Homily
5th Sunday of Lent
St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at the University of Kansas
24 March 2012
Daily Readings
With the KU/North Carolina game on today, it's a hard day to preach at KU about Jesus. Basketball is on the minds of almost everyone - a near religion. We reach today what we hope will be another epic game in the rich history of KU basketball, and this is perhaps the only year, with our last year playing Mizzou, that we have already played a game perhaps as big as the one today against North Carolina and Roy, for the trip to go to the Final Four. If you care at all about basketball, and it's hard not to get caught up in it around here, today's game is huge. Basketball is perhaps the only metaphor available for preaching, and not surprisingly, it's the one I'm taking.
Bill Self was asked yesterday if he had any trepidation of taking the job at Kansas with its unreasonable expectations and pressures, especially following Roy and all the games he won while at KU. Self answered confidently, saying that he hesitated for a moment, but had confidence in his abilities. He said the turning moment was a phone call to his dad, who told him that if he was scared to take the job, he wasn't the right man for the job. Bill Self could tell instantly that his dad was calling him soft, and telling him that the Kansas job was right because it was the biggest challenge. Almost to a person, we're all glad that Bill Self accepted the challenge, and we wish him well today in the epic battle. The funny thing is, even though we know he wants to win even more than we want him to, Bill Self seems ready. He seems relaxed. Not because he thinks it's just another game. He knows it's not. But because he's ready. He's confident.
Just like accepting the job, today's game is a game that you shouldn't play if you're scared to play it. KU fans worry too much. Even though we're spoiled beyond belief, we worry. We worry about what could go wrong. We've been both thrilled and burned by our team. Yet today's game is not a game to be scared of. It's the reason you are a Kansas fan, not simply to dominate lesser opponents, but for the chance to beat the best. If you're scared to play this game, you shouldn't play it.
We hear in today's Gospel that after conversing with his Father over and over in prayer, so that he may be intent on doing not his own will, but the will of the Father, Jesus receives a sign indicating that now is the time for the Son of Man to be lifted up and glorified, so that the Father may be glorified in Him. Through many years of prayer and preparation, being human like us and choosing to learn the Father's will in a most human way, Jesus had learned obedience from what he suffered. He sensed that now was the time of fulfillment, the time of consummation. Now was his time to give his life perfectly in obedience, to fulfill the mission and vocation for which he came into the world. Jesus was not scared of this moment; he relished it, because he had not shied away from the Father's will thus far. Our Lord says of this moment; unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains but a single grain. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.
When asked yesterday if he was going to do anything different in the North Carolina game because of North Carolina's instability at the point guard position, with perhaps Kendall Marshall playing injured or a freshman taking his spot, Tyshawn Taylor said that at this point in the season, he is what he is, and he plays how he plays. Bill Self said about as much. That at this late juncture, sure you can make adjustments and go over a scouting report, but that will not be as important as what the team has internalized throughout the season, not as important as the rules and discipline and principles that have come to define this Kansas team. We would love to hear intstead, that Bill has a trick or gimmick that he has been saving just for this game, but he told us the truth, that at this point, KU is what we are - a good but flawed basketball team. Self went on to joke that no rule or punishment will keep Thomas Robinson from trying to bring up the ball - he's going to make this mistake about every game. It is who he is. love him or leave him.
All of this might bring us to ask the question - who am I? What have I internalized? What am I scared of? What moment have I prepared for? Who have I become? The prophet Jeremiah foretells the kind of relationship with God in which he will write his laws internally on the hearts of his people, so that they do not have to be afraid of moments of opportunity and trepidation, but can rely not on external laws but on internal relationship to get them through the tough times. As we eat and drink the body and blood of the ultimate lawgiver and the fulfillment of the law, Jesus Himself today, may we be ready for Him to live out his perfections in us and with us and through us. Even more, may our internalizing of his paschal mystery, his story, help us not to be afraid to fall to the ground and to die, nor to follow Him more closely, but help us to be excited for the big game, the big moment for which we were made. May we realize that if we are too scared to play the game, we shouldn't play it. If we're scared, we haven't internalized what we were meant to eat and drink. Let us instead allow love to conquer fear again today in this Holy Eucharist, and as we internalize Jesus Himself, may we be excited that he chooses to live out his paschal mystery, and the perfect obedience that he learned through suffering, in us and with us and through us. Amen.
