Jesus that they want him to realize that, “Now’s the time to strike, Jesus!” If this was happening in 2009, you could imagine a political consultant coming in to advise Jesus; “With your popularity soaring, your poll numbers through the roof – now’s the time to ‘get it done.’”
These first disciples are a bit proud – after all they were the first ones to follow him… they were right after all! They’re thinking – yeah, here’s the Messiah – here’s the one who’ll show Rome who’s boss. Here’s the one who’s going to settle the score for us against anyone who’s ever oppressed us, enslaved us, mistreated us. That’s what’s going on when they go looking for him and say, “everyone is looking for you.”
But Jesus knows what he needs to do. He’s not listening to the voices of his “advisors” around him. The only voice he listens to is the voice of His Father. Prayer is the secret to Jesus’ life. He knew where he was supposed to go, what he was to say, what he was to do, from his life of prayer with his father. So, in this gospel passage, Jesus was in prayer when the first disciples came to him to make their case that he ratchet this Messiah thing up. And what does he say to them?
Jesus kind of dismisses their excitement. He realizes that he’s simply doing what he’s been trained to do. He basically tells them to come on, let’s get back to work – we have other towns, other villages, other people who need to hear my word, receive my healing, be freed from the demons torturing them. God’s will for the Messiah is going to far exceed any pre-conceived notion that these men (or anyone else) ever had.
That’s the difficult challenge though for each of us too. It’s incredibly normal as human beings for us to crave adulation, admiration, attention for whatever it is we do. Yet those things are incredibly fleeting. Jesus’ poll numbers will not hold, and the people who search for Jesus will waiver in the not too distant figure and be members of the crowd screaming “Crucify Him.”
No matter what it is that God has put us on this earth to accomplish, if we look for that fame or appreciation from those around us, we will be disappointed because inevitably it will wane (Ask Michael Phelps how quickly the world turns on you when you make one mistake). More times than not, we might feel connected to Job’s words in the first reading, where he talks about life being a drudgery.
But Jesus shows us that we need to have our hearts, and souls and lives focused solely on what God’s will is for us. If we pray – keeping Him in our hearts, doing His will, and following His call as the goal of what we most desire – God’s kingdom will continue to spread – long after the adoring crowds disappear.
