Homily for the Seventh Sunday of Easter May 12, 2024

A farmer once took two stubborn mules and tied them together by a 20-foot rope. Two bales of hay lay on the ground, one at either end of the field. The animals kept straining and tugging against each other, trying to get to the bale of hay nearest it. Finally, they both collapsed and died of starvation.

Some days, when I look at the mood of our world, I feel that stubbornness has taken over! Gradually, over the past several years, positions have hardened. There was a time, for instance, when Ronald Regan and Tip O’Neil, members of opposing political parties, could fight about just about everything, but still have a beer together at the end of the day.

There was a time when Ted Kennedy and John McCain, again members of opposing parties, could sponsor bills together when they saw the needs of the people.

Now, we know that we’re all different. We’ve been blessed with many gifts and abilities. We certainly don’t all see things in the same way. But it’s as if the very air we breathe these days has become poisoned with diametrically opposed views that pull us in totally opposite directions. And as a result, we take extreme positions, seeing everything as black and white, with no possibility of compromise.

When asked to identify the greatest commandment, Jesus said that it was love: love of God above all, and love of neighbor as oneself. When Jesus was preparing to take leave of this world, he summarized everything by teaching, “I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you.” And in today’s gospel Jesus prays, “Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. ” In other words, the one thing that we are forbidden to do is hate.

Oh, we can hate injustice when we see it. We can despise poverty. We can protest against prejudice. We can loathe the forces in our world that make children go to bed hungry. But we respond to these challenges with a desire for justice and peace, and the passion of love—not with poisonous speech or venomous hate.

Let me conclude with a story of motherly love as we celebrate Mother’s Day…

The harried young woman was beside herself when the telephone rang, and she heard with relief the kindly voice on the line, “Hi, sweetheart. How are you?”

“Oh mother,” she said, breaking into tears, “it’s been an awful day. The baby won’t eat, the dishwasher broke down. I tripped up the stairs and sprained my ankle. I haven’t had a chance to go shopping and the house is a mess. And, to top it off, we’re having company over for dinner tonight.”

“There, there, darling, everything will be all right,” the soothing voice on the line said. “Now, sit down, relax and close your eyes. I’ll be over in a half hour. I’ll pick up a few things on the way over and cook dinner for you. I’ll take care of the house and feed the baby. Also, I’ll call a repairman I know who will be at your house to fix the washer this afternoon. I’ll take care of everything. In fact, I’ll even call George at the office and tell him to come home early.”

“George” the distraught housewife exclaimed. “Who’s George?” “Why, George… you know, George, your husband!”

“But my husband’s name is Frank.”

A brief pause ensued, then the voice hesitantly asked, “Excuse me, is this 555-1758?” A tearful reply said, “No, this is 555-17 8 8.”

“Oh my, what a dreadful mistake,” apologized the embarrassed voice on the phone. “I’m so terribly sorry. I must have dialed the wrong number.”

Another brief pause before the would-be daughter asked, “Does this mean you’re not coming over?”

That’s the kind of compassionate love, with a bit of humor, that our world desperately needs. Happy Mother’s Day!