23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’

~ Luke 14:28-30

Last year, when in Ireland, I was able to see a few of the many Round Towers dotting the countryside. At left is the O’Rourke Round Tower on the lovely River Shannon at Clonmacnoise – an abbey site dating from the 6th c. – the tower likely dates from the 10th century. They are often located at the remains of old monasteries and castles. While their use is not entirely clear, they were impressive structures towering 100 or more feet into the air. Used for storage, lookouts, secure havens under siege, they are a beautiful – if slightly haunting – example of tower building in days gone by. The O’Rourke Tower was later struck by lightning in 1135 and lost about 1/3 of its height.

Hearing today’s Gospel, I wonder at the labor involved in building a 100 foot in those days by hand, wench, timber & ropes. The need to dig a deep foundation. To gather sufficient high quality stone. To fit, mason, and mortar it together. There was tremendous labor & cost. I wonder if such towers were sort of like the gothic cathedrals across Europe that often took decades, sometimes centuries to build – in fits and starts – having to survive plagues & politics, wars & weather, finances & fickle interest. It took planning. It took foresight. It took Faith.

It also took labor. Last Monday we celebrated Labor Day. The value of human labor. We have tremendous skilled laborers across the country. Everything from handyman solo persons to international corporations that build the world. A few weeks ago, I was invited for a birthday dinner. A crew was down the street putting on a new roof. The host mentioned all homes in the neighborhood were getting new roofs after a hail storm earlier this spring. That same week, I visited a home for one of my “You Sign Up – I Show Up” dinners and I had to take a long detour as the contractors were widening a major thoroughfare including new utilities and sidewalks. Construction takes place all around us. People using their minds, hands, & backs to build & maintain our facilities.

Historically, immigrants have been a huge source of construction labor, of entry level labor in general. Certainly, there are many immigrants who bring advanced skills in tech, medical, & engineering, but the world can be enriched by each person utilizing their God given talents and skills for the betterment of the community. We are better off with such help. I’m well aware that immigration is a complex issue. Laws must be followed, but so too must the dignity of the human laborer be upheld.

Next, week, I’ll share some basic teachings of the Catholic Church on Immigration. As with most ‘political issues’, it’s not as easy as stay out or come on in. Catholicism is rarely a faith of extremes – except when it comes to the extreme call to “Love one another as Christ has loved us” (John 13:34).

That tower built in the Clonmacnoise Abbey served a perceived practical need for the well-being of the residents. It was a labor yes, but most importantly a labor of love for God and Neighbor. Before the abbot, or whomever, sat down to calculate the cost in time, resources, & labor, he recognized it would somehow serve the people – which is what ultimately made it worth all that labor.

Nothing Less than saints for the Holy Family of God.

Holy Family, Laborers in Love, Pray for us.

~ Fr Jeremy M. Gries