Hi everyone – here’s my homily for the 32nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – November 11, 2012. The readings for today can be found at https://usccb.org/bible/readings/111112.cfm. Thanks as always for reading, sharing and your comments and feedback. God Bless – Fr. Jim
HOMILY:
It’s hard to believe that September 11th became a day of infamy over 11 years ago now. Maybe it’s because living in this area where the World Trade Center stood only 15 miles from here and we can see the construction of the “Freedom Tower” on the site where the Twin Towers stood from the porch of the Newman Center that there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about September 11th -the victims, the trials, the struggles of that horrific event.
But also remember the stories of greatness in the midst of such horror – stories of incredible heroism. Of the over 3,000 people who died that day – there were stories of ordinary men and women who ended up sacrificing their lives to help save others – some that we probably will never know of. There were stories of rescue workers – thousands of men and women from the Port Authority Police; the NYPD; the FDNY who were on scene the moment these terrifying events began – and many more who rushed down to the scene to try to save and rescue as many people as possible.
One story that has been highlighted is that of Firefighter Stephen Siller. Stephen was the youngest of 7 children, losing both his parents by the time he was 10 years old (and from that point on being raised by his siblings) the guy seemed to learn the importance of living life to its full. That phrase – “living life to the full” can be used in ways that are somewhat shallow – like a person who simply takes care of themselves and enjoys themselves. For Stephen, living life to the full meant having 5 kids of his own – working three jobs to support them, and still finding time to help at his own parish of Sacred Heart with their Youth Council, coaching their CYO 4th grade basketball team.
On September 11th 2001, he was looking forward to take advantage of the spectacular sunny day for a round of golf with his three brothers when he heard on his fire department scanner of the news of a plane hitting the World Trade Center. He called his wife to ask her to pass word to his brothers he would meet up with them later as he went to his fire house to meet up with his Squad who he assumed would be enroute to the scene. Arriving there to find they had already left, he grabbed his gear and started driving himself to the scene as far as the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, which at that point was closed to traffic for security reasons. Stephen grabbed his 60 lbs of gear and ran almost 3 miles to the World Trade Center site, where he would along with 342 of his brothers of the FDNY die that day.
His family took their grief, their pain but even more their love and admiration for their brother and have decided to follow in his footsteps. Literally. Every year since 2002, they’ve sponsored the “Tunnel to towers run” from the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the World Trade Center site as a “living memorial” to their brother and all those who’ve perished. That run has become an incredible fundraiser for the “Let us do good” foundation – a foundation his family created that they said also captures following Stephen’s footsteps of “doing good” by living selflessly, lovingly for others. The foundation has raised funds for burn centers in NY and as the run has grown and the foundation has grown, spread all across the nation.
What brought all of this to mind this past week, was listening to one of Stephen’s brothers as he was interviewed on a local television station. Usually you hear about the “Tunnel to towers” run and the “Let us do good” foundation in September, but in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the Siller family, all who still live in the area said “we have a whole network of volunteers across the nation” (I think the brother said 2500 volunteers) and that because they are volunteers, because the Siller family is still New Yorkers, they know what people need are able to send the word and attend to the needs without any bureacracy, without any red tape… Taking 100% of what they raise and getting that to the people who need it the most. This past week, caravans of their volunteers were coming from across the country into Staten Island with truckloads of supplies and more volunteers.
As horrible a day as 9/11 remains… as much as when you hear about Stephen, he sounds like the guy you want living next door to you, the beautiful thing to hear is how so many could hear his story – knew his story and decided to live as selflessly for others. Stephen Siller pouring his life out for others wasn’t a new thing, it was simply solidified as he made that final run on 9/11 to try to help others. And his example affected so many of those who knew and loved him they’re doing the same and you see how they are changing the world one needy person at a time.
That is what this beautiful Gospel story is about – offering something out of Love. And not just something – everything… This widow, this lady is as poor as poor can be. Her entire life savings basically amounts to one cent. And what does she do with that one cent? She gives it to the treasury (basically an offering to the temple) Logically, some might ask – What difference is that going to make to the temple? There are wealthy people making offerings of substantial amounts. Maybe one guy is a billionaire, and so he drops a million in the collection. That’s no small deal, is it? So what does this penny from the widow mean? Now instead of having 1 million dollars they have 1 million dollars and one cent… So what, now they can build that new temple? That one cent sealed the deal? Meanwhile, she’s can’t afford to do that… that’s all she has left… what’s she going to do now. Again, in our moments of rational thinking, we would argue it seems quite foolish and reckless for her to do such a thing.
But you know what – she didn’t ask us for our opinion. She didn’t ask to be noticed. This isn’t about her contribution being compared to another on some spread sheet. It’s simply her way of putting her money where her mouth and her life is… Because she’s come to the realization that the only thing that matters to her is God. Yes her husband has died, she’s lost a lot already. Yet, that didn’t make her bitter – it made her cling to the one thing – the ONLY thing she knew for certain she had in her life – which was God. And so, out of love for him, she offers all that she has. She gives the only thing she physically possesses – a seemingly insignificant amount of money.
Over the last 13 years of being a priest I’ve come to realize that many people have never experienced true love, so they don’t know how to offer it themselves. A guy hooks up with a girl for a night and they whisper “I love you”– that’s not Love. A parent makes outrageous, guilt ridden demands and says “If you love me you’ll do this” – that’s not Love either. And there are countless other stories or examples of destructive, or manipulative behavior that people have been told or led to believe is loving behavior and that is shockingly sad.
And for those who’ve gone through such experiences, all of what I’m talking about probably does seem unreal or like a fairy tale. The rational, reasonable arguments from the world saying “how foolish and reckless these people offering their entire selves out of love are”- suddenly seem valid.
For those who’ve gone through that or have been led to believe that, I can’t tell you how sorry I am. Because – the reality is my brothers and sisters, you can’t read the Gospels, you can’t read the scriptures and not walk away with an overwhelming, earth shattering revelation.: Jesus Christ loves us with this foolish, reckless love. God loves us like this. The creator of the Universe – who LOVED YOU AND ME INTO EXISTENCE. He keeps loving us by giving us His son Jesus Christ – by telling us we are to follow Him and His example – which is a life of complete self-emptying, giving up his life, giving up everything for you and for me.
That’s why he’s touched and moved when he sees the poor widow acting with that same foolish, reckless abandon. He sees that she gets it. That she’s been changed by the God who has so foolishly, recklessly loved her, – that she loves Him like that – by giving all that she has left to Him, knowing he won’t abandon her or let her faith be shown to be foolish or reckless.
Stephen Siller’s family and friends, as much as they mourn his loss, they have been forever changed by his loving example. Rather than simply staying in their grief and their pain, they have taken his example to change them into becoming even more generous, selfless.
What about us? I don’t think Jesus is putting to us a challenge — where he sends us home to “prove” whether we love him with that selfless, self-emptying, giving love for him tonight or not (and saying, if we do, we’ll empty your savings accounts to show that – anytime you hear a preacher recommending that, run away as fast as you can).
The Gospel is not about our bank accounts. It’s about our hearts. And that takes a lifetime for us to truly offer to Him. In order for that to happen, The challenge Jesus offers us is with the radical but fundamental, and essential starting point – do we actually believe that He loves us like that?
