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_{Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 1, 2007}

Most all of us have great memories of the old movie classic, "The Wizard of Oz."  The Wizard of Oz is about a young girl who lives in Kansas.  One day, in a dream, she is carried off to a strange land by a tornado.

At first she enjoys exploring the new land.  But then the excitement wears off, and she gets homesick for Kansas and her family.  She asks for directions on how to get back.  But the people tell her that only the wizard knows the way back.  "How can I find the wizard?" she asks.  The people tell her, "Follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City. There you will find the wizard living in a magic castle."

 And so Dorothy sets off down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City.  On her way she meets a scarecrow.  He’s depressed because he has no brains and can’t think.  Dorothy suggests that he come with her.  “Surely the wizard will give you brains’” she says.  The scarecrow is delighted and sets off with her down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City.

Soon they meet a tin man.  He's depressed because he has no heart and can’t love.  "Come along with us," says Dorothy.  "Surely the wizard will give you a heart!"  So he joins Dorothy and the scarecrow.

Soon the three travelers meet a lion.  He's depressed because he has no courage and can't be as brave as lions ought to be.  The travelers suggest that he join them.  The lion is delighted, and they all set off together.  After a difficult journey, they arrive at the Emerald City.  They find the magic castle and go in to see the wizard. 

Then comes the big disappointment.  The wizard won't grant their requests until they capture the magic broomstick of a wicked witch and bring it to him.

To make a long story short, in the process of capturing the broomstick, the scarecrow discovers…to his surprise…that he does have brains and can think.  The tin man discovers…to his surprise…that he does have a heart and can love.  And the lion discovers…to his surprise…that he does have courage and can be brave.  The wise old wizard had merely helped each of Dorothy’s three friends discover what they already had.  And this is the connection between "The Wizard of Oz" and the story of Jesus in today's Gospel.

What the wizard does for Dorothy's three friends is similar to what Jesus does for the three people who want to follow him.  Jesus helps them discover that they have the ability to follow him.  What they lack, however, is the motivation and determination to do it.  It is not their number one priority.

In one of his essays, Ralph Waldo Emerson writes: "Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can."  It was this service that the wizard performed for Dorothy's three friends.  And it was this service that Jesus performed for the three people who wanted to follow him.

The wizard showed Dorothy's three friends that they had the ability to do what they wanted to do.  Their problem was that they lacked the motivation to do it.  Likewise, Jesus made it clear that the three people who wanted to follow him had the ability to do it.  What they lacked was the motivation to make it their number one priority in life.

And this brings us to the application of today's gospel to our own personal lives.  What the wizard did and Jesus did, we must also do for others.  In the words of Emerson, we must help them do what they are capable of doing.  Concretely, what does this mean?

          Simply put, it means we must help one another do what we are capable of doing.  We must encourage and support one another!

          And let me say something important here that we tend to forget.  Children are not the only ones who need encouragement and support.  We all do…not only the 6-year olds, but also the 36, 66, and 96-year-olds.  Many times the older ones need it more than the 6-year olds and often men need it more than the women.

          What author Jane Lindstrom said of children can be said about adults as well.  She said, and I quote:  "Children crave spoken assurance of love and approval.  Love locked in our hearts doesn't reach them; it is like a letter written and not sent.  If they are to become emotionally secure, they must hear us say:  I love you.  I'm glad that you are here.  A soft voice, friendly eyes, and gentle words will convey the message even to a baby."  We must help one another to do what we are capable of doing!  We must encourage and support one another!

          And this is the message that Jesus wants us to make a part of our lives; that he wants us to carry into our homes and into our world.  This is the message that we celebrate in this liturgy.

          Let me close with this reflection by Stephen Grellet.  It sums up what I have been trying to say:  "I shall pass through life but once.  Any good, therefore, that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now.  Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."