October 29, 2023 (30th Sunday in Ordinary Time)

“Love Leaps”

by Deacon John Kerrigan

[This is the text composed by the homilist prior to delivering the homily.]

About 10 years ago, the Kerrigan clan, my wife, three children and I, took a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. One day, we splurged and hired a little “putt-putt” boat to show us some of the more remote parts of the island.

We were brought to one spot where you can get out of the boat, swim to the lava rock, and climb to a high diving spot. Deluding myself into thinking I was still in my 20s, I decided to give it a try. I found myself climbing a lava “wall” up to a launch spot about 150 feet above the water, roughly from those beams above us. My two daughters, young teenagers at the time, encouraged me all the way, “Go daddy, go!”

Reaching the diving spot and surveying the scene, I hesitated. What if it didn’t jump out far enough, and tumbled down on the jagged rocks below? I’d be Shredded Wheat. What if I got a concussion from landing in the water the wrong way? But behind me I heard, “Go, Daddy, go.”

And by virtue of the fact that I’m here with you today, you can infer that all went well. It was a blast.

Why do I share my memorable swan dive experience? Mainly, to create an image around the word: “LEAP.” L-E-A-P. In reflecting on today’s Gospel passage, I thought it might be helpful to occasionally substitute the word “leap” for the word “love.”

I fear we have diluted the word love, often stripping it of its rich and evocative meaning. The word love is applied very loosely, from “loving a dessert” to “love your hairstyle,” or emoji’d as the heart-hand symbol. As a result, the deeper notion of love can lose its staying power. So, leap may be a helpful synonym for love.

That’s because the deeper meaning of love is more than a feeling or something that arises out of our enjoyment. When love “leaps,” there is action, effort, discipline, even transformation.

Considering today’s Gospel, what might it mean to leap for the Lord your God, — with all your heart, soul and mind — and leap in service to your neighbor?

Our Gospel passage is one of the shortest we will hear on a Sunday. It’s beautiful, aspirational, AND a little short on details. However, any vagueness to the message of love for the Lord your God and serving your neighbor disappears when it’s paired with our first reading from Exodus. The words in that passage are anything but vague. They might be summarized as: “How you treat the poor is how you treat God.” Not much ambiguity there.

We heard proclaimed, “Do not oppress the alien,” a.k.a. the foreigner, the immigrant, the stranger; nor shall you harm the spiritually, physically or materially poor of this world. Who are these modern-day aliens? Homeless people, immigrants from Central America, Ukrainians, sub-Saharan Africans, Palestinians.

Did you know that right now there are roughly 50 million people in transit from one land to another? Tens of millions of “aliens.” Oh, and by the way, recall that WE are historically a nation of refugees from oppression!

I am not suggesting that nations cannot have borders and enforce them. I am saying that you and I need to put our hearts, minds and souls to work, to have them leap into action, to seriously address the causes and challenges associated with immigration. Equally important, we are commanded to treat the immigrants among us here and now – real time – as we would ourselves. Isn’t this what Jesus did, when he leapt to the needs of the poor of his day? As Paul writes in his letter to the Thessalonians, imitate the Lord.

Allow me to suggest three takeaways from today’s passages for your reflection, and perhaps even for identifying your way of leaping into action this coming week.

LEAP # 1: We cannot come to the aid of our neighbors and the poor in a meaningful, sustainable way if that love is not sourced and replenished in an abiding love for God. Through prayer, our hearts become cyclical – love of God making possible and deepening our love of others – and love of neighbor putting skin and bone and blood and tears on our love of God.

LEAP # 2: Here is a shocking statistic: antisemitic incidents in the United States have risen nearly 400% in the past month, with similar spikes in the United Kingdom, Germany and elsewhere. The Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7 in Israel that killed and injured 5,000 people, have sparked furious reactions among many groups. On some campuses nationwide, indeed even a few hundred yards away from us right now, we have seen demonstrations, heard chants, and observed signs that express hatred of the Jewish nation-state, and hatred of the Jewish people.

What constructive steps might you and I take to help address antisemitic? Perhaps we could start with something simple: inquire of your Jewish friends, classmates and residence hall-mates about how they and their families are doing. Then, just patiently listen. With my Jewish friends, I’ve expressed how difficult it is for me to fully appreciate what they’re going through, but that I stand in solidarity with them in combating resurgent hatred of the Jewish people today.

Were the topic here not the sin of antisemitism, but another interreligious matter, I would unabashedly and at great length proclaim similar sentiments of solidarity, say with our Muslim brothers and sisters, as well as with members of other faith traditions.

As well, may we pray along with Pope Francis, “for all those who suffer”, and in hope that “a path to peace” in the Middle East may be found.

And as for those “moral equivalence” and “settler colonialism” claims we have heard made from certain corners, in my view, they are absolute nonsense.

And LEAP # 3: “Turn over a new leaf.” A few weeks ago, I introduced myself to a young woman here at Mass. When she identified herself as a member the Stanford senior class, I remarked that I was sorry we had not met sooner here at the Catholic Community. She responded that she had just begun attending Mass for the first time in her college career this fall quarter, that she was, (quote) “turning over a new leaf.”

How much of a nudge would it take to get a friend to join you here at Mass, or at a talk, or to attend another activity taking place here at the Catholic community?

Saint Ignatius famously said, and others have echoed the sentiment, that, “Love ought to manifest itself in deeds rather than in words.” As we approach the table of the Lord, may this Eucharist, this “thanksgiving,” prompt our whole being to “leap:” one-on-one with God in prayer, in affirmations of our Jewish brothers and sisters-and those of other faith traditions, and in our invitations to others to share in the riches of our Christian community.

If nothing else, recall this: Love leaps.