Deacon Joe's Homily

My father is a Deacon in the Roman Catholic Church. One of his duties has been to write and give the homilies occasionally at Sunday Mass. I asked my sister to send me the one that he is giving this Sunday. This is my father's legacy to his children and grandchildren. Normally he gives them at Mass and then puts them in a drawer. Now anyone can read his words and learn from his wisdom. Enjoy!

20TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
AUGUST 19, 2007
LUKE 12:49-53

A MOTHER AND HER SON WERE SHARPLY DIVIDED ONE MORNING ON THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THE SON WOULD GO TO SCHOOL THAT DAY. “I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU SAY, I’M NOT GOING TO SCHOOL TODAY.” THE SON SAID TO THE MOTHER. “I INSIST THAT YOU GO! YOU MUST GO!” SAID THE MOTHER. “YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND, MOTHER.” SAID THE SON. “THE KIDS DON’T LIKE ME. THE TEACHERS DON’T LIKE ME. THE BUS DRIVER HATES ME. THE CUSTODIANS HAVE IT IN FOR ME. AND THE SUPERINTENDENT WANTS TO TRANSFER ME.” “NOW YOU LISTEN TO ME,” REPLIED THE MOTHER, “YOU MUST GO TO SCHOOL. YOU HAVE A LOT TO LEARN AND YOU HAVE A LOT TO OFFER. BESIDES, YOU ARE FORTY-FIVE YEARS OLD AND YOU’RE THE PRINCIPAL.”

IN THE GOSPEL READING TODAY, AFTER JESUS TOLD HIS DISCIPLES: “I HAVE COME TO LIGHT A FIRE ON EARTH,” JESUS GOES ON TO SAY THAT HIS COMING WOULD CAUSE DIVISION ON EARTH. IN OTHER WORDS, THOSE WHO WERE FAITHFUL TO HIS MESSAGE WOULD FIND THAT HIS LIFE AND DEATH WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE SO THAT THINGS COULD NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN.

WHAT JESUS IS SAYING, IS THAT EACH OF US MUST MAKE OUR OWN INDIVIDUAL DECISION REGARDING THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT TO BECOME FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS OF HIM. WHEN WE ACCEPT THE WAY OF JESUS, WE ARE GOING TO ENCOUNTER OPPOSITION AT SOME POINT IN OUR LIVES. WHEN JESUS SAYS HE CAME FOR DIVISION, “. . . A HOUSEHOLD OF FIVE WILL BE DIVIDED THREE AGAINST TWO AND TWO AGAINST THREE; FATHER WILL BE SPLIT AGAINST SON AND SON AGAINST FATHER, MOTHER AGAINST DAUGHTER. . .” HE IS SAYING IN OTHER WORDS THAT THE FINAL DECISION IS YOURS AND YOURS ALONE. A MOTHER CANNOT MAKE THE DECISION FOR A SON, A FATHER FOR HIS DAUGHTER, ONE SPOUSE FOR THE OTHER. AMONG ALL THE FATHERS AND MOTHERS, HUSBANDS AND WIVES, SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THIS WORLD, THERE WILL BE THOSE WHO WILL ACCEPT THE TRANSFORMATION OF THEIR LIVES BY GOD’S SPIRIT OF LOVE AND THOSE WHO WILL REJECT IT.

WHEN YOU COME RIGHT DOWN TO IT, THIS IS A DISTURBING GOSPEL PASSAGE. WE ALWAYS THINK OF JESUS AS COMING TO BRING PEACE, BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS COMING ISN’T ALWAYS PEACE. SOMETIMES THERE WILL BE SUFFERING, SOMETIMES DIVISION EVEN IN CLOSE-KNIT FAMILIES. THAT’S WHY WE NEED THE SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE OTHER SCRIPTURE READINGS TODAY.

