God First, Others Second, I am Third

exerpt from Homily, August 1, 2004 (1st Reading: Eccl 1:2,2:21-23, 2nd Reading: Col 3:1-5,9-11, Gospel: Luke 12:13-31)
Pastor: Reverend Samuel L. Hose, Saint John Vianney Catholic Church, Round Rock, Texas

Let’s imagine for just a minute how that might work. Let’s start on the most basic level, the family. We hear a lot about family values from all sorts of sources. I think that what we are thinking about here today is at the very heart of family values just as it is at the very heart of societal and religious values. Let’s imagine just for a moment a family in which everyone lives according to (Gale)Sayers’ little motto, “I’m third.” That is to say each would always place God first, then each other second. A husband and father would say to his wife and children, “God is first in all things and you are an immediate second.” A wife and mother would say the same thing to her husband and children. And children would grow learning in all things that God is first and to place the good and well being, the needs of others before their own. Would that introduce some new dynamics in you family if everyone lived with each other in that way?

Now let’s extend that because Jesus told us to take care to avoid greed in all forms. That means in all aspects and times of our lives. What would this world be like if we all did this for each other. What if we responded out of this to children in need of decent education and health care? What if employers placed their employees before profit and the bottom line? What if all of us responded “God is first, you are second and I am third” to all who are sick, in prison, lonely or afraid. What would it be like if we practice that in every circumstance from traffic on the freeway to how we live our lives of faith? What changes would it bring about in our lives and in this world? Perhaps what would change would be this: selfishness would disappear. The world might move closer then to the image that God has for us—an image in which we all do live in peace with one another as brother and sister under God.

Love

Excerpt from “An address at the National Prayer Breakfast (Sponsored by theU.S. Senate and House of Representatives) February 3, 1994” presented by Mother Teresa

I can never forget the experience I had in visiting a home where they kept all these old parents of sons and daughters who had just put them into an institution and forgotten them - maybe. I saw that in that home these old people had everything - good food, comfortable place, television, everything, but everyone was looking toward the door. And I did not see a single one with a smile on the face. I turned to Sister and I asked: "Why do these people who have every comfort here, why are they all looking toward the door? Why are they not smiling?"

I am so used to seeing the smiles on our people, even the dying ones smile. And Sister said: "This is the way it is nearly everyday. They are expecting, they are hoping that a son or daughter will come to visit them. They are hurt because they are forgotten." And see, this neglect to love brings spiritual poverty. Maybe in our own family we have somebody who is feeling lonely, who is feeling sick, who is feeling worried. Are we there? Are we willing to give until it hurts in order to be with our families, or do we put our own interests first? These are the questions we must ask ourselves, especially as we begin this year of the family. We must remember that love begins at home and we must also remember that 'the future of humanity passes through the family.'

I was surprised in the West to see so many young boys and girls given to drugs. And I tried to find out why. Why is it like that, when those in the West have so many more things than those in the East? And the answer was: 'Because there is no one in the family to receive them.' Our children depend on us for everything - their health, their nutrition, their security, their coming to know and love God. For all of this, they look to us with trust, hope and expectation. But often father and mother are so busy they have no time for their children, or perhaps they are not even married or have given up on their marriage. So their children go to the streets and get involved in drugs or other things. We are talking of love of the child, which is where love and peace must begin. These are the things that break peace.