Homily
10th Sunday of Ordinary Time C
St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at the University of Kansas
Daily Readings
Today's readings give us great cause for hope, no matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves. In each of the readings, the circumstances are dire - they are dramatic - much more so when we care to look deeply into the context of the readings. In each case, hope seems to be lost - there seems to be no way to turn around - and yet God acts dramatically. He brings new life out of hopelessness. For he is the God who has, who can, and who does being something out of nothing.
Let's take the first reading as perhaps the most dramatic example. Elijah was sent as a prophet to a faraway land, and in obeying the command of the Lord he finds himself at the mercy of the widow of Zarepheth. It was during a severe famine, and the last place you would want to be in a famine would be far from home and security, and dependent upon a widow, who had nothing. In fact, prior to today's reading, we learn that the widow of Zarepheth was down to her last bit of oil and flour. Still, the Lord commanded Elijah to be dependent upon her, and he and the widow trusted in God, and they ate and ate and the flour and the oil did not run out.
Yet even after this dramatic miracle that saved Elijah and the widow, we see how quickly we can forget the power of God to bring something out of nothing. Once her son falls deathly ill, the widow loses faith and hope quickly. She accused Elijah of playing a trick - of coming first for food but ultimately to expose her sin and to kill her son. The widow quickly loses hope, until Elijah prays to God to save the boy and he is made well.
The Gospel follows the same pattern. The widow of Nain has lost her only source of support and her dearest relationship. She has lost her son. Yet Jesus intervenes dramatically to show that God can act in the worst of circumstances. God has power over life and death. Jesus shows as well that God cares about our condition, and there is no reason for us to despair in any circumstance, for God sees us and knows us and loves us and desires what is good for us.
We have just completed our 50 days of dramatic celebration of Jesus' Resurrection - the power and wonder of the Easter season. We have celebrated the dramatic and final victory that Jesus has won over sin and death, a victory that only needs to be extended into time and space. The victory is the fruit of a love that is beyond our imagination, a love stronger than anything, and a love that attends each one of us as we live on the edge of life and death, as we pass over constantly from this world to the world to come, a love that casts out all fear. Yet even with the depth of our celebration of Easter, how quickly do we get frustrated when things don't go our way. How quickly do we lose hope when our life in this world is messed up. How quickly does despair set in when we lose control? We are challenged by today's readings to not lose hope, for God has, and does, and will bring good things out of the worst of circumstances. He can even bring life from death.
We take St. Paul as a great example as well that we should not give up on our mission and vocation in life either. Wherever we are at this moment, St. Paul was further behind when he was called to be an apostle. He says plainly that he was the greatest persecutor of the Church you could imagine. He hated Christians perfectly and with great zeal. Yet out of this God called him, and without ever meeting Jesus face to face he became the greatest of the apostles in evangelical zeal, having a greater impact perhaps than all the other apostles combined. This is meant as an encouragement to us, wherever we are, to not quit, and to find hope that we too can fulfill our destiny and mission in life.
The readings today are straightforward. Do not despair. God is with you. He can act in the worst of circumstances. Do not lose hope! Don't give up!
10th Sunday of Ordinary Time C
St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at the University of Kansas
Daily Readings
Today's readings give us great cause for hope, no matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves. In each of the readings, the circumstances are dire - they are dramatic - much more so when we care to look deeply into the context of the readings. In each case, hope seems to be lost - there seems to be no way to turn around - and yet God acts dramatically. He brings new life out of hopelessness. For he is the God who has, who can, and who does being something out of nothing.
Let's take the first reading as perhaps the most dramatic example. Elijah was sent as a prophet to a faraway land, and in obeying the command of the Lord he finds himself at the mercy of the widow of Zarepheth. It was during a severe famine, and the last place you would want to be in a famine would be far from home and security, and dependent upon a widow, who had nothing. In fact, prior to today's reading, we learn that the widow of Zarepheth was down to her last bit of oil and flour. Still, the Lord commanded Elijah to be dependent upon her, and he and the widow trusted in God, and they ate and ate and the flour and the oil did not run out.
Yet even after this dramatic miracle that saved Elijah and the widow, we see how quickly we can forget the power of God to bring something out of nothing. Once her son falls deathly ill, the widow loses faith and hope quickly. She accused Elijah of playing a trick - of coming first for food but ultimately to expose her sin and to kill her son. The widow quickly loses hope, until Elijah prays to God to save the boy and he is made well.
The Gospel follows the same pattern. The widow of Nain has lost her only source of support and her dearest relationship. She has lost her son. Yet Jesus intervenes dramatically to show that God can act in the worst of circumstances. God has power over life and death. Jesus shows as well that God cares about our condition, and there is no reason for us to despair in any circumstance, for God sees us and knows us and loves us and desires what is good for us.
We have just completed our 50 days of dramatic celebration of Jesus' Resurrection - the power and wonder of the Easter season. We have celebrated the dramatic and final victory that Jesus has won over sin and death, a victory that only needs to be extended into time and space. The victory is the fruit of a love that is beyond our imagination, a love stronger than anything, and a love that attends each one of us as we live on the edge of life and death, as we pass over constantly from this world to the world to come, a love that casts out all fear. Yet even with the depth of our celebration of Easter, how quickly do we get frustrated when things don't go our way. How quickly do we lose hope when our life in this world is messed up. How quickly does despair set in when we lose control? We are challenged by today's readings to not lose hope, for God has, and does, and will bring good things out of the worst of circumstances. He can even bring life from death.
We take St. Paul as a great example as well that we should not give up on our mission and vocation in life either. Wherever we are at this moment, St. Paul was further behind when he was called to be an apostle. He says plainly that he was the greatest persecutor of the Church you could imagine. He hated Christians perfectly and with great zeal. Yet out of this God called him, and without ever meeting Jesus face to face he became the greatest of the apostles in evangelical zeal, having a greater impact perhaps than all the other apostles combined. This is meant as an encouragement to us, wherever we are, to not quit, and to find hope that we too can fulfill our destiny and mission in life.
The readings today are straightforward. Do not despair. God is with you. He can act in the worst of circumstances. Do not lose hope! Don't give up!
2 comments:
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