Rev. Thomas B. Curran
President of Rockhurst University
Homily for the Baccalaureate Liturgy at Rockhurst University
May 13, 2011
The first steps of a child create considerable excitement within a family . There’s cheering for the toddler through the wobbling and stumbling. And when the child falls, there is strong encouragement to get back up.
It’s the beginning of a message that will be repeated often: you are to get up and start walking. You are encouraged to avoid falling, but if you do, you are to get back up and start walking again. This message is so embedded in us that you never forget it. It’s ironic, then, that in twilight of one’s life, one of the greatest fears is of stumbling and falling.
However, I contend that falls can offer us some great opportunities. In many cases, falls define us as much if not more than the times we are walking tall or sitting high in the saddle, so to speak.
Today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles provides us with a story of a famous fall and how it redefined a life. I am referring to Paul. Actually, the story begins with Paul being identified as Saul. He’s on his way to Damascus. He’s intent on discovering followers of Jesus. He plans to place them in chains and bring them back to Jerusalem. Before he is able to arrest any Christians, however, he is struck by a flash of light and falls to the ground. He’s blinded and needs to be assisted.
The story then introduces us to Ananias. He is instructed to visit this fallen traveler.
Ananias does just this. He visits the ailing Paul, prays over him and then anoints him.
The scales fall from Saul’s eyes. He recovers; he changes his name from Saul to Paul and becomes one of the most famous followers of Jesus Christ.
The fall has been described and depicted for close to two thousand years. Hundreds of artists have depicted Paul falling from a horse. (I t’s interesting how there is no mention of a horse anywhere in the story. I sometimes wonder if the horse is added simply to make the fall more dramatic. After all, we are talking about someone whose fall changes his focus from persecuting Christians to increasing their ranks.
We can leave the inclusion or absence of a horse for a later discussion).
But there is no denying that the fall of Paul and what follows (his discernment) is one of the most dramatic turnarounds in history. I think it is safe to say that Paul’s falling would define him and for that reason his fall is worth considering. In fact, I think the story is so compelling that it could prompt any or all of us to consider the falls that come to each of us.
It is a fact that falls happen. They might define or even change a life. Nonetheless, on commencement weekend, you would hope, that I would provide an uplifting and optimistic message instead of focusing upon falling in life. After all, commencement messages, traditionally, are about walking tall, avoiding the
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temptations to stumble and trying never to fall. Maybe so, but I still think there is great merit in reflecting upon the falls of life.
Falling just might be an opportunity or even be considered a gift.
Falling is rarely pleasant. When a fall occurs, it might result in a scraped knee, broken bones, a bruised ego, and quite possibly public embarrassment. Shouldn’t falls be avoided at all costs? I am not suggesting that one should intentionally fall but there is no denying that they do happen. And they can be both physically and emotionally painful.
Over the last few months, I have been particularly impressed with the people of
Japan and the countrywide response to what has happened to their nation. The earthquake and resultant tsunami, the nuclear catastrophe and multiple fatalities could explain despair among the Japanese people. However, there has been a resoluteness and determination in this devastated nation. How can this be?
Recently, I discovered a Japanese proverb which might explain the determination the world has witnessed: Nana Korobi ya Oki.
Translated, it means [F] all down seven, get up eight . It has prompted me to consider whether or not this should be a response to all the falls of life.
After all, falling will happen. Some say it ’s inevitable since the day we took our first steps. Falling may be brought on by a foolish act. It might even be allowed by the hand of God. So, what of it?
Falling can, in fact, be considered as a gift or as an opportunity. It can help define us. I think this was the case with Paul. His fall left him blind and helpless. It prompted a discernment which had him asking himself questions. What happened?
What did I learn from this experience (fall)? What do I do with what I have learned? I think it’s a mistake to simply move on from the fall without sufficient reflection and discernment. Fall down seven, get up eight.
That advice is admirable, but what did the seven falls show me?
T.S. Eliot, the poet, gives some advice that I find more in keeping with our Jesuit core value of reflection and discernment. He says, “How unfortunate to have had the experience but to have missed the meaning.” (Third of The Four Quartets).
A fall is an experience that, if ignored, can only be described as a lost opportunity for reflection. What took place? What did I learn? These questions could bring me into a life-changing direction. At a minimum, the experience invites me to reflect before getting back up on my feet: What happened? What did I learn?
Throughout life, we are asked to pick heroes and try to emulate their example. At
Rockhurst University, we refer to such guides or examples as mentors. Working with such mentors is considered part of the path to success.
May I suggest that when you find someone whom you truly admire and wish to mentor you, go ask them this question: When did you fall? How deep was the embarrassment? Are there scars? What have you done with your falls?
How has it defined your life?
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My belief is that the story of Paul’s trip to Damascus is that we should not be afraid to fall. We may not be planning on falling. Paul certainly was not. He was intent on persecuting the followers of Christ. As a result of a fall, he entered into a discernment which transformed him into a believer and ardent follower.
When we fall as toddler, parents are often there to attend to the hurt and to encourage us to get up. As adults, the falls might be cushioned by the arms of another such as Ananias was for Paul. I am convinced that all of these loving embraces can be seen as the arms of a God who surrounds us each time we stumble and fall. Keep in mind that God never called us in this life to be successful.
He did, however, call us to be faithful . (Mother Teresa). If success comes, we embrace it and give thanks to God for sending it our way. God is more interested in us remaining faithful. Recall the words of the Gospel (Matthew): “Well done, good and faithful servant.” In essence, God wants us to know that he is always with us in the successes and falls of life.
[I believe this was the case for St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Society of
Jesus and the primary patron of Rockhurst University. He, like Paul, was intent on a particular task that brought him into battle. He never expected to be struck by a cannonball in a battle near Pamplona. His extended recovery brought him into a discernment that would transform his life. He discovered that reflection upon God brought him much greater consolation than the one he sought as a warrior. In many respects, he allowed the fall to lead him towards a path that neither he nor anyone who knew him could have predicted.]
I believe that the consideration of a fall as an opportunity for transformation also became the realization of Pedro Arrupe, SJ. He was the former superior general of the Society of Jesuits and the successor to Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the
Jesuits. He expressed the experience in terms of falling in love, that is, in love with
God:
“Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in a love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the mornings, what you will do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. So, fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.
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Readings:
Acts 9, 1-20
John 6, 52-59
Thomas B. Curran, OSFS
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