Sunday, July 8, 2018

Being a faithful prophet


Homily: 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B
Friends, it's important as we begin our reflection today to remember that we must give thanks in our hearts for the Word of God that we just heard.  We know that every encounter with the Word of God is an encounter with Christ, the living God, whose very life is our salvation.  This is why we say at the end of each reading "thanks be to God" and at the end of the Gospel reading "Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ".  Those moments of silence that occur after each reading and the Responsorial Psalm are moments to relish that our God has spoken to us.  And so, while it is not always possible to relish in those moments (a squirmy child or an ill-timed sneeze can get in the way), we should always strive to be recollected in those moments.
The truth is that, when the word of God comes to us, it changes us... if we let it.  [repeat]  This is the story of all the prophets, especially those about whom we heard in today's readings.  In each case, the Word of God breaks into their lives and urges them into a new direction.  Although the prophet can choose to refuse the calling that God has given to them, they cannot ignore the fact that they have been called; and by that very fact, itself, their lives have been changed.  The prophet Jonah is a great example of the latter.  He refused God's call to prophesy to the people of Nineveh, but couldn't go back to his life before he encountered God's Word.  Rather, it sent him in a completely different direction.  Ultimately, into the belly of a whale!
The prophet Ezekiel, however, is an example of the former: one who encountered God's Word and responded positively to it.  His life, too, was sent in a completely different direction in order to fulfill a task that God had given to him.  Notice, however, that the defining characteristic of these prophets is not the success they had in getting people to conform to God's word, but rather it was their obedience and their faithfulness to the call that was their glory.
Ezekiel was called to preach to his own people who had fallen away from the right practice of religion and moral conduct.  He wasn't someone of high social status to whom people would automatically listen and he was bringing a message that would surely be unpopular: "God is angry with you for the way you are living.  Repent and turn back to God in penance or else he will punish you!"  For a people who don't think that they're doing anything wrong, this is a tough message to sell!  Throughout Ezekiel's call, however, God emphasizes that it is imperative for him to follow-through: noting on more than one occasion that for him not to speak is to bring the Israelite guilt on his own head; whereas if he does speak to them—in such a way so that the Israelites "shall know that a prophet has been among them"—any further refusal on their part will cause their guilt to remain on them.  Again, what we see in this is that it is Ezekiel's job to bring God's Word into contact with the Israelite people, so that it might change their lives; and that his success will be measured not by converts, but by his obedience and faithfulness to the call.
Christ, as we heard in our Gospel reading today, is the example par excellence for us.  From the very moment of the incarnation in the virginal womb of Mary, Christ was obedient and faithful to God's will.  Time and again, Jesus was rejected by his own people—in other words, he was unsuccessful by any standard—yet he remained faithful and obedient, nonetheless.  Because of this—that is, his faithfulness to the end—he is now glorified in heaven with the Father.
Friends, each of us have been touched by the Word of God and so have been changed.  Therefore, we, too, must respond to God's call to prophesy.  How often, however, do we refuse to follow God's call—that is, we refuse to speak God's Word of truth—simply because we think that we'll be unsuccessful?  In other words, how often do we refuse to speak up—to a family member, a friend, or a coworker—because we think that they will ignore us or, worse yet, reject us: thus, damaging our relationship?  Friends, these are not excuses in God's eyes; and so, even when we think that we will be unsuccessful, God, nonetheless, demands that we go; and so, we must go, remembering that God will not judge us based on whether we were successful in turning hearts back to him, but rather on whether we were obedient and faithful.
Thus, the questions for us today are these: Who is it with whom God is asking me to share his Word?  If I am resistant, why?  What's holding me back?  How can I exercise trust in God in small things, so as to be prepared to trust him in these big things?  This is our "homework" for this week: to allow these questions to lead us to discern where and with whom God is calling me to act.  If we don't feel ready to act (perhaps because it's a big conversation that we're not ready to have), then our work is to ask God to reveal smaller ways in which we can act throughout the week—for example, a simple act of kindness for a stranger that we might not otherwise do—so as to build our trust in God and in his call.  Ultimately, however, if God's Word has called us, we need to act.  Whether or not the person (or persons) to whom we bring this Word respond is God's problem, not ours.  Our problem is to ensure that the Word of God has been spoken to them: that is, in such a way that they "shall know that a prophet has been among them."
Friends, Christ is with us in this work.  He is the Word that we are called to speak.  As we receive him in this Eucharist, let's abandon ourselves to him and allow him to speak through us.
Given at Saint Mary Cathedral: Lafayette, IN – July 8th, 2018

No comments:

Post a Comment