AMPLITUDE, APTITUDE, ATTITUDE
[BREAKING THE BREAD OF GOD’S WORD]
25th Sunday OT_B
September 20, 2015
AMPLITUDE, APTITUDE, ATTITUDE
Allow me to go philological for today. Let us go by way of
linguistics …
I would like to think that amplitude comes from the root
word “ample” which means enough. It refers to the state of something being
sufficient, being adequate, or simply put, the state of fullness of something.
Aptitude, as the root word states, is being the right fit
for something, the state or condition of aptness, suitability or being good
enough for something. An apt image of aptitude is that of a key that perfectly
fits a keyhole and opens the locked door.
Attitude is what one draws from within the self in reference
to everything external to one’s self. It is that frame of mind or mold of heart
that makes one either favorable or otherwise to anything and everything.
Now, let us apply all three words to the three readings
today. In classical Catholic imagination, my task as preacher is to find
connections and resonances between the readings of Scripture, and the reality
on the ground, in my (our) world – and beyond! A big word for this is the
so-called “fusion of horizons” – God’s horizon, and our human, finite horizon.
And the daunting task for preachers like us is to make sense
of our limited, finite human horizon when pitted against God’s horizon … God’s
will … God’s subtle but compelling messages … God’s dream for us to find
meaning even in seemingly meaningless human existence.
Let me be straightforward with you. The first reading tells
us we are adequate enough for God to “defend us and deliver from the hand of
[our] foes.” The “just one” – or whoever acts in God’s name and acts godly,
too, is not one to be abandoned by God, even if the world finds him “obnoxious”
and odious.
But the second reading drives home a related message. Being
adequate as a person or being fit enough for God is not a given, but a task –
an ongoing task. We were born selfish. We were born whimpering and whining and
crying for attention. We started out in life as a bundle of needs, no matter
how adults found us cute and cuddly. But some of us went beyond needs. We
graduated to being jealous, selfish and ambitious.
We grew up with an attitude. Starting from the disobedience
of Adam and Eve, we learned the ropes of sin, born as we all were stained by
original sin. We gave in to passions and those passions engendered all forms
and types of conflict – between and among ourselves.
Amplitude and attitude-wise, we all can agree on one thing.
We fall short. We don’t make the cut. We are not good enough.
But we do have a lot of desires. We grew up conjuring up big
dreams.
We hurtled along the timeline of earthly life wanting this,
and wanting that … desiring this and that … wanting to be great here and there;
sitting one on the throne’s left and one on the throne’s right, never mind if
we didn’t have neither the amplitude nor the aptitude.
But Eucharist is all about being what God dreams for us …
all about being what God wants for us and wants of us … all about being gifted
with the best, with the unbelievably greatest gift – Himself in and through
Christ His Son!
And Gospel is all about good news – the Good News that you
and I need to hear today.
And yes, I do have bad news for you! This bad news will pave
the way for the really good news hiding behind the rafters.
And what is this, you might ask? God doesn’t care much for
aptitude and amplitude. God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the
called. He makes ample the inefficient and the insufficient. He makes wonders
out of brokenness and sinfulness. Ooopps! That is me right there … sinful,
broken, unqualified, not good enough … ugly as sin.
But whilst there is nothing we can do about aptitude and
amplitude, there is a whole lot we can do about attitude. And here is the
sure-fire formula to ace it …
Become like a little child. Be last, not first. Serve
others, and don’t expect others to dish out greatness to you like a birth right.
No room for big egos here. No space for even bigger senses of entitlement. Not
here. Not there. Not anywhere. Don’t act like a little demigod. Allow God to be
God. Lord. Creator. Father. Provident God.
And yes, before I forget … shed off attitude, and God will
equip you with the needed amplitude and aptitude!
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