Homily
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time A
Christ the King Parish Topeka
15 November 2014
Daily Readings
Audio
Archbishop Naumann was in town for a fundraiser for Hayden High School, and engaged in a very frank discussion with supporters of Hayden about the current condition and future fate of the high school. Lots of things were discussed that affect Hayden, but the Archbishop cut through the conversation by stating that above all, his number one concern was whether the high school was forming real Christian disciples. Specifically, are the young people encountering the person of Jesus Christ, the source of all learning and goodness, in a personal, life-changing way. The Archbishop said that if they are, then everything else will take care of itself. But if they are not, then the whole mission of the high school was pointless. It doesn't matter how many national merit scholars or state championships are won; what matters for the long term, in God's eyes, is discipleship. Are these young people becoming the disciples that Jesus is calling them to be? The Archbishop said he is sick and tired of people telling him that their sons and daughters are fallen-away Catholics, that they no longer go to Church. This is his number one concern - that our Church has to find a way to make fervent and real disciples.
The parable of the talents is about investing our faith in risky, radical ways. Nothing is clearer in the parable than the fact that faith buried is faith lost. Faith lived privately, or in fear, is faith that is worthless. So often, our Church remains in maintenance mode, or yields only a portion of the fruit that the Lord is calling us to bear, because we live our faith at a minimum. Faith has to be daring and radical - our biggest conversion is never behind us - it is always ahead of us. Otherwise, it is not faith, it is a hedging of our bets . . a giving only insofar as it works for me and I get something back. But Christianity - discipleship - the Gospel - and stewardship - is a zero sum game. Either we recognize that everything is a gift from God, and all that I have belongs to him, or I'm not living faith at all. Either I find myself giving more of my time, talent and treasure than I ever thought I would , in order to multiply the talents I have been given, and to build up God's kingdom, or I'm not living faith. Either I'm all in, or I shouldn't be in at all. Either I am in the business of making disciples, either I am a radical evangelizer myself, or I am slowly but surely losing what little faith I claim to have. The parable couldn't be clearer.
I am asking the parish to pledge time, talent and treasure, and to invest in the mission the Lord has entrusted to Christ the King parish, in a formal way for the 2015 calendar year. It has been some years since Christ the King has done a formal stewardship drive. I am sure some of you will hate it. But we have to push forward as a faith community, always risking more of our time, talent, and treasure in response to what we have received from God, praying desperately with our pledges that our parish will be able to bear the fruit that God has given us to bear. This fruit will not come to pass if we simply ask people to give whatever they feel the parish is worth to them; no, every one of us, starting with myself, must be challenged and pushed to be more radical in our discipleship, and in our giving. Everyone must give more and more, and to give priority and planning to their proportional giving to the parish. We see the alternative in the Gospel of giving cautiously . . it is to accept a slow and steady decline in our faith.
Of course the parish has a responsibility not just to challenge you to give, but to be a good steward of what is given. I pray that I will be a more effective leader in using the leadership gifts of the parish to be more transparent and engaging with everything that is shared with Christ the King. Your parish and finance councils are available the next two weekends to answer your questions. We have been blessed with a lot at Christ the King, so much is expected of us. I hope you will agree with me that with all the good that is already done at our parish, still we are called to do more; specifically, we must find a way to make every parishioner a radical disciple and evangelizer - our parish must be an engaging and misisonary parish - one that is not afraid of losing its young people or in simply maintaining the faith, but a parish that will not settle for anything less than producing saints and holy vocations, and a parish that is always in aggressive growth mode.
You all know that as your pastor, I love change. Change is hard, and I've been hard on the parish in some ways, and this stewardship drive is yet another example of how much I expect out of you. But I promise you this, as much as I am asking you to change and to do more as a parish, I pledge as your pastor to change even more myself. In cutting my teeth as a new pastor, I have made a lot of mistakes. I have been rash in changing some things, and have not been as patient and as vulnerable, nor a good listener, that a pastor has to be. I have not heeded the call of Pope Francis for the shepherds of the church to first cry for and with their people, to take on the smell of the sheep in service, and to sacrifice until the people know that you love them. I have a lot of growth to do as your pastor. I humbly ask for your forgiveness for my own mistakes, and the ways I have hurt the parish by my own selfishness, or tried to change things only to fit me. Of all the people in the parish, your pastor is the one who needs to give more, and to sacrifice more. I did not come into the nicknames of Fr. Spends a lot, talks a lot, changes a lot, and is gone all the time for nothing . . I probably earned them. As much as I am asking you to change, and to pledge in this year's stewardship drive more than you ever thought you would pledge, I pledge to you that I will lead the way in changing even more.
Christ the King parish has to bear the fruit the Lord has given us to bear. I need your help. Let us pray for each other, and do this together. Amen.
