Franciscan Memorial of Saint Louis of France

 Lectionary: 423

But Ruth said, "Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you!
For wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge,
your people shall be my people, and your God my God."

[Following is the text of my third sermon of the novena in preparation for the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. I use it today because it's built around the story of Ruth. I presented in in the Basilica of Our Lady of Consolation in Carey, Ohio on Tuesday, August 8, this year:] 

During this novena I am reflecting on Inspired women of the Bible – the Old and New Testaments, and what they tell us about Mary, the Mother of God. As Catholics have known forever, Mary leads us to Jesus who brings us before God his Father. As Saint Paul said, 

…when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, after he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. 

Ruth is one of the shortest books in the Bible. She is a Moabite who marries into a Jewish family of immigrants in her country of Moab, and lives with her husband’s family. When her father-in-law, her husband and brother-in-law die, her sister-in-law Oprah leaves but Ruth remains with Naomi, her mother-in-law. 

Although the old woman had told her to go back to her family, Ruth replies, 

Wherever you go I will go,

wherever you lodge I will lodge.

Your people shall be my people

and your God, my God.

Where you die I will die,

and there I will be buried.

In Naomi’s hometown of Bethlehem, she will marry Boaz, have children, and become King David’s grandmother. We remember Ruth for her affectionate loyalty to Naomi, and her willingness to be with her “wherever you go.” 

Perhaps you’ve heard it said, “Wherever you go, there you are!”

Sometimes people decide to restart their lives by going to a different place. When I was sent to Australia in 1980, I had decided I would not drink alcohol anymore. It wasn’t working for me and my drinking was causing me more and more trouble. In Australia, I would take the geographical cure. In a different place, I would become a different person and no one would know the difference. 

But, "Wherever you go, there you are." 

Between the airport in Melbourne and the new friary in Springvale, I had a beer and pizza. I was hungry; I was thirsty. Fortunately, two months later, after more humiliation, a long talk with my superior, and a lot of prayer, I quit. And haven’t had a drink since. 

Ruth went to a new place with Naomi; and because she was no stranger to Naomi, and very attached to her, she left her ego behind. She is like Mary in that way. Mary renounced her ego as she replied to the Angel: 

I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done to me according to your word. 

Perhaps you remember the prayer of Abraham the Patriarch, our Father in Faith. It’s a simple prayer, "Here I am." 

Abraham often said that prayer to the Lord, and we hear it many times in the Bible. (Samuel, Isaiah, Jesus, and others.) 

Especially, in the story of the Sacrifice of Isaac, we hear it three times. 

• First when God calls him and Abraham answers, “Here I am.” 
• And then, as the boy and the old man are climbing the mountain, Isaac says, “Father,” and Abraham replies, “Here I am, Son.” 
• And finally, as he is about to stab his beloved and only son to death, God calls, “Abraham! Abraham!”. And he says again, “Here I am.”

In that moment of terrible emotion, as he has determined to do what God demands, he can still say, “Here I am! I am yours.”

This is a prayer we must say first of all to God, and then to others as the Lord directs us. Here I am. It means I am available, open, eager, able, ready. I have no agenda, nothing I need to do, or say, or accomplish. I don’t need to prove myself, my virtue, talent, or ability.

But I bring my virtue, talent and ability and they are available to you. The prayer means, I will love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Here I am. 

We remember Mary’s availability when she said “I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done to me according to your word.”  

At the Angel’s command she went to Jerusalem to celebrate with Elizabeth the birth of John the Baptist. 

• She went with Joseph to Bethlehem, to have her baby in a barn. 
• She went with Joseph to Egypt, and then to Nazareth, her hometown. 
• She went with Jesus repeatedly to Jerusalem.
• She went with Jesus to Calvary. 
• She remained with the disciples in Jerusalem. 
• She goes to heaven ahead of us. 
• And she goes wherever the Lord sends her to Guadalupe, Lourdes, Fatima, Knock, or Carey Ohio. 
• She can be very persistent when she obeys the Lord, as she said to Juan Diego in Mexico, “Am I not your mother? Here I am!” 

In the Spirit of Ruth and Mary, we leave our egos behind and play as a team. Here are my abilities, my talents, my time, and my energy. They’re all limited but available. I have only so much time, energy, and talent, but here they are. 

For instance, if you’re a patient in the hospital, you’re the captain of the team and you say, “This is what I need! Please help me.” And the nurse might say, “When you need to get up, call me!” They don’t want you to fall; it only makes matters worse. And so you play team, and you call the nurse when you need to get up. 

And as a team player, you say thank you. 

Everything is gift. We don’t believe we’re entitled to anything. We take nothing and no one for granted. 

Let’s speak of the opposite of this prayer: I am told the most popular song at funerals is a recording of Frank Sinatra, “I did it my way.”  Isn’t that the saddest, most pathetic thing you’ve ever heard? Many of our neighbors are really sick people; they believe that freedom is doing things their way! 

The Ego says, “Here’s what I must have.” or “Here is the way it ought to be done.” Here is how you should talk, eat, work, pray, think, and feel. 

Some priests will change the Mass! Here’s how the Church should pray, they say. When you attend their mass, you think you need to go back to church and attend a real mass! 

Egos arrive as saviors, as God’s gifts to the family, the Church, the company, the volunteer service. They take charge as if they’re god. They rearrange your life so that you’ll know they are there. They say, “I am somebody and you must deal with me! 

I will be the center of your life. Not God! Not Jesus! Me! 

When we come to the Lord we leave the ego behind us. Wherever you go, Jesus. I will go. Wherever you live, Mary, I will live. Your church shall be my church, and your God will be my God. 

When we get to know Ruth, the grandmother of King David, she leads us to Mary, who takes us to Jesus. Remember what Jesus said,

“You know that egos who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great egos make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.

For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

And Saint Paul urged us to 

“Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus,

Who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.

Rather, he emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave

coming in human likeness;

and found human in appearance,

he humbled himself,

becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.

And Saint Paul also wrote, 

In Christ shall all be brought to life in their proper order: 

Christ the firstfruits; 

then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; 

then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. 

The last enemy to be destroyed is death…

When everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.

No one lives for himself, and no one dies for himself. Whether we live or die. We are the Lord’s. 

When we come to the Lord we leave the ego behind us. Wherever you go, Jesus. I will go. Mary, wherever you live, I will live. Your church shall be my church, and your God will be my God. 

God bless you,