Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J. delivers his sermon “Fill the Earth with Mercy” Sunday in the Amphitheater.
Column by Mary Lee Talbot
The Scripture reading for the 9:15 a.m. Monday morning worship service in the Amphitheater was from John 16:4–15. “I picked this Scripture (John 16:12) for one line in the reading: ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.’ We think this is going to be bad news, but what if it is good news?” Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ, said. His sermon title was “A Love That Keeps Us Sane.”
In the Hebrew Bible, God’s nickname for human beings is “you are my delight,” Boyle said. “I like the notion that sin — in Greek, ‘hamartia’ — means to miss the mark. We think that means we didn’t measure up, we are eternally disappointing. But what if ‘miss the mark’ is wonderful but we just can’t bear to hear it?”
The poet Hafiz wrote, “Ever since Happiness heard your name / It has been running through the streets / Trying to find you.” Boyle shared a story about Hector, who had relapsed from five years of sobriety but came back to Homeboy Industries and was sitting in the reception room. Stevie was at the desk and when he got up, Hector followed him, stopped him and said, “I have forgotten who I am; remind me.” Stevie said, “Hector, you are golden.”
Boyle said the words, “I still have many things to tell you, but you cannot bear them now,” are not a warning but a reminder, an invitation, pointing the way. One of the sayings on the Homeboy merchandise is “You are exactly what God had in mind when he made you.”
He continued, “At Homeboy, we don’t have a standard you have to meet to measure up. We are trying to align our hearts to the love that God gives us. It keeps us sane and connected.”
Nellie, who came to the United States in the Mariel boatlift in 1980, survived abuse and human trafficking. She came to see Boyle one day and said she had a dream. “In the dream, I was standing by myself at a party and God was there. He came over and invited me to dance. I said, ‘Me?’ and he said, ‘Yeah.’ We danced cheek to cheek and everyone was hating on me, asking ‘Why is God dancing with Nellie? People came over and tried to cut in, but God says, ‘I’m dancing with Nellie.’”
Boyle said, “What if God’s heaven is you? God just wants to dance cheek to cheek with you. God can’t take her eyes off you.”
Horacio had just gotten out of prison and called Boyle to tell him he wanted to see him. He told Boyle, “Let’s just cut to the cheese. I went to the apartment I shared with my old lady and a neighbor told me she had taken all my clothes and set them on fire. I guess she was mad at me.”
Boyle told Horacio he would pick him up at 6 and they would go shopping for clothes. Physically, he had changed from lifting weights in prison. He told Boyle, “When I saw you, I got all happy inside.”
Horacio “has a loud ass voice,” Boyle said. As they were standing in line to check out, Horacio saw a couple with a child. Horacio said to the man, “Do I know you?” The man and his wife looked very frightened and said no. Horacio said, “Oh, my bad,” and the couple relaxed. He turned to Boyle and asked, “Am I that scary looking?” Boyle said, “Yeah, pretty much.” Horacio said, “I am scared to be out.” Boyle told him to stay close to his heart and he would be OK.
At 3 a.m., Boyle got a phone call from Horacio. “When they call at that hour, they all ask, ‘Did I wake you?’” Boyle said. “I said, ‘Yeah’ and thought, ‘cut to the cheese.’” Horacio said, ‘You have been like a father to me, have I been your son?’” Boyle said, “Of course” and Horacio replied, “I thought so. You will be my father and I will be your son. Nothing can separate us. I love you. Good night.”
Boyle said, “The moral of the story is not that the father had a son, but that the son discovered he was a son worth having. You are my delight. I have more to tell you, but you cannot bear it. Happiness is running after you. We are anchored in love that will keep us sane if we remind each other that you are golden.”
Deborah First, a year-round Chautauquan, presided. Tony Muir, a retired attorney from Allentown, Pennsylvania, read the Scripture. Sonya Subbayya Sutton, interim director of Sacred Music, played “Jubilation on ‘Bunessan” by John G. Barr for the prelude on the Massey Memorial Organ. She directed the Motet Choir and accompanied them on the Massey Organ for the anthem, “(Rune of) Hospitality,” by William Witherup. For the postlude, she played “Finale on ‘Hyfrydol’” by Henry Coleman on the Massey Organ. Support for this week’s chaplaincy and preaching is made possible by the generous support of The Lois Raynow Department of Religion Fund and The Daney-Holden Chaplaincy Fund.
