Get connected to Jesus, 23rd Sunday of Ordinary time, Cycle B

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(The homily starts off by Deacon Ron putting on headphones and walking to the front of the altar while staring at my phone)

This is what I see many people doing as I start my morning workout at the downtown YMCA. It seems like almost everyone is wearing headphones connected to their phone or tablet listening to something.  I suspect it’s either music, a sports show, or the daily news.   On some days I’ll go out for lunch and walk along canal and see a similar scene. On a rare occasion I’ll see people talking to one another, which is a refreshing site. 

Hearing is something that’s so important in our lives.  It’s essential for interacting with our surroundings and being in relationship with others.   It allows us to enjoy the beauty of music & lyrics so we can sign along with our favorite songs.  It’s the primary way we learn when we’re very young so we can learn to speak.  It would be very difficult to do most of the things we do in life without the ability to hear.  God has given us the gift of hearing and it’s something we can be truly grateful for. 

Unfortunately, today much of what we hear in the world is noise that deafens us to God.  We have too many distractions: music, news, sports, and entertainment that constantly consumes our time.  Sadly, some of the noise are the negative things within the Church and it can be discouraging.  This makes it very difficult to be open to the most important thing to hear, the word of God, through Jesus, the one restores us and gives us everlasting life.

Today we heard about Jesus’ healing of the deaf man in district of the Decapolis.   This was a region of ten cities that were mainly in Gentile territory.  Jesus goes into this area to proclaim the Kingdom of God to those who have yet to hear of it. This was a sign of Jesus coming to save all people, even those who are far from God.  The people bring the deaf man to Jesus, but he doesn’t perform the healing amongst the crowd. Jesus took the deaf man away by himself.  He wanted to be in relationship with the man who needed healing.   He didn’t want heal just for show to the other people. We’re told that Jesus touched the man’s ears and tongue and groaned Ephphatha, which meant be opened! The healing was immediate and the man could hear and his speech impediment was also gone. He could not only hear, but could now clearly proclaim the good news of what Jesus did for him.  We’re only able to proclaim what we are able to hear well.

Most of us here today have received the healing grace of baptism that restored the imperfection of original sin, so we could become children of God.   Through Christ, we’re being perfected through our relationship with him.   This was made possible through the Rite of Baptism. In this rite after the Baptism with water, the Ephphatha prayer is prayed by the priest or deacon. They touch the ears and mouth and prayer the following:  The Lord Jesus made the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak.  May he soon touch your hearts to receive his word, and your mouth to proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father.   We’ve received the same gift as the deaf man to hear and proclaim the Good news of Jesus Christ!

So how can we be open to the word of God and proclaim it?  By being in relationship with Jesus just like the deaf man was.  This requires taking some time away from the noise and distractions of life and spending it with Jesus.  We first need to be absorbed in the Word of God so we can proclaim it.  The more we hear it the better we’ll be at sharing it with others.   Coming to Mass weekly is essential for this.  At Mass we have the opportunity to hear the word of God in the readings, psalms, and Gospel. We also have the rich prayers of the liturgy, especially the Eucharistic prayers.  The hymns that we sing also help to support the readings and season we’re in, and add to the hearing of God’s word.

Each week we can also listen to God’s word prior to coming to Mass.  This can really help the Mass become more rich and alive.  There are plenty of resources in print or online that provide the weekly readings and reflections on them.  Two that I really enjoy listening to are podcasts of the Sunday readings and a homily by Bishop Robert Barron through his Word on Fire ministry.  I really like Bishop Baron’s homilies as he has a unique way of relating Jesus to today’s culture. I’ll listen to these multiple times while driving to work, exercising, or working in yard.  It really helps stay connected to Jesus throughout the week. There is also the Opening the Word video reflection on the weekly readings that’s another good resource.  It’s on the opening screen of the parish’s Formed subscription that you can access online. Sharing the readings together with a small group, your spouse, or family can also be helpful to hear God’s word.  Finally, it’s always good to plan some quiet time in prayer to connect with Jesus and get away from the noise that distracts us from him. 

The last few weeks have been a bit of a challenge with the negative news about the Church.  It can be discouraging and take the focus away from what’s most important: hearing the Good News that Jesus proclaims.  To help with this I’ve relied a lot on the Blessed Mother’s intercession. Praying the mysteries of rosary has really helped me to focus on Jesus.    Also keeping the Blessed Mother’s last words in the Gospel of John, “Do whatever he tells you,” has helped me to listen much more attentively to the words of Jesus, and gives me the hope to proclaim the good news they bring.  So this week I hope you can disconnect from the noise in the world and get connected to hearing the word of Jesus so you can proclaim the Good News.