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time A
Christ the King Parish Topeka
15 November 2014
Daily Readings
Audio
Archbishop Naumann was in town for a fundraiser for Hayden High School, and engaged in a very frank discussion with supporters of Hayden about the current condition and future fate of the high school. Lots of things were discussed that affect Hayden, but the Archbishop cut through the conversation by stating that above all, his number one concern was whether the high school was forming real Christian disciples. Specifically, are the young people encountering the person of Jesus Christ, the source of all learning and goodness, in a personal, life-changing way. The Archbishop said that if they are, then everything else will take care of itself. But if they are not, then the whole mission of the high school was pointless. It doesn't matter how many national merit scholars or state championships are won; what matters for the long term, in God's eyes, is discipleship. Are these young people becoming the disciples that Jesus is calling them to be? The Archbishop said he is sick and tired of people telling him that their sons and daughters are fallen-away Catholics, that they no longer go to Church. This is his number one concern - that our Church has to find a way to make fervent and real disciples.
The parable of the talents is about investing our faith in risky, radical ways. Nothing is clearer in the parable than the fact that faith buried is faith lost. Faith lived privately, or in fear, is faith that is worthless. So often, our Church remains in maintenance mode, or yields only a portion of the fruit that the Lord is calling us to bear, because we live our faith at a minimum. Faith has to be daring and radical - our biggest conversion is never behind us - it is always ahead of us. Otherwise, it is not faith, it is a hedging of our bets . . a giving only insofar as it works for me and I get something back. But Christianity - discipleship - the Gospel - and stewardship - is a zero sum game. Either we recognize that everything is a gift from God, and all that I have belongs to him, or I'm not living faith at all. Either I find myself giving more of my time, talent and treasure than I ever thought I would , in order to multiply the talents I have been given, and to build up God's kingdom, or I'm not living faith. Either I'm all in, or I shouldn't be in at all. Either I am in the business of making disciples, either I am a radical evangelizer myself, or I am slowly but surely losing what little faith I claim to have. The parable couldn't be clearer.
I am asking the parish to pledge time, talent and treasure, and to invest in the mission the Lord has entrusted to Christ the King parish, in a formal way for the 2015 calendar year. It has been some years since Christ the King has done a formal stewardship drive. I am sure some of you will hate it. But we have to push forward as a faith community, always risking more of our time, talent, and treasure in response to what we have received from God, praying desperately with our pledges that our parish will be able to bear the fruit that God has given us to bear. This fruit will not come to pass if we simply ask people to give whatever they feel the parish is worth to them; no, every one of us, starting with myself, must be challenged and pushed to be more radical in our discipleship, and in our giving. Everyone must give more and more, and to give priority and planning to their proportional giving to the parish. We see the alternative in the Gospel of giving cautiously . . it is to accept a slow and steady decline in our faith.
Of course the parish has a responsibility not just to challenge you to give, but to be a good steward of what is given. I pray that I will be a more effective leader in using the leadership gifts of the parish to be more transparent and engaging with everything that is shared with Christ the King. Your parish and finance councils are available the next two weekends to answer your questions. We have been blessed with a lot at Christ the King, so much is expected of us. I hope you will agree with me that with all the good that is already done at our parish, still we are called to do more; specifically, we must find a way to make every parishioner a radical disciple and evangelizer - our parish must be an engaging and misisonary parish - one that is not afraid of losing its young people or in simply maintaining the faith, but a parish that will not settle for anything less than producing saints and holy vocations, and a parish that is always in aggressive growth mode.
You all know that as your pastor, I love change. Change is hard, and I've been hard on the parish in some ways, and this stewardship drive is yet another example of how much I expect out of you. But I promise you this, as much as I am asking you to change and to do more as a parish, I pledge as your pastor to change even more myself. In cutting my teeth as a new pastor, I have made a lot of mistakes. I have been rash in changing some things, and have not been as patient and as vulnerable, nor a good listener, that a pastor has to be. I have not heeded the call of Pope Francis for the shepherds of the church to first cry for and with their people, to take on the smell of the sheep in service, and to sacrifice until the people know that you love them. I have a lot of growth to do as your pastor. I humbly ask for your forgiveness for my own mistakes, and the ways I have hurt the parish by my own selfishness, or tried to change things only to fit me. Of all the people in the parish, your pastor is the one who needs to give more, and to sacrifice more. I did not come into the nicknames of Fr. Spends a lot, talks a lot, changes a lot, and is gone all the time for nothing . . I probably earned them. As much as I am asking you to change, and to pledge in this year's stewardship drive more than you ever thought you would pledge, I pledge to you that I will lead the way in changing even more.
Christ the King parish has to bear the fruit the Lord has given us to bear. I need your help. Let us pray for each other, and do this together. Amen.
1 comment:
Hi- I would like to request prayers for the victims of rape and abuse by members of the Catholic Church. Many of them were children when they were attacked or abused. This is also an ongoing crisis, with new victims each year, worldwide. I will remember them and their stories forever, but for the healing to truly take place, it will take the voices and efforts of many. To paraphrase a poem by an Indian schoolgirl, "Too many Catholics, in too many countries, speak the same language-- of silence." Thank you.
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