_{Holy Spirit Catholic Church
Homilies}

 _{Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time(c) 2010
 June 13, 2010}

George and Lois Woods live on a hill situated above a highway, just outside Palmer, Texas.  Next to their home they built a "Prayer Stop" for travelers.  It's simply a small A-frame chapel.  A walk curves up to it from the highway.  In the chapel is a log book for visitors.  As you page through it, you see names and comments of visitors from as far away as Africa.

One visitor wrote in the book:  "I came to the Prayer Stop a year ago with no car and no job.  Now things are much better.  I am leaving you some money."  Another visitor wrote that he had been drinking and was on his way to kill someone with whom he had gotten into an argument.  He saw the little chapel on the hill, stopped, spent time sitting in it, abandoned his plan and returned home.

The most frequent visitors to the Prayer Stop, says Lois Woods, are wives and mothers of convicts on their way to the state prison not far away.  But of all the people who have visited the chapel, George and Lois Woods will never forget one group in particular.

One evening they heard a deafening roar of engines.  Lois went to the window to see what was happening.  She was shocked at what she saw.  A gang of motorcyclists was driving single file up the walk that led from the highway to the chapel.  It was a frightening sight 

Some were wearing leather jackets and chains.  Most had scraggly beards and long hair.  Some had their hair knotted into ponytails with rubber bands.  George joined Lois at the window and said, "I'm not going out there.  It's in God's hands." 

As the couple looked on in fear, the gang members got off their cycles.  Several of them disappeared into the chapel; others just milled around outside, as though standing guard.

After about ten minutes, those who had gone inside came out again.  Then the cyclists did something totally unexpected.  They gathered around the cross in front of the chapel, joined hands together, bowed their heads, and remained in silence for a long time.  Finally, the cyclists set out again, down the walk, in single file, to the highway. 

George and Lois looked on in amazement.  They also looked on somewhat repentant.  They had found themselves jumping to conclusions about the motorcyclists, judging them by their outward appearance. 

That episode taught George and Lois what they already knew but needed to be reminded of again:  You can't jump to conclusions about people.  It reminded them of God's words in the First Book of Samuel:  "Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart." (1 Sam 16:7)

The story of George and Lois Woods and the motorcycle gang fits in beautifully with the story Simon and the woman in today's Gospel.  Just as George and Lois jumped to conclusions about the motorcycle gang, so Simon jumped to conclusions about the woman.

George and Lois prejudged the motorcycle gang and labeled them evil people.  Simon prejudged the woman and labeled her an evil person.  Worse yet, Simon even prejudged Jesus himself and labeled him a fraud for treating the woman so kindly, saying: "If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is . . . that she is a sinner."

All of us tend to do what George and Lois did.  We tend to do what Simon did.  We tend to jump to conclusions.  We tend to prejudge other . . . even those closest to us.  It is sinful and hurtful.  It is not what Jesus would do. 

Today's Gospel is an invitation to imitate Jesus.  It's an invitation to follow the teaching of Jesus, when he said: "Stop judging, that you may not be judged.  For as you judge, so will you be judged." (Mt 7:1-2)  Jesus also told us "If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done." (Mt 6:15)

God's incredible mercy is splashed all across the readings for today.  And this should be of great consolation to all of us, given our history and ability of prejudging and not being forgiving.  Our story in the First Reading is another one of those that shows some of the greatest in our rich tradition being capable of some of the most serious offenses against God.  David has been intimate with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his generals, Uriah.  She is carrying David's child.  Of course, what does David do?  He sees to it that Uriah is killed in battle.  Now that is pretty serious stuff.  And yet once Nathan shows him just how sinful it was, David recognizes his guilt and is sorry for it.  Nathan assures him that God forgives him.  Imagine that!  No conditions!  No scolding!  No, "How could you?"  Simply, "God has forgiven you."

The same with the sinful woman in our Gospel story from Luke.  Her tears say it all.  She is not proud of what she has done.  She knows she has sinned, and she is truly sorry.  The Lord doesn't ask for an explanation.  He doesn't want excuses or justifications.  He doesn't punish her or demand anything from her.  He forgives and frees her from the burden of guilt and sin that she was carrying.  Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven . . . your faith has saved you; go in peace."   Let us pray that one day we will hear Jesus say those same words to us!