Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time B
On
Friday nights and Saturday mornings in the rectory,
there’s
a question we priests ask each other often enough:
What are you
preaching about this Sunday?
My
homily this week wasn’t coming together the way I wanted,
and
I found myself asking that question
over
lunch just yesterday.
And
as soon as I had asked it,
I
knew that question held the key
to
the message I’m supposed to deliver to you now.
(And—no—that’s
not because
I
pilfered some extraordinary insight from Fr. Tom or Fr. Stitt!)
You
see, when someone else asks me that
question,
I’m
usually a little hesitant about giving an answer.
I
may know full well what I’m preaching about…
…and
it may be a very, very good idea…
…but
there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to share it.
That’s my good
idea!
I’ve worked hard on it, and
why should I just give it away?
Now,
it’s not like I’m being asked
for
my top-secret design for a life-changing invention,
and
that sharing it will cost me a chance to make millions.
And
if it’s going from one preacher to another,
aren’t
we all about accomplishing the same goal?
Really,
I have absolutely nothing to lose
and—from
the perspective of why we preach in the first place—
there’s
only something to be gained.
we’re
given quite a lesson
on riches and poverty.
A
wealthy man comes up to Jesus
very eager and earnest,
but
walks away from him rather sad:
he
finds it easier
to let go of his hopes for eternal life
than
to let go of his many possessions.
How
sad that must have left Jesus, too!
He
knows that the riches of this world
can’t
begin to compare
to the treasures of heaven.
You
see, with earthly goods,
there’s
only so much to go around.
Whether
it’s food or clothing or shelter—
or
the money we use to buy all three—
it
necessarily comes in a limited supply.
Oh,
there are plenty of resources available to make sure
that
no one goes hungry or naked or homeless…
…but
the problem is we don’t want to share.
That’s mine!
I worked hard for that, and
why should I just give it away?
Deep
down, I think, we’re afraid that there won’t be enough—
that
we’ll go without, too.
If
Jesus challenges this sort of thinking about earthly goods,
how
much more so about spiritual ones!
This
past Thursday,
the
Catholic Church around the world began a Year
of Faith,
which
continues until the end of November 2013.
When
announcing it,
Pope
Benedict XVI described this special year
as
a time for Catholics to rediscover the joy of believing
and
their enthusiasm for sharing the faith.
Faith
is not a limited resource,
because
it is not an achievement of human effort—
a
theory to be proven or a riddle to be solved—
but
is a gift from God himself.
We
should have no fear of sharing our faith with others…
…because
there is no chance of it running out.
In
fact, it’s when we try to keep it to ourselves
that
we risk losing the most;
it’s
when we give it away that faith multiplies.
Some
of you are familiar
with
the Catholic publication, Magnificat—
a
monthly booklet that contains the daily readings for Mass
as
well as other prayers and reflections.
Magnificat has published a Year of Faith Companion,
with
something for every day of this special year.
This
little book has done so well
that
it’s already in its third printing…
…which
is why I don’t have any of them for you yet.
We’ll
be receiving ours in a couple of weeks.
And
not just a few of them, either; I’ve order 1,000 copies.
Here’s
the deal:
If
you want to take a copy for yourself,
then
you’re going to have to take two—
and
the second one, you’re going to have to give away.
I
want you to give it away to a Catholic in our community
who’s
on the fence or has stopped practicing their faith;
or I
want you to give it away to someone who isn’t Catholic
and
who has no spiritual home.
The
book will come with a short letter from me,
and
a very brief questionnaire which you can bring back to church
if
the person to whom you give that second copy
chooses
to fill it out.
So
while we wait for them to arrive,
I
ask you to give some serious thought
to
whom you could give your second book.
That
shouldn’t be too hard!
We
all know folks—at work, in the neighborhood,
even
members of our own families—
whose
relationship with Christ and his Church
isn’t
what it could or should be.
The
numbers tell me that for every one of you at Mass right now,
there
are four or five more Catholics here in Malone
that
we do not see on a regular basis.
And
the best way to turn things around
is
through one-on-one contact—
by making a personal invitation.
So
as we wait for our shipment of books,
think
about who you will approach,
and
begin to pray for that person
and
their openness to its message.
Jesus
says—quite stunningly—
than
for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.
If
you’ve ever even tried to thread a needle the regular way,
you
know that’s difficult enough!
It’s
not something that happens by accident,
not
something that comes together all on its own.
So,
too, with faith.
We
mustn’t get complacent about it.
Here
in the Diocese of Ogdensburg,
we’ve
got a special slogan for the Year of Faith:
“Taste
again for the first time.”
It
refers to our taste for the living and effective Word of God;
it
refers to our taste for the Holy Eucharist
and
the grace offered us in the other sacraments;
it
refers to our taste for reaching out in love
to
meet the needs of the poor in body and the poor in spirit.
May
this new Year of Faith increase our appetite for believing!
In the
months ahead
may
we rediscover the Catholic faith with such joy and enthusiasm
that
we could never keep it to ourselves!
We
have absolutely nothing to lose;
there’s
only something—everything—to be
gained.
2 comments:
Great job! I love it! :)
Now we just pray that it works!
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