JEREMIAH WAS AN HONORED PROPHET. BUT ONCE HE BEGAN PREDICTING DEFEAT, NOBODY WANTED TO HEAR IT. HE WAS BAD FOR THE MORALE OF THE PEOPLE. SO WHAT DID THEY DO? THEY TRIED TO GET RID OF HIM BY PUTTING HIM INTO CISTERN WHERE THERE WAS NO WATER, ONLY MUD AS POOR JEREMIAH SANK INTO THE MUD, THE LEFT HIM THERE TO DIE. FAITHFULNESS TO A MISSION FROM GOD CAN BRING SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. READING FURTHER, WE FIND THAT JEREMIAH’S STORY IS ALSO FULL OF SALVATION AND HOPE. HE WAS RESCUED FROM THE PLOT TO KILL HIM. THE POINT IS: GOD SAVED HIM.

IN THE SECOND READING FROM THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWS, WE ARE TOLD TO “PERSEVERE IN RUNNING THE RACE THAT LIES AHEAD,” AND NOT TO ABANDON THE STRUGGLE. JESUS, HIMSELF, WAS THE EXAMPLE USED. JESUS THREW OFF ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WOULD HoLD HIM BACK; HE ENDURED THE SHAME, HE WITHSTOOD THE OPPOSITION. IF WE KEEP HIM FOREMOST IN OUR MINDS, WE WON’T GIVE UP FOR WANT OF COURAGE. THE READING TELLS US “TO KEEP OUR EYES ON JESUS, WHO INSPIRES AND PERFECTS OUR FAITH.”

IN MANY WAYS, AND MOST OF THE TIME, BEING A FOLLOWER OF JESUS IS FAIRLY ROUTINE AND NORMAL FOR US. BECAUSE WE ARE ALL BELIEVERS, OUR LIVES AND THE WAY WE LIVE ARE CERTAINLY DEEPLY AFFECTED. WE ALL HAVE VALUES AND WE LIVE IN A WAY THAT WOULD BE QUITE DIFFERENT IF WERE NOT FOLLOWERS OF JESUS. BUT BY AND LARGE IT’S ROUTINE. AND FOR THAT, LET’S THANK GOD FOR THE ROOTS WE HAVE, THE PEACE THAT WE ENJOY, AND THE SECURITY THAT DOES IN FACT EXIST IN OUR LIVES.

BUT SOMETIMES WE ARE FACED WITH EVENTS AND CHOICES THAT MAKE US KNOW THE IMPACT OF JESUS’ WORDS ABOUT DIVISION, LIFE AND STRIFE.

WE ALL HAVE A CHOICE AS TO WHOM OR TO WHAT WE WILL SERVE. CHOOSE WE MUST! IT IS A FOREGONE CONCLUSION THAT WE WILL SERVE SOMETHING OR SOMEONE. FROM THE DAY WE COME INTO THIS WORLD, ALL SORTS OF THINGS START REACHING OUT WITH STRONG HANDS TRYING TO TAKE CONTROL OF OUR LIVES. AND SOONER OR LATER SOMETHING GETS US. WITH SOME PEOPLE, IT IS DRUGS, ALCOHOL, SEXUAL EXPLOITATION, THE LOVE OF MONEY AND MATERIAL THINGS AND/OR A GROWING SENSE OF LIFE’S FUTILITY. WITH OTHERS IT IS A DEVOTION TO FAMILY, LOYALTY TO FRIENDS, A HIGH VOCATION, A WORTHY CAUSE, AND/OR A RADIANT PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE’S ETERNAL MEANING. SOMETHING GETS US – IF NOT FAITH, THEN FEAR. IF NOT HOPE, THEN DESPAIR. IF NOT LOVE, THEN SELFISHNESS. IF NOT HIGH, THEN LOW. SOMETHING GETS US. LET’S FACE IT . . . THAT IS ONE OF THE REALISTIC FACTS OF LIFE.

A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN MY GRANDSON WAS IN SECOND GRADE, HE SAID, “GRANDPA, I’VE NOTICED SOMETHING.” IT TURNED OUT TO BE AN INTERESTING OBSERVATION ON HIS PART, ESPECIALLY ONE SO YOUNG. HE SAID,” I’VE NOTICED THAT THE KIDS WHO GO TO SCHOOL AND DON’T PAY ATTENTION AND ARE ALWAYS FOOLING AROUND DON’T MAKE OUT VERY GOOD LATER ON IN LIFE. THEY USUALLY END UP DRINKING BEER OR SMOKING POT AND HAVE AN AWFUL TIME FINDING A JOB THEY LIKE. ON THE OTHER HAND,” HE SAID,” THE KIDS WHO GO TO SCHOOL AND PAY ATTENTION USUALLY GO ON TO COLLEGE AND END UP WITH A GOOD PAYING JOB, A NICE HOME AND FAMILY AND SEEM TO ENJOY LIFE A LOT MORE.”

