Highlights from My Homily for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
My Dad spent the most part of last week in the hospital. They were trying to determine if they could do a hip replacement since he has a fracture. However, because the cancer has spread throughout so much of the bone, they determined that there would not be enough good bone to attach the new hip.
While all that time visiting him in the hospital gave me a lot of time to reflect on the readings for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, I did not have my computer for typing out a homily. To be honest, but the end of the week, when I was back at the rectory, I just could not write anything. But I did have some thoughts, and when I stood before the people of God last night for Mass, the Lord must have spoken powerfully through me, because after Mass a good number of people said that they really enjoyed the homily. Now, even though I am just a “toddler” of a priest (only ordained 18 months on November 15) I realize that a good number of people who say to me after Mass, “good homily Father,” are just making a polite comment. Not that they did not like my homily, but kind of like saying “fine” when people say to you in greeting “how are you doing?” And to be honest, that’s OK with me — I am not looking for compliments or pats on the back. As Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange, OP, the teacher of Pope John Paul II, said in one of his books on the priesthood, the focus of the Mass should be on Christ, entering into His work of Salvation, namely His Passion, Death and Resurrection. While acknowledging the importance of the homily in helping the faithful grow in their faith by learning more about it, Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange cautions priests about preaching too long, not because of fear of causing boredom, but rather fearing that the attention may turn more to the priest and his ego. As long as people are participating in the Mass (yes, that means singing too!), I am happy. However, when people leaving Mass stop and share with you how the homily touched them, whether challenging them in an area they need to be challenged in, or encouraging them in their need, you know that they really were paying attention.
I started off last night by saying that a poll was released last week that reported that 76% of US Catholics report saying that they can be a “good Catholic” without going to Mass on Sundays. Several people have also told me that they never hear priests talk about the duty of Sunday Mass. So I told them, “OK, here is a priest telling you, if you deliberately miss Sunday Mass, without having a VERY serious reason, then you are committing a mortal sin. And if you die in a state of mortal sin then you will go to hell for all eternity.” I cannot tell you how many people came up to me after Mass to say that they were so happy to hear a priest talk about mortal sin and hell and the importance of Sunday Mass.
The rest of my homily focused on not knowing when the Lord would come. I told them that at the end of Ordinary Time the reading turn to what is called in theology, eschatology, or the Last Things — death, judgment, Heaven and Hell. I pointed out that St. Paul, in the second reading, warned that the Lord would come as a “theft in the night,” so we need to be prepared for Him. I shared that these readings have been particularly relevant for me for my Dad’s illness came out of the blue, and we really do not know how much time he has left. However his faith has always been the central part of his life. One of the difficult things about his illness is not being able to go to Mass, especially since he has been going to daily Mass for about 15 years, since his retirement. He knew just how special a gift the Mass, particularly the Eucharist, is and he longs for it, for Him.
I explained that a “talent” was equal to about 20 years worth of wages, so even the gift of one talent demonstrated an immense generosity, a generosity that we have all experienced from the Lord for what value can we place on the gift of our life, of our immortal soul. I spoke of how we are all called to use the gifts and talents that the Lord has entrusted to us to build up the Kingdom of God, to share in the mission of the Church according to the Lord’s plan for each of us. That each of us are called to love greatly.
After Mass one person came up to me and said that they had not been to Mass in several years, because they had been angry with the Church, but that my homily reaffirmed for them the gift of the Mass, and that they should not let the petty failings of some people in the Church to keep them from Christ’s Gift of Himself. Another person was touched by my reflections on not knowing when the Lord would come for us, so we must be ever vigilant, for his 22 year-old sister had been tragically killed a month ago in an accident.
After Mass, after locking the church, as I prayed Evening Prayer, I realized just what solace I receive in the Mass. I have been deeply troubled lately, because of Dad’s illness (especially following on the kneels of my own cancer treatment). At times it seems too much for me to handle, but it is in the celebration of the sacraments, when I can “step aside” and let Christ act through me that I find such deep solace. Thank you God!