5th Sunday of Lent
St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at the University of Kansas
24 March 2012
Daily Readings
With the KU/North Carolina game on today, it's a hard day to preach at KU about Jesus. Basketball is on the minds of almost everyone - a near religion. We reach today what we hope will be another epic game in the rich history of KU basketball, and this is perhaps the only year, with our last year playing Mizzou, that we have already played a game perhaps as big as the one today against North Carolina and Roy, for the trip to go to the Final Four. If you care at all about basketball, and it's hard not to get caught up in it around here, today's game is huge. Basketball is perhaps the only metaphor available for preaching, and not surprisingly, it's the one I'm taking.
Bill Self was asked yesterday if he had any trepidation of taking the job at Kansas with its unreasonable expectations and pressures, especially following Roy and all the games he won while at KU. Self answered confidently, saying that he hesitated for a moment, but had confidence in his abilities. He said the turning moment was a phone call to his dad, who told him that if he was scared to take the job, he wasn't the right man for the job. Bill Self could tell instantly that his dad was calling him soft, and telling him that the Kansas job was right because it was the biggest challenge. Almost to a person, we're all glad that Bill Self accepted the challenge, and we wish him well today in the epic battle. The funny thing is, even though we know he wants to win even more than we want him to, Bill Self seems ready. He seems relaxed. Not because he thinks it's just another game. He knows it's not. But because he's ready. He's confident.
Just like accepting the job, today's game is a game that you shouldn't play if you're scared to play it. KU fans worry too much. Even though we're spoiled beyond belief, we worry. We worry about what could go wrong. We've been both thrilled and burned by our team. Yet today's game is not a game to be scared of. It's the reason you are a Kansas fan, not simply to dominate lesser opponents, but for the chance to beat the best. If you're scared to play this game, you shouldn't play it.
We hear in today's Gospel that after conversing with his Father over and over in prayer, so that he may be intent on doing not his own will, but the will of the Father, Jesus receives a sign indicating that now is the time for the Son of Man to be lifted up and glorified, so that the Father may be glorified in Him. Through many years of prayer and preparation, being human like us and choosing to learn the Father's will in a most human way, Jesus had learned obedience from what he suffered. He sensed that now was the time of fulfillment, the time of consummation. Now was his time to give his life perfectly in obedience, to fulfill the mission and vocation for which he came into the world. Jesus was not scared of this moment; he relished it, because he had not shied away from the Father's will thus far. Our Lord says of this moment; unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains but a single grain. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.
When asked yesterday if he was going to do anything different in the North Carolina game because of North Carolina's instability at the point guard position, with perhaps Kendall Marshall playing injured or a freshman taking his spot, Tyshawn Taylor said that at this point in the season, he is what he is, and he plays how he plays. Bill Self said about as much. That at this late juncture, sure you can make adjustments and go over a scouting report, but that will not be as important as what the team has internalized throughout the season, not as important as the rules and discipline and principles that have come to define this Kansas team. We would love to hear intstead, that Bill has a trick or gimmick that he has been saving just for this game, but he told us the truth, that at this point, KU is what we are - a good but flawed basketball team. Self went on to joke that no rule or punishment will keep Thomas Robinson from trying to bring up the ball - he's going to make this mistake about every game. It is who he is. love him or leave him.
All of this might bring us to ask the question - who am I? What have I internalized? What am I scared of? What moment have I prepared for? Who have I become? The prophet Jeremiah foretells the kind of relationship with God in which he will write his laws internally on the hearts of his people, so that they do not have to be afraid of moments of opportunity and trepidation, but can rely not on external laws but on internal relationship to get them through the tough times. As we eat and drink the body and blood of the ultimate lawgiver and the fulfillment of the law, Jesus Himself today, may we be ready for Him to live out his perfections in us and with us and through us. Even more, may our internalizing of his paschal mystery, his story, help us not to be afraid to fall to the ground and to die, nor to follow Him more closely, but help us to be excited for the big game, the big moment for which we were made. May we realize that if we are too scared to play the game, we shouldn't play it. If we're scared, we haven't internalized what we were meant to eat and drink. Let us instead allow love to conquer fear again today in this Holy Eucharist, and as we internalize Jesus Himself, may we be excited that he chooses to live out his paschal mystery, and the perfect obedience that he learned through suffering, in us and with us and through us. Amen.
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