Homilies

 

Eileen Gannon, OP
131st Foundation Day, May 5, 2007

Years ago, my father recorded his voice; I don’t remember the reason. But I remembered this as I was preparing to preach on this Foundation Day, the day our congregation celebrates our very existence.

When my father heard his voice, he immediately apologized to my mother. He was surprised that the tone of his voice was so much stronger, perhaps harsher than he had ever meant. He meant softer, and he was concerned that my mother would have heard differently

I always thought strong, perhaps harsh when I heard Jesus’ words to Philip: “Have I been with you all this time, Philip and you still do not know me?” I understood the tone to be one of rebuke.

The time frame of today’s reading is at the Last Supper right after Judas has left the group.  It is often called the Last Discourse.  Some scripture scholars tell us that while it occurs prior to the death of Jesus, it was meant to be a last testament and delivered to the disciples after the resurrection. It would remind the disciples that in spite of all that had occurred, there was work to be done, a mission to be accomplished and they, the disciples would not be abandoned.

In that context the words sound different to me. They are part of a number of words that Jesus spoke to his disciples following his death, and resurrection.

These are not public moments; these are conversations among friends. The theme is always one of peace. We hear an earlier verse before today’s reading “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” A few weeks ago, we heard, other words, this time to Thomas and once again, the words are gentle as Jesus leads Thomas to belief.  Just two weeks ago, it was words spoken to Peter, Peter, who was asked three times. “Do you love me?” Three times so he could know that his denial was forgiven.

Jesus keeps asking his disciples to believe in him, to believe that he and the Father are one, and to remind them that if they have trouble believing in him, at least believe in the “works themselves.”

We have been reading to the Acts of the Apostles these past weeks.  The disciples are filled with spirit; they are afire with their mission and in spite of all kinds of difficulties and obstacles: imprisonment, mockery, jealousy; they keep on going. Today we hear that when persecution drove them out of the region, they shook the dust off their feet and filled with joy and the Holy Sprit went someplace else. They know the truth of their message, their mission.  I can’t imagine that it was easy, but they know the presence of God in their lives. These are the followers who will speak the truth, who rejoice because they were considered worthy of suffering dishonor.

These Easter readings are a sign of hope a promise of a better tomorrow. We too live in a time when a new heaven and a new earth looks good; each day we are overwhelmed with stories of sadness, loss, tragedy: another bomb in Baghdad, a wall separating religious groups, a wall separating people coming into our country because they have no opportunities in their land, the tragic death of 33 people in Virginia and the lonely sadness of their families and friends. We are invited to a new vision, one in which there will be a new heaven and a new earth, a vision of Jesus’ care for everyone and everything.

And this is the mission of which Jesus speaks, to care, to tend, to feed, to believe in the capacity of all to be good, to love one’s neighbor, to believe that all of life images God. And we hear “the one who believes in me will also do the works I do and will do greater than these because I am going to the Father.”

What might this be saying to us today, we who celebrate an anniversary, who remind ourselves of the mission of our congregation, the mission of Jesus?

Take a minute and look around this chapel - really, look around.  Every once in awhile when we are gathered, I do this.  Look around.

Because of you, because of our congregation young women and men are educated; sick people are cared for with dignity and compassion; homeless people are welcomed home; elderly people are respected and loved. The mission of our congregation is lived here in Dominican Convent and in each of our sponsored works and in the works of other organizations where we work

We speak Truth: to our country, to our state, to our church and to each other

We care about Iraq; we support the rights of immigrants, we sign letters supporting people like us, our parents, grandparents who came to this country seeking better, we seek justice for those who are trafficked, we care for earth, we pray for peace  and we are trying to do better.

Maybe none of this is enough; maybe we are not all we can be, but we are more than we imagine, and if we listen to today’s words, we will keep on trying. We have been invited, just like the disciples to trust, to believe.  And we will know the presence of God in the works we do, and in our conversations about our present and our future.

We can be people who, like the disciples, in the first reading, are filled with joy and enthusiasm.  And as importantly, we are people who believe in a new heaven and a new earth, a people who do know that our God is a God encouraging, challenging, reminding with words not heard harshly, like my father was afraid his words were, but heard with a conviction that they are offered with love and promise.