For this week’s homily, please watch the video below.

September School

Our young people are going back to school this month of September.

What about those of us who are not going to school?

You are all learners, Jesus says in the gospel, and learning goes on all our life. Whether we know it or not, we’re in school, all our life. 

Our first reading today from the Book of Wisdom reminds us how little we know:

 “Scarce do we guess the things of earth and what is without our grasp we find with difficulty.” (Wisdom 9:13-18) There’s a lot we don’t know. And we are slow learners; we learn with difficulty.

“Teach us to number our days aright that we may gain wisdom of heart,”  our psalm today says. We’re learners all the days of our life and we’re looking for wisdom of heart. 

Wisdom of heart. Where will we find wisdom of heart?

Artificial intelligence is in the news these days. Will that give us all the answers we’re looking for? If you listen to our gospel today we’re going to need more than artificial intelligence to make our way through life.

Jesus speaks of fundamental human relationships in today’s gospel. ( Luke 14;25-33) Will artificial intelligence help us the solve how we handle the way we live together as human beings, in a family, in marriage, in the way we made choices in life? I don’t think so.

Will artificial intelligence be the answer to the crosses we carry in life? Sickness? Disappointment? Failure? Death? I don’t think so.

In today’s gospel Jesus speaks of a king marching into battle? Will artificial intelligence solve the wars that are multiplying in our world today? It may give us a more sophisticated arsenal. But will it help us bring peace and justice to the table? Will it take away greed and pride that so often cause our wars and our lack of care for the world we live in? 

Press a button and you will find it there? I don’t think so.

“Teach us to number our days aright that we may gain wisdom of heart,” we pray today.

For one thing, I wish we could make our Sundays our school through the year. Sunday is our Sabbath rest, which we inherit from our Jewish ancestors.

On the Sabbath God rested from the work of creation, the Book of Genesis says. And so should we. God saw creation as good, the Book of Genesis says, and so should we. The Sabbath rest invites us to turn from the regular cares that preoccupy us, turn from the television, the internet, the things that fascinate us, turn from the usual work that engages us, and be open to the presence of God, who is our Teacher and Savior. 

Jews and Catholics both follow the commandment of God “Keep holy the Sabbath Day.” Both of us see the Sabbath as the day God rested, and so should we. Our only difference is instead of Saturday, our Sabbath is Sunday, the day Jesus rose from the dead. Sunday was the day  Jesus revealed himself to his disciples. Sunday is still the day he reveals himself. 

 Jesus cured  on the Sabbath.  He raised people from the dead. On the Sabbath he told his disciples to eat lest they go hungry. Sunday should be a day of joy and replenishment.  The Jewish tradition says you always receive a gift on the Sabbath. We say the same thing, but we say  Jesus Christ is the gift we receive.  

He knows us as we are. We’re learners, slow learners. “Scarce do we guess the things of earth and what is without our grasp we find with difficulty.” He is always here as our Teacher and Savior to bless us. Sometimes it’s a bit of wisdom, sometimes it’s just the strength to go on. But he will always bless on our Sabbath, our Sunday, our Sunday School.  

Wouldn’t it be good to see our Sunday Mass, not something we have to go to, but a time to experience a gift of God?