Homily for Jan 22, 2012
Deacon Guy Beck
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Once upon a time, there was a family planning their summer vacation. We can go to Ireland
(you may substitute Germany, Poland, or even Norway) for the summer, a mother and father
announced to their children at this time of the year not so long ago. The response was
underwhelming. The older teen said the Irish are creepy people, they talk all the time and they
talk funny. Besides I want to spend summer with my friends, they’re a lot neater than Irish kids.
It’s a great offer, the parents said. All the kids are free both on planes and in the cottage we’ll
rent in Ireland. Cottage said the younger teen. I don’t want to live in any cottage. Is it air-
conditioned in Ireland? Besides I have early football practice. You don’t need air conditioning
in Ireland, said the parents and the cottage is really a nice house and there is a town nearby
where they sing all the old Irish songs. I don’t want to sing Irish songs, said the older grammar
school kid. I want to hear rock and roll music (which, by the way is all you hear in Ireland these
days too). You’ll have a grand time when you get to know Irish kids your age. I don’t want to
meet any Irish kids my age said the younger. I like my friends in America. They’re a lot more
fun. A crazy waste of opportunity, you say? How many opportunities have we wasted in life for
reason that are pretty similar.
Mark's gospel is often referred to as the Kingdom gospel, because it flows from the initial
Kingdom proclamation found in today's reading. We, like the listeners in Galilee, are invited to
reform and believe. Immediately following this invitation, we have two examples of what the
invitation requires. The first fishermen immediately abandon their nets, and the sons of
Zebedee not only abandon their nets, they also abandon their father. Neither our possessions
nor our families must stand in the way of our following the path that will be set forth in the
remainder of Mark's gospel.
Deacon Guy Beck
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Once upon a time, there was a family planning their summer vacation. We can go to Ireland
(you may substitute Germany, Poland, or even Norway) for the summer, a mother and father
announced to their children at this time of the year not so long ago. The response was
underwhelming. The older teen said the Irish are creepy people, they talk all the time and they
talk funny. Besides I want to spend summer with my friends, they’re a lot neater than Irish kids.
It’s a great offer, the parents said. All the kids are free both on planes and in the cottage we’ll
rent in Ireland. Cottage said the younger teen. I don’t want to live in any cottage. Is it air-
conditioned in Ireland? Besides I have early football practice. You don’t need air conditioning
in Ireland, said the parents and the cottage is really a nice house and there is a town nearby
where they sing all the old Irish songs. I don’t want to sing Irish songs, said the older grammar
school kid. I want to hear rock and roll music (which, by the way is all you hear in Ireland these
days too). You’ll have a grand time when you get to know Irish kids your age. I don’t want to
meet any Irish kids my age said the younger. I like my friends in America. They’re a lot more
fun. A crazy waste of opportunity, you say? How many opportunities have we wasted in life for
reason that are pretty similar.
Mark's gospel is often referred to as the Kingdom gospel, because it flows from the initial
Kingdom proclamation found in today's reading. We, like the listeners in Galilee, are invited to
reform and believe. Immediately following this invitation, we have two examples of what the
invitation requires. The first fishermen immediately abandon their nets, and the sons of
Zebedee not only abandon their nets, they also abandon their father. Neither our possessions
nor our families must stand in the way of our following the path that will be set forth in the
remainder of Mark's gospel.