\u00c2\u00a0 March 12, 2009<\/p>\n
Once a year I like to visit my son in Seattle.\u00c2\u00a0 And in the 5 or so years I have done that, I can’t remember a single time I wasn’t approached by a homeless person on the streets of Seattle.\u00c2\u00a0 It is usually close to the waterfront, shortly after I have dined in a fine seafood restaurant.\u00c2\u00a0 And so, this gospel reading often comes to mind.\u00c2\u00a0 The homeless person always shakes me out of a sense of contentment.\u00c2\u00a0 I have just reached my destination- ready for a nice vacation, and good times with my son and his family.\u00c2\u00a0 Aren’t I entitled to a fine meal while I am on vacation without having to be accosted by these people on the street?\u00c2\u00a0 Why are these people always there- every year?\u00c2\u00a0 And how is it they always seem to know who the visitors are?\u00c2\u00a0 Why can’t they just go away?\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
One way of looking at it is that I have worked hard for my retirement.\u00c2\u00a0 Indeed, I worked for 40 years, saved, and was able to retire.\u00c2\u00a0 Now, I am entitled to a life of relative leisure, especially when I am on vacation.\u00c2\u00a0 Or am I.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jeremiah says “Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in the flesh…”\u00c2\u00a0 And if I set my agenda, if I am always in control, then isn’t that seeking strength in the flesh?\u00c2\u00a0 So, maybe there is another way to look at it.\u00c2\u00a0 And that is that I have been truly blessed by God.\u00c2\u00a0 I was fortunate to have been able to work 40 years and earned a safe retirement.\u00c2\u00a0 But the challenge of life does not end with attainment of success, or for that matter even with retirement.\u00c2\u00a0 Rather, the challenge of life continues, no matter what your status in life is.\u00c2\u00a0 That challenge is to trust in the Lord, as Jeremiah advises rather than in yourself.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
When you are approached by a homeless person on the street, begging for food, you have some options.\u00c2\u00a0 You can ignore him, and just walk away; or you can listen patiently to his plight, and then admonish him to get a job like you did; or you can give him some money; or you can take him somewhere and buy him a meal\u00c2\u00a0 The question is:\u00c2\u00a0 What will you do?\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00c2\u00a0 March 12, 2009 Homily Thursday of Second Week of Lent Jer 17: 5-10; Lk 16: 19-31 Dc. Larry Brockman Once a year I like to visit my son in Seattle.\u00c2\u00a0 And in the 5 or so years I have done that, I can’t remember a single time I wasn’t approached by a homeless person […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=49"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=49"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=49"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=49"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}