Bone Spurs

Cherishing bones in spiritual and natural bodies

11/28/2019

1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Brothers and sisters: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Today on Thanksgiving I feel deep gratitude for all of you, my parishioners, my spiritual family. I am especially thankful for all the parishioners with whom I have crossed swords, those with whom I have disagreed and not always gotten along, because you have taught me that I don’t know everything and have helped me to be a better pastor and priest. Like a sort of “whetstone,” you have sharpened me so I can continue the good fight of faith. I am grateful to the parishioners who like me, but also for the ones who don’t like me, because each and every one of you is an instrument of God’s grace making ma a sharper and smarter priest. Thank you, to all of you.

That reminds me of the advice an older priest gave me when I became a rookie pastor, a first-time pastor. He suggested that the people in your parish are like the bones of a human body. Some people are like the jawbones because they love to talk a lot, spread gossip and start rumors. Other people will be like the butt bones and do nothing but sit around a lot. You cannot count on them to help you. And finally you will find the people who are the backbones of the parish. The backbones are usually the last people you meet but just like in the human body, the backbones hold up the whole parish.

Nonetheless, over twenty years as a pastor, I have learned to appreciate not only the backbones, but also the jawbones and even the butt bones in every parish. Why? Well, the human body needs all its bones because God has created each bone for a special purpose, and today I am grateful for each and every bone that forms the Body of Christ here at Immaculate Conception Church.

The second reading today is taken from the beginning of St. Paul’s magnificent first letter to the Corinthians. Notice how he begins with a note of gratitude, saying: “I gave thanks to my God always on your account.” Now, was St. Paul grateful only because the Corinthians were perfect little saints, all of them the backbones of the Body of Christ? Hardly. He levels very strong criticisms of their behavior in chapter 10 and 11 about the divisions they cause when they sit down for the Eucharist.

Then in the following chapter, however, he beautifully describes how each Christian form part of the Body of Christ – the hand, the feet, the arms, and the legs – in chapter 12, just like that wise pastor taught me. In other words, St. Paul was not only glad and grateful for the people he got along with, but for all the Corinthians, even the jaw bones and the butt bones. By the way, if you want to hear about a really heated disagreement he had, read Galatians 2:11-14, and how he crossed swords with St. Peter. Why was Paul thankful for all? Well, because each and every person is essential for the full functioning and flourishing of the Body of Christ.

My friends, as you sit around the Thanksgiving table today, bear in mind the advice that wise pastor once gave me: people are like the bones of a human body. That analogy is true not only for spiritual families, like our parish, but also for natural families, like in your home. As you pass the turkey and dressing and ask for seconds on the apple pie, try to figure out which family members are the jawbones, the butt bones, and the backbones. Sometimes I play a little game in mind and count how many there are of each kind of bones. And usually first place is shared by the jawbones and the butt bones.

The real trick of Thanksgiving, indeed, the real trick of Christianity, is to feel gratitude for all the bones that make up the body of your family, just like each Christian makes up the Body of Christ with Jesus as the Head. This Thanksgiving, try to be especially glad and grateful for those with whom you don’t get along so well, with those you disagree and fight with, those who get under your skin, and those with whom you cross swords, like Peter and Paul. Why? Well, because somehow they make you a sharper and smarter person, and you should say thank you.

By the way, do you know when we will finally feel gratitude for all the bones of our spiritual and natural families? It is when people die and pass from this world to the next. Have you noticed how easy it is to say something good about someone after they die? The English word “eulogy” is a compound of two Greek words meaning “good” and word,” a eulogy is a good word about someone. This Thanksgiving try to utter a good word about all the members of your family, especially the jawbones and the butt bones. Why? Without them the Body of Christ cannot function and flourish. And you cannot either.

Praised be Jesus Christ!