The Closing Homily: Backstory

Yes!
There is a bit of a "backstory" to the homily on the occasion of the closing of the Oxford Dominican Motherhouse.
That backstory seems to begin when I got the official date for the closing Mass.
Almost immediately I checked the Lectionary to see what the readings  assigned for that date would be.
I saw and I gasped.
Matthew 5: 17 - 37.
When I told Sr. Shela (Superior) she suggested that, maybe, I could change the readings.
And to that suggestion I said, "No."
Then came the meeting a couple of weeks before the Closing Mass. The liturgy planning team gathered and in their working read the Scriptures assigned for the day. Shortly after the meeting, I got a phone call from Sr. Shela.
They had a chance to read the Scriptures.
We need to change them!
You were right. They are terrible.
Change them
Again my response was a "No."
Often enough in the days leading up to this moment the suggestion was being made from different sources, change the readings!
We will keep these readings. We will use these readings. So I insisted.
And why was I being so adamant? Stubborn?
Well, I am a liturgist. I have a Masters in Liturgical Theology.
During our studies, one of the principles set out for us was something like this:
Never try to tell God what to say.
That is telling God what you want to hear.
Instead of that, let God tell you what you need to hear.
In other words, don't pick and choose the Scriptures based on what you want.
It is easy to pick what you want, what seems most appropriate, what seems to fit.
That is making the Word of God say what you want to hear.
Instead of that, just use what is given, what is assigned.
Let God speak to you.
And believe that God is saying what you need to hear.
So, with that principle having been solidly imbedded in me, I insisted that the Scriptures of the day be our readings for the Closing of the Oxford Motherhouse.
And one other item comes to mind that also verifies my insistence in retaining the Scriptures of the day.
This is an actual event from my own history.
Some years ago the Apostolic Delegate to the United States, the Pope's personal representative, was in Detroit for some doing.
As it turned out I was walking down a corridor at Sacred Heart Seminary and the Delegate was walking together with Cardinal Szoka right behind me.
Cardinal Szoka realized who was there in front of them.
He raised his voice just loud enough for me to hear. He wanted me to hear.
And he said to the Apostolic Delegate, "He's a liturgist!"
The Cardinal went on, "Do you know the difference between a liturgist and a terrorist?"
A moment of silence.
Then it came.
The Cardinal explained, "At least with a terrorist you have a chance to negotiate!"
And trust me, Cardinal Szoka was speaking from experience!
And so as our source of inspiration, as our experience of the Gospel Good News, on the day of the Closing of the Dominican Motherhouse in Oxford, we heard the words of Jesus telling us that anger, even harbored deep within our hearts was as evil as murder, lustful looking was as evil as adultery, and an offensive eye should be "torn out," and an offensive limb should be "cut off."
With words such as those we were trying to hear what God had to say to us!


More tomorrow  . . .