You are what you eat - Homily for week 20 of Ordinary Time, Cycle B

You are what you eat.   Does this quote sound familiar? It was popular in the 70’s & 80’s to reinforce eating the right foods.  The food pyramid was developed to go along with the phrase to help us understand what food led to good overall health.   The pyramid base was the healthy food and the unhealthy food, that stuff that tasted the best, was the teeny part of the top of the pyramid.  A lot of effort was spent in education and marketing this concept. Which of the foods do you think most of us ate? I know I ate to many at the top of pyramid.  Some new models now make it easier to eat better, as my dietician daughter Nicole has shown me, helping me to eat healthier and hopefully live longer. Although these food models may help in living longer, they don’t help to live forever.  Only the Eucharist can do that.

Over the last four weeks we’ve been reading from John Chapter 6.  We’ve been given the opportunity to feast on the Wisdom of the eternal God so we can grow in understanding of the life giving food of the Eucharist. It began with the miracle of the five loaves and two fish were Jesus fed thousands of people.  After this miracle people seek out Jesus for more food.   He tells them not to seek that food that perishes, but to seek food that endures for eternal life.   

In our first reading from Proverbs the stage is set for God’s invitation to the Eucharistic feast.  We hear of Wisdom providing a sumptuous feast where all are invited, including the simple and those who lack understanding, so they can advance in understanding.  St.  Paul encourages the Ephesians not continue in ignorance, but to try to understand the will of the Lord.  He describes the Eucharistic liturgy filled with the Spirit, along with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, always giving thanks for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In coming together in the Eucharist, we can grow in understanding of this great gift feeding on Jesus in Word & Sacrament.

In John’s Gospel Jesus proclaims that: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.  Whoever eats this bread will live forever, and the bread I give is my flesh for the life of the world.”   The Jews questioned Jesus about this, “How can this man give us flesh to eat?”  Think about how shocking sounded to the first century Jews. Jews were forbidden from eating animal flesh containing blood. He was also telling them to eat human flesh.  The original Greek word used to describe eating was not the normal way of eating a meal, but to eat as animals did, gnawing on munching.  This must have been repulsive to the Jews.

The Jew response provided Jesus an opportunity to restate his meaning.  But instead he reinforces what he just said: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life”, “my flesh is true food”, and “This is the bread come down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread lives forever”.  He was not speaking in symbols or metaphors.   He was telling them to really eat and drink his flesh and blood to have eternal life.

We have the hindsight that the Jews didn’t: Jesus was speaking of the bread and wine of t

he Eucharistic meal mysteriously transformed into his flesh and blood.  We also know of the resurrected Jesus, who rose from the dead after offering his life as a sacrifice for us on the Cross. As true food and true drink the Eucharist nourishes us so we can grow spiritually.  Jesus also tells us: “Whoever eats my flesh and drink my blood remains in me and I in him.” Through the Sacrament of the Eucharist He remains in us and we remain in him, so our mortal bodies can become immortal.  Jesus became like us in flesh, so we could become like God in him.  It enables us to partake in the life of the Trinity. We affirm this reality each time we hear the priest conclude the Eucharistic prayer:

Through him, with him, and in him, O God Almighty Father, in unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours for ever and ever.  

Our response is the Great Amen where we affirm our belief that the Eucharist is truly Jesus’ flesh and blood that gives us eternal life.  Think about this each time you respond Amen at Mass.

These words were hard for the Jews to believe. Next week we’ll hear that many of his disciples left him after this.    It’s still hard for many people today to believe in this reality.  We know there are many Christian and even some Catholics who struggle with this belief.  If we keep the words of Proverbs in mind it may help: Those invited to the feast are the simple and those lacking understanding.  If we just simply listen to the words of Jesus, the Word of Wisdom, and believe that they are true, then we can have eternal life.   I’d strongly encourage to take time and read the entire content of John chapter 6 and be open to what he is saying.

By consuming the Eucharist, we receive grace and are transformed to grow in holiness and love to become one with Christ. As we become one with Christ, we are united with the body of Christ, and can transform the world. A great example of a person transformed by the Eucharist was St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta.  We know of her great love of the poor, which flowed from the power of the Eucharist. Consider her words: If we truly understand the Eucharist, if we make the Eucharist the central focus of our lives, if we feed our lives with the Eucharist, we will not find it difficult to discover Christ, to love him, and to serve him in the poor. If we feed on Jesus’ Word consuming them in our hearts, we can grow to understand he meant what he said: His flesh and blood truly gives us eternal life. By consuming the Eucharist, we can become what we eat.

Homily 15th Sunday, Cycle B

Today we hear about some unlikely people who were called to do the work of God.   

 

Amos was called to be a prophet of God and was not well received by Amaziah, the priest of Bethel.  

 

Amos was treading on his turf and told him not to prophesy in Bethel anymore. 

 

Amos tells him, I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamore.  

 

He tended sheep and cared for trees.  

 

But, God chose him to go to Bethel to prophesy to the people of Israel.  

 

In the Gospel Jesus picked Twelve of his disciples and sent them out.   

