Msgr. Michael Foster
Homily from the Televised Mass, NewsCenter1
The 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 8, 2024

Many people don’t recognize the name Paul Stookey, but if I say, do you remember the folk trip Peter, Paul, and Mary, you know who I mean — at least if you grew up in the 50s and the 60s. But even if you remember this great folk singer, you probably don’t know that he went through a lot of trials and soul-searching during his musical career. In spite of his great fame and success, Paul felt a certain brokenness and had spiritual hunger inside himself that nothing could fulfill. 

One day that hunger got so bad that he turned to another musician for help. The person he turned to was none less than Bob Dylan. Paul said later, “If anyone knows about our spiritual nature back then it was Bob Dylan.”

And so Stookey and Dylan talked for a long time. The conversation ended with Dylan making two suggestions. First, he told Stookey to visit his old high school and walk through the corridors again to get back to his roots. Second, he told Stookey to begin to read the Bible, especially the New Testament. And so, Paul took Dylan’s advice. He said later, “I started carrying the scriptures around with me wherever I went. It was almost like having a special brother with me. I began discovering that all the truths and the things I sought for were contained in the life of Jesus. It was fantastic. Jesus set a good example for me. I wanted to live like him, but it occurred to me that he could really be the Son of Almighty God.”

Then one night, Stookey was giving a concert with the famous trio group at Austin, Texas, and after the performance a young man walked to him backstage and began talking to him about Christ. He told Paul that thinking Jesus was simply a good man and a good teacher was only half the story about Christianity. Only half of its mystery. 

Paul Stookey allowed the young man to lay hands on him and pray over him asking for the gift of faith. As the young man prayed with Paul, all of a sudden, he began to realize that Christ was truly alive. Stookey began to cry, he confessed his sins, and asked Jesus to take over his life. He said later, “I still had a long way to go but I found what I was looking for, and I would never be the same again.”

That story illustrates an important point that we sometimes forget and connects us to the Gospel today. Jesus still opens the ears of deaf people just as he did in gospel times. He still listens up the tongues of people today, just as he did in the days of the Gospel. The only difference is the way Jesus used to do these things. He doesn’t do them through his own hands and voice. Rather, he does them now through the hands and voices of other people who are as disciples. 

The Lord is inviting us in the Gospel today to lend him our hands, to lend him our voice, to lend him our hearts, that he might use them to touch the lives of people in our own day and time as he touched the lives of people in his own day. 

An interesting footnote about Paul Stookey, who I think is 86 years old now, after his conversion, he became a pioneer in the so-called Jesus music movement leading to what is known today as Christian music industry. He also wrote the famous hymn “The Wedding song (There is Love),” which is still popular at weddings today. And he’s been very involved with music therapy for children with special needs. 

Indeed, after his work with Peter, Paul and Mary, he has emphasized Christian faith, family values, and social concerns that we face today. It’s amazing how far one conversion can go brought about by two men who were simply willing to share their faith with Paul Stookey. 

The takeaway, a little prayer: Lord Jesus, take our hands and our voice, take our feet and our hearts. Help us to be your disciple and, this week, to bring healing and faith and good news to others who need to know of your love and grace.