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Homily: 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A
Today, we continue to read from Jesus’
Sermon on the Mount and we hear Jesus’ teaching that we must choose whom we
will serve: God or the world—because, he teaches, if we try to serve both,
we’ll end up serving neither well.
Then he goes on to remind us about why
we ought to choose to serve God, instead of the world. Serving the world, Jesus teaches, gains us
nothing. This is because God is already
disposed to provide us with everything that we need. Thus, if we choose God, we get the best of
both: we gain the satisfaction of having chosen the better thing while also
suffering no real loss in the world for not having pursued it.
And if this logic isn’t enough, Jesus
goes on to demonstrate how God has already proven that he will follow
through. Look at the rest of creation,
he says: look at how the birds do not toil on the earth to bring forth food,
yet all of them have the food they need; and look at how the flowers of the
field do not spin fine thread, yet all of them are clothed in majestic
colors. Why, therefore, would God fail
to do the same for you, Jesus asks, who are of a higher order (and, therefore,
more important) than the rest of creation?
Still further, in the first reading
from the book of Isaiah, we are provided with another example of this. There, Isaiah assures the Israelite people,
who are languishing in exile in Babylon, that God has not abandoned them. The message from God that he relays to them
is that God is more loving than a mother for her infant child. And so, just as much as no mother, who is in
her right mind, would purposely abandon her infant child, so, too, God has not
abandoned them. And just to be sure that
the people understand this, God inspires Isaiah to assure them even beyond this
example. He says, “Even if [a mother]
forget [her child]”, in other words, “even if something so abhorrent and so
unthinkable would happen, thus creating some doubt in your hearts, do not doubt
because” “[God] will never forget you”.
Time and again, my brothers and
sisters, God has proven the truth of these words that he spoke through the
prophet Isaiah and that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount. Even for the martyrs, whom it seemed God had
abandoned so completely that their enemies would have the opportunity to put
them to death, he supplied faith and courage, that which they most needed in
that time of trial. Just think of the
Coptic Christians murdered in Egypt a couple of years ago. These men were “seeking the kingdom of God
first and his righteousness” and God provided them with faith and courage so
that they would be steadfast even when all (in this world, at least) seemed
lost to them. Because of this, they have
gained everything, as they now enjoy eternal rest in God’s kingdom: that very
thing for which they fervently sought.
Or, perhaps, a less-bloody image would
be the story of George Muller, a man who ran an orphanage and homeless shelter
completely on prayer. George never asked
for funds. Rather, he set himself to
work for God’s kingdom by engaging these works of mercy and trusted that God
would provide the rest. On several
occasions, it was almost time for dinner and there was no food nor any money to
buy food. George would not worry;
rather, he would simply pray and trust that God would provide. Every time, without fail, someone would come
to the house with food. God never failed
to meet his needs, because he did not fail to seek God’s kingdom first and his
righteousness. My brothers and sisters,
God will not fail to do the same for us, if we are truly serving him.
Therefore, we must look at our lives
and ask: “What do my daily actions reveal about who I am serving?” None of us, I'm sure, will find that we are
perfectly ordered to seeking God first and his kingdom. Thus, this message comes to us at a perfect
time. This is because Lent begins this
week and it is the opportunity, through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, to
turn away from serving the world (and about worrying about the material needs
of our bodies) and turn to serve God and to be stewards of the mysteries of God
entrusted to us. In other words, it is
the opportunity to look more like Christians once again.
Perhaps, for some of you, this has to
do with chocolate or sugary drinks; and if so then fine: commit yourself to
turn away from those things and back to God.
But if we're honest with ourselves, it usually has to do with something
deeper: that is, a deeper seeded tendency not to trust in God. Perhaps an example: instead of using Sunday
as a day to finish up extra chores or run errands (like cleaning the house,
mowing the yard, or going grocery shopping), why not honor it for what it is—a
day of rest to worship the Lord and to spend time in communion with others:
either family, or close friends and relatives. Leaving off those "works" is an act
of trust that the Lord will help you to take care of them when the time is right. At the same time, you will be "seeking
the kingdom of God first and his righteousness", an act, Jesus assures us,
that God will not fail to reward. Besides,
it's the day of the Resurrection! What
more of our own making could we add to this day to make it even better than it
is? If you don't see that the answer to
this question is “nothing”, then you DO have a lot of work to do this Lent!
And so, let's fast from worry, this
Lent, and take on greater trust—while helping others to do so, too—and what we
will come to see is that which our faith tells us to be true: that only God is
truly faithful, and that trusting in the world or our own capacities will only
leave us disappointed. Thus surprised by
grace (as we will be), we will have a stronger faith; and we will be witnesses
to God's faithfulness everywhere.
Further still, we will make ourselves ready to receive even greater
things on the final day, when the reward prepared for those who have been
faithful is made fully known: the reward of perfect communion that we
experience here under sacramental signs in this Holy Eucharist.
Given
at All Saints Parish: Logansport, IN – February 25th& 26th,
2017
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