Flash and Hulk

Treating names with love and respect

Mark 3:13-19

Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles, that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons:

He appointed the Twelve: Simon, whom he named Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

            When I was in grade school, we used this little saying a lot.  We said: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.”  What do you think that means?  It means that if you call me a name that doesn’t hurt as much as hitting me with a stick or throwing a stone at me.  But is that true?  Does it hurt when someone calls you a name?  Of course it does, it hurts me, too.  And calling someone a name can hurt more than breaking their bones.  We should always be very careful with the names we call people.

            Sometimes, we can use nicknames in good humor and in fun.  You may know that Fr. Jason Sharbaugh, the pastor of St. Boniface Church, lives at the rectory with me.  He’s a good friend of mine, and we have nicknames for each other.  He calls me “Flash” because I like to run on the treadmill a lot, and I call him “Hulk” because he likes to lift weights a lot.  You don’t want to see him when he gets angry.  Sometimes, we sit around and wonder who’d win if Flash ever got into a fight with the Hulk.  How many of you think Flash would win?  How many of you think that Hulk would win?  Of course Flash would win!  Flash could punch Hulk in the nose and run away before Hulk knew who hit him!  But we should always use nicknames with love and respect, never as a way to hurt someone.  Our nicknames show that we are good friends.

             In the gospel today, Jesus calls his 12 apostles, and gives some of them nicknames.  Do you know how many apostles Jesus gave nicknames to?  Only to three of them: Simon, James and John.  What was Simon’s nickname?  It was Peter, which in Greek means “Rock.”  Jesus would build his Church on the rock of St. Peter.  Jesus gave Simon that nickname as a sign of his love for him.  What nickname did Jesus give to James and John?  They were called “Sons of Thunder” because of their impetuous personalities, and because Jesus loved them.  Jesus did not give nicknames to the other 9 apostles.  These three – Peter, James and John – would be Jesus’ very closest friends, and those nicknames were a sign of his love and affection for these three apostles.

            Boys and girls, the names we use for other people are precious and we should treat their names and nicknames like we’re holding gold in our hands.  For example, one way you show respect to adults is by calling them by their last name: “Mr. Mondier,” “Mrs. Frala,” “Mrs. Blentlinger,” “Fr. Antony.”  To call an adult by their first name is disrespectful and hurtful.  I sometimes mention people’s names in my homilies, but I always do something before I use their name.  Do you know what it is?  I ask their permission. A person’s name is precious and I should treat it like gold.  I asked Fr. Jason Sharbaugh if I could talk about him this morning before Mass started.  He said to tell you that Hulk would definitely beat Flash in a fight!  Always treat people’s names with love and affection, even their nicknames.

            “Sticks and stone may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.”  That’s a catchy grade school saying.  But it’s not true.

            Praised be Jesus Christ!