Homilist Rev. Anthony G. Scannell, Capuchin

You may wonder why we didn’t use the Mass for the evangelization of peoples/spread of the gospel for our opening Liturgy today.  After all, that’s what we are about as communicators.  But today’s Scriptures seemed more appropriate. Not so much the beautiful reading from Ephesians, praying that we “might be strengthened with power through his Spirit…and that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith,”  but especially the gospel of Luke.  This gospel for the day – strange as it may sound, seems to me more appropriate for who we are, and for the times we live in, a time of real divisions and little peace.

Look at the divisions: we prepare for elections in a dead-heat divided country; we are divided over the War, over same-sex marriages, over Communion to certain politicians, over respect for the life of the unborn, over how a Catholic can vote ….to mention just a few issues.

And there is little Peace on earth; rather the war on terrorism keeps widening as the terrorists get more daring or desperate (Chechnya) on a global scale.

And it is no less true among those who call themselves Christian, as the followings of the two presidential candidates shows: a far right and a far left and a (un)distributed middle.  Even in some churches as the Anglican/Episcopal Church here in Los Angeles, there are conflicts: divided parishes and dioceses about gay bishops and gay marriages and the interpretation of the Bible.  I know these could happen in our own Roman Catholic Church as well, with our own divisions about closing or merging parishes and other issues.

So it is some pretty picture as we gather here in Los Angeles to be inspired to continue our work in Catholic Communications, with the theme: Who Do You Say That I Am: Renewing the Image of the Catholic Church in America!

            And to discuss what the members of the Academy and invited guests can do to once again share the Good News and promote the multitude of good works that are done in communities across our country and the world each day.

Well, we did get a start on that already today.  But there was something else Jesus said in this same gospel that struck me.  It was his tension, his stress – perhaps even his overeager zeal and anxiety.  “I have come to light a fire on the earth.  How I wish the blaze were ignited!  I have a baptism to receive.  What anguish I feel until it is over!”

            What kind of a fire; what kind of a baptism: the red baptism of his death? (Mark 10:38), or the fiery baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Does he then see the results of that fire, of that baptism: that it will bring division and not peace?  How are these two related?  And how does that affect us, gathered here 2,000 years later

Those strong images of casting fire, of anxiety until the baptism takes place, are warnings from the prophet Jesus that it is time for decision.  Decision, and division.  There is no other way.  And strangely true: there is no other way to Peace!  That’s the way it’s always been.

I have been coming to these meetings for over thirty years, from the days at the Galt Ocean Mile hotel where we squeezed in a few days at the end of NABS-WACC (and if you don’t know what it means, don’t worry: that organization is soon holding its last get-together.)  We were discussing then whether the Catholic Broadcasters Association should join Unda as “Unda-USA.”  Within a few years we were too big to append to NABS-WACC, so there was a division between mother and daughter.  It pained some, but led to new life. 

Within our organization we had our own divisions: friendly ones like Diocesan Directors, Syndicators of Radio and TV, the Catholic Television Network.  We united around a new venture: the National Catholic Television Network of America (CTNA), which caused some divisions, fathers against sons.  But it is no more.  We formed a national effort to provide programming for dioceses:  Real to Reel.  It caused some divisions, but was successful for many years; but now, with a few exceptions, has passed.   The Syndicators (ACTRS) in time dwindled and generated The Catholic Television Producers to create programming for the Hallmark Channel, which had been the Faith and Values Channel, which had been the Odyssey Network, which had been the Vision Network….   There has been constant change.

Nationally, as a church, we worked to bridge our divisions on “A Vision All Can Share” years ago.  Then, later and after much consultation, we formed a National Communications Plan.  Despite some divisions, we had established a Catholic Communications Campaign, which still engages us.

While our church moved toward a united communications vision, from Inter Mirifica forty years ago, to the expansive Communio et Progressio with its theological breadth thirty years ago, to Aetatis Novae and its vision of the marketplace, spanning St. Paul to John Paul over ten years ago, our technology was moving through the divisions of network and cable and satellite and analog to the unity of computer and Internet and digital and wireless.

On the international level, we tried to reverse the process of divisions and wanted to unite: unite the organizations of Broadcasting and Cinema, Unda and OCIC.  Some of us were involved in painful divisions about that about 20 years ago, until that became a reality internationally with the birth of SIGNIS.  And we in the United States adopted a new name, the Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals, not without some division of voices – but now accepted.  After 30 years, the culture has changed so much, we are bruised from the battles, we are grimacing from the shame of scandals.  Are we ready to make those words of Jesus our own: We have come to cast fire upon the earth, and how we wish it were already blazing!  There is a baptism with which we must be baptized, and how great is our anguish until it is accomplished! ?

I look back on these years in Catholic communications and sometimes ask, “What have I…what have we accomplished?”  I feel like St. Paul, who wrote to Philemon, “I am an old man now…”    O like Jeremiah, who said, tired and weary after all of his battles, You duped me, Lord…you seduced me…and I fell for it.  You gave me an exhilarating vision, and I made my commitment.  But, Lord, this isn’t the cruise I signed up for…this isn’t the time-share you advertised…this isn’t the program that was scheduled. 

I have been attending these meetings for almost thirty-five years, and this one will most likely be my last.  Many of the old guard have passed away; and some won’t let the rest of us retire!  Has it been worth it?

I think the Lord will tell me/us, what he did to his apostles at the Last Supper:  When I sent you out without money or sandals or satellites or camcorders, were you lacking anything?  The apostles replied: “Nothing”, despite their low budgets.  Then Jesus said, But now, one who has a moneybag should take it…and now, one who does not have a sword, should sell his cloak and buy one!

Those are fighting words, from one who came to cast a fire on the earth, and is upset that it is only smoldering…one who has a baptism with which to be baptized, and it is not yet accomplished.

So there’s our call!  In the midst of diminished budgets, shorter roll calls, multi-tasking and bishop-bashing, we go on.  The fire, if not out there on earth, is still in our bellies.  The baptism – given years ago, is still splashing in our veins.  The Spirit is constantly given, constantly promised, constantly coming. 

And if we look toward the east, the sun will come up again.  And we will go on.  For that is the nature of our commitment.  That is who we are: crumbs, to be gathered into Eucharist.  And changed.  And given out.  Until we hand over the fire and the baptism to someone else, to challenge their own times.  We will not give up, just yet, on our own.

Sometime ago, in an NFL game, the camera zeroed in on a member of the kickoff team as the kick sailed through the air.  He was hit hard and slammed to the ground, but he got up.  Then bam!  He was knocked down again, and just as he got up again, whammo!  Someone else hammered him.  The camera caught him trying to get up, on his hands and knees, struggling toward the receiver.   That’s how I would like to be/ we would like….

The game isn’t over yet.  I want to have some of that same spirit – we want to have some of that same zeal, that made Jesus utter those searing words in today’s gospel:  “I have come to light a fire on the earth.  How I wish the blaze were ignited!  I have a baptism to receive.  What anguish I feel until it is over!”

And as another prophet/Yogi said, “It ain’t over until it’s over.”  Please God.   Amen