Homily
Saturday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time IIB
3 November 2018
St. Lawrence Catholic Center at the University of Kansas
Koinonia Retreat 28
AMDG JMJ +m
Chad was my archnemesis as I grew up. Many of you are familiar with sibling rivalries. I have 4 brothers and one sister. My competition was always with the first-born of our family - Chad - who is 11 months older than me.
I shared a room with Chad until he left for college. It was 17 years of constant competition. I wanted so badly to beat Chad in things that I even tested out of freshman algebra so I could jump into into my brother's sophomore math class. I am sure I was super annoying to Chad, the younger brother always nipping at his heels.
My brother Chad is great at almost everything. I couldn't really beat him in anything. Most of all, he could always kick my butt physically.
I hope the sibling rivalry brought out some good in both of us. My calling to the priesthood might be explained by my trying to win the sibling rivalry once and for all. I found something that my brother couldn't do. In fact I found something that few guys could do - become a priest. So I did it. It is part of the competition for a place of honor that Jesus warns about in today's Gospel.
I pray there was also a call from Jesus in the equation as well. My calling was inspired too though, by my fascination with St. John Paul II, and my wanting to be more like him. After meeting John Paul II I remember thinking the priesthood is the greatest thing I could do with my life. Since becoming a priest I find myself comparing my priesthood to superstar priests like Bishop Robert Barron or Fr. Mike Schmitz. I am competitive to the core, and unfortunately, very attracted to ranking and places of honor.
Jesus says clearly in the Gospel that if we are going to get into comparisons, only one competition matters - taking the lowest place. While we may never be the best in the universe at any one particular skill, we can and should be the best in the universe at giving our precise life away, a life that will only uniquely exist once in the history of the universe.
I might not be the next St. John Paul II or Bishop Barron or Fr. Mike, but I can give my life away in a place and manner that none of them could. So Jesus reminds me to quit worrying about comparisons, and to compete in the only thing that matters - taking the lowest place.
St. John Paul II referred often to a passage in Gaudium et Spes. It says simply that man only finds himself through a sincere gift of himself. So if you want to be unique and to have honor, then make yourself last, and God will exalt you more than you could ever exalt yourself.
Saturday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time IIB
3 November 2018
St. Lawrence Catholic Center at the University of Kansas
Koinonia Retreat 28
AMDG JMJ +m
Chad was my archnemesis as I grew up. Many of you are familiar with sibling rivalries. I have 4 brothers and one sister. My competition was always with the first-born of our family - Chad - who is 11 months older than me.
I shared a room with Chad until he left for college. It was 17 years of constant competition. I wanted so badly to beat Chad in things that I even tested out of freshman algebra so I could jump into into my brother's sophomore math class. I am sure I was super annoying to Chad, the younger brother always nipping at his heels.
My brother Chad is great at almost everything. I couldn't really beat him in anything. Most of all, he could always kick my butt physically.
I hope the sibling rivalry brought out some good in both of us. My calling to the priesthood might be explained by my trying to win the sibling rivalry once and for all. I found something that my brother couldn't do. In fact I found something that few guys could do - become a priest. So I did it. It is part of the competition for a place of honor that Jesus warns about in today's Gospel.
I pray there was also a call from Jesus in the equation as well. My calling was inspired too though, by my fascination with St. John Paul II, and my wanting to be more like him. After meeting John Paul II I remember thinking the priesthood is the greatest thing I could do with my life. Since becoming a priest I find myself comparing my priesthood to superstar priests like Bishop Robert Barron or Fr. Mike Schmitz. I am competitive to the core, and unfortunately, very attracted to ranking and places of honor.
Jesus says clearly in the Gospel that if we are going to get into comparisons, only one competition matters - taking the lowest place. While we may never be the best in the universe at any one particular skill, we can and should be the best in the universe at giving our precise life away, a life that will only uniquely exist once in the history of the universe.
I might not be the next St. John Paul II or Bishop Barron or Fr. Mike, but I can give my life away in a place and manner that none of them could. So Jesus reminds me to quit worrying about comparisons, and to compete in the only thing that matters - taking the lowest place.
St. John Paul II referred often to a passage in Gaudium et Spes. It says simply that man only finds himself through a sincere gift of himself. So if you want to be unique and to have honor, then make yourself last, and God will exalt you more than you could ever exalt yourself.
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