Homily for the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
22 September 2013
22 September 2013
Journey
with me, if you will, in remembering six months ago when our Holy Father, Pope
Francis, was elected. Do you remember how excited the Church was? Do you
remember how excited the world was? And rightfully so: it was an exciting time!
However, what our media, memes, social media, Catholics, Christians, and
non-Christians alike continue to revel in is how “fresh” and “invigorating” and
“kind” Pope Francis is.
Yet
the teachings that our Holy Father gives to us are not anything new in the mind
and heart of the Church. (Please remember: the mind and heart of the Church is
always a genuine reflection of the mind and heart of Christ!) While the “apostolic
style” of Pope Francis is different than of Blessed Pope John Paul II and
Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI, and while some believe that that “apostolic style”
is more akin to Blessed Pope John XXIII, the teachings of our popes past and
present have always been in-line with the Magisterium and Deposit of Faith.
This
idea comes to light rather strongly this week as we reflect upon our First
Reading, Responsorial Psalm, and Gospel. Since his election, people have become
enamored with the “simplicity” of life that Pope Francis has been preaching
about. From paying his own hotel bill following the conclave to not wearing the
traditional red shoes, our society has become mystified with this aspect of our
Holy Father. Yet his life, as should the life of every Christian, reflects the
simplicity, the poverty of Christ.
Now
this does not mean we cannot own wealth, and this doesn’t mean that all wealth
is bad. While the simplicity and poverty that the Supreme Pontiff practices
should be the model for the life for every follower of Christ, we are reminded
by Christ, Himself, and through the prophet Amos that our possessions are not
to possess us; that the wealth we have is meant to be used for the common good
in making sure that we are taking care of our basic needs while caring for our
brothers and sisters in need.
In
a homily a few months ago, Pope Francis said the following: “How many of
us, myself included, have lost our bearings; we are no longer attentive to the
world in which we live; we don’t care; we don’t protect what God created for
everyone, and we end up unable to care for one another!”
Each
of us, myself included, have those moments in our lives when we’d like to “keep
up with the Jones’”, where the “new thing” in society dominates our attention.
Think about it: How many people in our own city, let alone the nation, waited
in line all night Thursday to be one of the first people to buy either model of
the new iPhone? How many people rush their Thanksgiving meal so that they can
be the first one in line to hit the stores on Black Friday? If it’s “new and
shiny”, then you’ll bet that our society will want to have it.
But
Jesus – and, by extension, Pope Francis – isn’t just talking about material
wealth. We can be wealthy in other ways in our lives. And if we allow these types
of other wealth, such as spiritually, emotionally or physically to name a few, to
dominate the attention we give to our lives and ignore the pleading and plight
of those poorer around us, then we’ve completely missed the message of the Gospel.
When we “are no longer attentive to the world” or when “we don’t protect what
God created”, then we fail to be Christ to one another. It is at that moment
when we allow our hearts to become possessed by something or someone other than
Jesus Christ.
Blessed
John Paul II once taught us: “The Church continually combats all forms of poverty,
because as Mother she is concerned that each and every person be able to live
fully in dignity as a child of God.”
As Church, as the
Body of Christ, our primary concern is always our neighbor, never ourselves!
Our mission, given to us through the Sacraments of Initiation, is to attend to
the needs of our brothers and sisters. We are called to continue to establish
the Reign of God here on Earth. We are called to be concerned for the least and
most vulnerable among us. We are called to help raise up those who are poor –
materially, emotionally, spiritually, physically – to see their dignity as a
son or daughter of God.
Saint Teresa of
Avila, our beloved patron, said it best: “Thank God for the things I do not
own.” And she’s right . . .
This great saint
knew how our humanity folds in on itself, and allows our possessions to possess
us. Teresa’s wisdom points out to us that thanking God for what we do not own
allows us to enter more deeply into the eternal mysteries of God, and we are freer
to be concerned for our brothers and sisters.
As I stated
earlier, wealth in-and-of-itself is not a bad thing. Nevertheless, we must
always be mindful that any type of wealth that we possess is to be used for the
further establishment of the Reign of God. This is why the Church continues to
fight for justice, to teach and practice the preferential option for the poor, and
upholds the principle of subsidiarity. This is one of the reasons why we have
so many “second collections” throughout the year: We are obligated to support
those missions and ministries of the Church which continue to raise those who
are downtrodden to a reality that befits them in their dignity as a child of
God.
My brothers and
sisters, ultimately Jesus is talking about justice, that principle which
enables us to treat others fairly. Jesus is asking of us today to be just in
the way we handle those blessings that have been given to us. And if we have
been blessed with a little extra wealth – again, be it materially, physically,
spiritually, emotionally – we have the obligation to not hoard it all to
ourselves, but see that what has been given to us is excess is shared so that
those who lack may never go without.
We pray that this
justice may roll like a river, washing all forms of oppression away; that God
will come and take us, move us and shake us; that He will make us anew; and
that through our thoughts, words and deeds, we may become as just as our God.
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Enjoy the journey . . .
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