God has deep pockets

Homily
Tuesday of the 8th Week of Ordinary Time I
St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at the University of Kansas
1 March 2011
Daily Readings

God will not be outdone in generosity. This is the promise emphasized both in Sirach and by our Lord today. God's gifts might be quite strange at times. Jesus throws in persecutions right in between more land and eternal life, as if persecutions will be as sweet as the other things he promises. Strange, but he lists them as a gift nonetheless. God will not be outdone in generosity. The most adventuresome life he proposes for us is to have as much fun as we can trying to outdo him in generosity.

When we start counting the cost of discipleship, as Peter begins to do, or begin to put a relative value on God's gifts that He has given and is giving and will give, or if we give to God only as a bribe, then the relationship with God breaks down. We can put no relative amount of our lives on the altar when we come to Mass. If we do, we speak a different language of love than the language the Lord speaks from the cross, and the relationship breaks down. The result of a measured discipleship is always a deep suspicion on our part that God is defrauding us, or treating us not as children, but as slaves.

God's ways, especially if we might see even the trials of our lives as his personal gifts to us, only make sense when we allow Him first to speak His language of love deep within our hearts, and we allow Christ to speak it perfectly from the cross, from where that love is made perfectly present to us. If we can look at the cross and trust in God's love and his justice, then our lives can truly become the great adventure of trying to outdo God in generosity. We can enter into the great adventure of losing ourselves and finding that in putting ourselves last, God is ready to give us more than we would ever choose for ourselves, and He places us first in His heart.

For the Church, that all Christians would never tire of making sincere offerings of themselves to God and to one another, we pray . . . .

For the world, that reconciliation may be possible through mutual sacrifices made for the common good, especially for the most vulnerable, we pray . . ..

For the mission of St. Lawrence Catholic Center, that charity may reign in all that we say and do to bring the Gospel of love to campus, we pray . . .

For the personal intentions that we bring to Mass today, especially for the lonely, the sick and the doubtful that are close to us, we pray . . . .

Heavenly Father, with a deep trust that flows from the heart of your Son, and by the gifts of your Holy Spirit, give to the seminarians, novices, and all young people of the Archdiocese the courage to respond generously as you call them to the priesthood and religious life. Give them strong examples of holy priests and religious, and may they be helped by the intercession of the saints and by our prayers, to pattern their lives after Mary, who was not afraid to let it be done to Her according to your Word. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Heavenly Father, with a deep trust in the love that flows from the heart of your Son, and by the gifts