 

These Twelve were the Apostles, sent to bring the Good News of Jesus to others.   

 

Jesus gave them special power with authority over unclean spirits.  

 

With this power, it would lend credibility to their message, and help bring people to have faith in Jesus.  

 

The apostles witnessed Jesus doing mighty deeds. 

 

They knew he was special.   

 

How could this group of humble men, mostly fisherman, possibly work the wonders that Jesus did? 

 

We’re told they did. 

 

The Twelve drove out many demons and they anointed many with oil many to cure them of illness.  

 

(Pause)

 

These men had no special qualities to equip them to do the work of God.  

 

They were unlikely candidates based on their occupations.   

 

But they were chosen by God to do his will.  

 

Are we called to do the same as Amos and to go out and prophesy? 

 

Does God expect us to cast out demons and cure the sick?  

 

We’re just ordinary people working to provide for ourselves or our families.    

 

We’re teachers, mechanics, factory workers, doctors, students, and store clerks.  

 

We don’t have the qualifications to do the work of God.   

 

Isn’t God’s work is better left for those who are Holy, the clergy and religious, specifically trained in God’s ways? 

 

It would seem that this would be the case, but God doesn’t work in the ways we expect.  

 

God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called.   

 

(Pause)

 

St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians sheds some light on this calling.  

 

St. Paul tells us that God chose us in Christ, before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before him. 

 

In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ for the praise and glory of his grace the he granted us in the beloved. 

 

St. Paul tells us that we have been chosen by God to be holy. 

 

Isn’t being holy what saints, clergy, and religious are called to?  

 

But what about everyone else?  

 

Are they expected to be Holy?  

 

Yes, everyone is called to be Holy.  

 

How is is possible for everyone to be Holy.  

 

St. Paul sheds some light on this: In him you also, who have heard the word of 

 

truth, the gospel of salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the 

 

holy Spirit, the first installment of our inheritance, toward redemptions as 

 

God’s possession.

 

(pause)

 

It’s possible for all of us to be holy, because we have received the gift of the Holy Spirit through the grace of the sacrament of Baptism.  

 

Grace is a free and underserved gift that God gives us to respond to his call. In our Baptism we receive sanctifying grace. 

 

This enables us to believe in and love God and the power to live and act under the Holy spirit through the gifts of the Holy spirit.  

 

This allows us to grow in goodness through the moral virtues.   

 

Also in being baptism in Christ, we also are called to participate in being priest, prophet, and king in our particular state in life.

 

(Pause)

 

Each of us are called by God to a special role in this world to glorify him.  

 

What is that special role?  

 

It’s the vocation we’re called to.  

 

We have been chosen by God before the foundation of the world to be holy.  

 

Being holy is the person that God chose you to be. I

 

t could be the ordained ministry, as priest or deacon, a religious sister or brother, or it could be as lay person who is married or single.   

 

In our culture today it’s very challenging to think of being a possession of God chosen for a particular role in life. 

 

As Americans we tend to think in terms of having the freedom to choose what we want to be.  

 

And we do have the freedom to do so. 

 

But as Christians, redeemed by Christ, it’s important to discover God plan for us. 

 

The requires setting aside time in quiet reflection in prayer in discerning what God is calling us to.  

 

This is important to do when we are young, but also throughout our entire lives.

 

(Pause)

 

Are we called to be a shepherd or dresser of sycamores like Amos or are we called by God to prophesy?   

 

Are we called to be fishermen like the Apostles or are we called to be sent to cat out demons and spread the Good news of Jesus? 

 

Some of us may have the calling to be directly involved in God’s work as priest, deacon, religious, or lay ministers working in the Church.  

 

But a vast majority will be called as married and single person raising families and working jobs to support our families. 

 

Whatever we are called to, we are all called to be holy.  

 

The call to Holiness for all the faithful was a central theme of the Second Vatican Council.  

 

The Vactican II document, Lumen Gentum, details how each of us in our particular roles is called to Holiness.  

 

One of the most powerful statements I found in this document was under the title, COUNTERCUTURAL. 

 

It stated: THEREefore, all the faithful of Christ are invited to strive for the holiness and perfection of their own proper state.

 

(Pause)         

 

So you may be called to be a plumber, nurse, or librarian.  

 

But you may also be casting out demons by helping a co-worker overcome an addiction.  

 

You may be a banker, salesperson, or cook.  

But you’ll be healing a broken heart in being present to a friend who has a lost a loved one.   

 

You may also be a priest bringing God’s healing through the sacraments of anointing of the sick and reconciliation.  

 

By loving God and Neighbor in your state of life you’ll be living a life of holiness.

 

Whatever you’re called to, you’ll be empowered through the grace of the Holy Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation.  

 

And this grace will be continually being strengthened through the Eucharist, that you can receive each and every week.  

 

As you come forward to receive the Eucharist today, thank God for this grace to help you live your call to holiness.