18th Sunday Homily - There is so much more...

A long time ago, in a parish far far away, I received an emergency call. Someone was dying and they wanted “last rites”. That phrase “last rites” as opposed to “anointing” alerted me that this was probably someone who was a bit older and had not learned the change in vocabulary. I also did not recognize the name, as they lived out in Stagecoach and I was in Fernley. So I drove there, knocked on the door, and was greeted by the wife, probably late 60’s. It was her husband who was dying, not immediately, but was nonetheless. He too was in his late 60’s. He was awake and alert, so I engaged in a little conversation. Asking them if they went to St. Ann’s in Dayton. “No…” he said. “I was baptized Catholic, but never really went to church. I just know I am supposed to get this when I die.” So I sighed inwardly, and then did the “magic” act, because I knew from experience they would not know the prayers or responses. I tried to do a little explanation of this, but... Then afterwards I left.

A long time ago, in a seminary far far away, I talked with my spiritual director. New to the seminary and also a “late” vocation, aged 31, one question I had, “Why did God call me so late?” His answer, God’s time is different from ours, and I probably was not ready. I was not ready.

One more story… a long time ago, in a home far far away. My grandmother gave my father a Christmas card. He said thank you, but he did not open it. He was either distracted with us as children, or whatever. He found that card later, about one year later, still unopened. He finally did so and found a nice bit of money in it.

Life is good. Life is meant to be lived to the full. Life is rich. Yet, when presented with opportunities to grow and participate in life, do we take them? Are we open to them?

I know we can get a lot of critique as Catholics. There are a lot of stereotypes about us and what people assume we are about; and even ourselves who are Catholic have misconceptions and stereotypes, a la “Catholic Guilt”. That is just it, stereotypes. And people buy into them. It is frustrating and it is sad. It keeps people from going deeper, from understanding a richness.  We as Catholics can also think too minimally…”I have to do this is this or that… get the sacraments, say a rosary, get to mass at least once a week, do my Easter duty.”

There is a richness in our Catholic tradition: in how we approach Jesus Christ; in our understanding of 

God; how people are to be valued; and how life is meant to be lived. It is a richness that too few experience or sometimes are not invited to experience.  Either we are unprepared for it. Or we have never been exposed to it, or we simply put it away, ignorant of the gift inside. Or we simply do not care, all we want is what we want.

In Hebrew Scripture language, the number “40” signifies completion, or fulfillment. The Hebrews wandered the desert for 40 years. This is not literally, but means they wandered until they were ready; until their understanding of God was where God needed them to be at. We get this wonderful scene that happens early on in their formation as the people of God. The former slaves complain; they want to go back to their slavery because at least their captors gave them food. God needs to get them away from this. God wants them to trust more. God gives them a different food. A food that would remain with them until they leave the desert.

Jesus chides the people. Their immediate needs were taken care of, and that is all they want. It is too superficial. He wants them to want so much more. Jesus wants them to experience God the Father as he has, and in doing so experience a Freedom, a life that will exceed what they have known in the past.

St. Paul experienced this change of life. He found a richness in Christ that transformed him. He shared this with others, hoping that they too would want this same experience. They did, but they did not alway appreciate the gift given them, and would only go so deep. We can read his exhortation to the Ephesians to engage in the faith.

One of the most profound moments in my life was during therapy for depression. The first year was exhausting. I was unconsciously resistant to my therapist, because my old patterns were so ingrained. The second year something clicked. It was spiritual for me because what Jesus said in scripture about “Your Faith has saved you.” hit me. Salvation was a present experience and it was not just a future reality. It was about life in the full, and I began to understand that what I was being drawn into was how to be more engaged in living; which depression was not allowing me to do. What I had learned, what I had taken in all began to click, and through grace I saw what God was trying to do with me, where God wanted me; how God desired to heal.

We as church, the institution, do not always do the best jobs in demonstrating the richness, nor do we always live it. I admit that. We clergy don’t always understand ourselves, nor are willing to take people on that journey. We think all we have to do, and sometimes are taught that way, is the bare minimum...baptize you, confirm you, marry you, anoint you, bury you.

Yet, it is there. A rich faith in Christ, a rich life in Christ is here for all of us. It has to be pursued by each of us. It has to be offered by each of us to others. We also need to take personal responsibility and seek out.

The Anointing of the Sick is beautiful. It reminds us that God is present to us always, even in the moment of Death. It reminds us that Love persists beyond physical death. It celebrates that we live in communion, and there is more. I celebrated it this past week for a woman dying, and her daughter and granddaughter were there responding, caressing her, guiding her to this process.

Even our Holy Communion..the start is our belief that the Father, through the Holy Spirit makes the bread and wine the resurrected person of Jesus Christ.  There is much more to it that builds on this.

God truly wants us to be alive, as God lives. God invites us to this. God desires this in us. The Universe calls out to us to do this.

There is more to life than a bit of oil on our heads as we die. The time is always now, the gift is always there. Open it.