I NEVER REALIZED IT, BUT IT DOES SEEM THAT YOUNG PEOPLE START USING THEIR OPTIONS ON REALLY IMPORTANT DECISIONS EARLY IN LIFE. THE POINT IS THAT SOONER OR LATER SOMETHING GETS HOLD OF EVERYONE OF US. WE CANNOT LIVE VERY LONG WITHOUT SOME COMPELLING INFLUENCE TAKING HOLD OF OUR LIVES.

THEN THERE ARE TIMES WE FACE DIFFICULT MORAL DECISIONS, PERHAPS ABOUT JUSTICE, HONESTY, A TEMPTING OFFER TO MAKE AN EASY DOLLAR, ISSUES OF ABORTION OR ABOUT BEING FAITHFUL TO A COMMITMENT OR A RELATIONSHIP.

WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, OUR DECISIONS AND ACTIONS ARE CRUCIAL. JESUS WANTS US TO BE FAITHFUL TO HIS TEACHINGS WHICH WILL HAVE AN EFFECT NOT ONLY ON OUR LIVES BY THE LIVES OF THOSE ABOUT US.

THE POINT IS: BEING FAITHFUL TO JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO BRING LONG TERM PEACE, BUT IT MIGHT COST. IN THE SHORT RUN, OUR FAITHFULNESS MIGHT, AT TIMES, DISTURB THE PEACE, BRING STRIFE AND CAUSE DIVISION.

MANY PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THE WORDS JESUS SPEAKS ARE SPIRIT AND LIFE. IT IS THE SPIRIT THAT GIVES LIFE, THE FLESH IS USELESS. ALL WE MUST DO IS TO WANT TO TAKE HIS WORD SERIOUSLY AND THEN PRAY TO THE LORD FOR THE CONVICTION AND POWER TO LIVE THEM OUT. JESUS IS NOT SETTING BEFORE US IDEALS TO DISCOURAGE US. HE KNOWS THAT WE LACK THE POWER TO EXPERIENCE ALL THE POTENTIAL OF THE GOSPEL, BUT WE ARE NOT ALONE. THE FATHER DRAWS US TO JESUS AND JESUS SPEAKS TO US WHICH ARE SPIRIT AND LIFE. WE NEED TO APPLY OUR MINDS TO THEM AND ASK THE LORD FOR THE POWER TO LIVE THEM. IF YOU REALLY TRULY BELIEVE AND IF YOU TRY TO LIVE OUT WHAT YOU KNOW TO BE TRUE, YOUR MIND WILL EXPAND AND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THE MANY THINGS THAT NOW SEEM LIKE MYSTERIES TO YOU. THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL OPEN YOUR MID TO UNDERSTANDING. THE DECISION IS YOURS. MAKE SURE YOU MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE.

SOMETIMES, WE MIGHT NEED COURAGE LIKE JESUS HAD. WHEN WE DO, WE HAVE HIS WORD AND THE EUCHARIST --- THE FOOD THAT BRINGS US INTO COMMUNION WITH HIM AND NOURISHES US SO THAT WE TOO CAN WITHSTAND THE PRESSURE. IN HIS OWN WORDS, HE SAYS TO US “KNOW THAT I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD.”

IN YOUR PRAYERS THIS WEEK, YOU CAN GO BEFORE THE LORD AND SAY “LORD, I PLACE MY TRUST IN YOU. I BELIEVE IN YOU, AND WANT MY BELIEF TO GROW. I WANT TO COME TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT YOU, THE MYSTERIES OF YOUR KINGDOM AND THE WAY YOU WANT ME TO LIVE MY LIFE. HELP ME GROW IN MY UNDERSTANDING AND IN MY FAITH, I KNOW IT IS YOUR WILL FOR ME TO DO THIS. FOR YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE.”