Homily for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

 

Ez 2:2-5

Ps 123:1-4

2 Cor 12:7-10

Mk 6:1-6

 

St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, Burkburnett, TX

St. Paul Catholic Church, Electra, TX

Christ the King Catholic Church, Iowa Park, TX

 

You will likely hear me say this many times over the next few years: ‘the more things change; the more things stay the same!’ Ezekiel was a prophet who lived during the Babylonian Exile, following the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Jewish people, held in captivity had begun to wander from their faith and adopt customs offensive to God from the culture that surrounded them. Sound familiar? In the Catechism, Holy Mother Church teaches us that the prophets were sent by God to give his people an “education in faith and conversion of heart.” (CCC 2581) But the Jewish people refused to listen to Ezekiel and chose to reject God and his Truth. And their exile continued for many more years.

In the Gospel reading, Jesus has come home to Nazareth and for the last time, enters the synagogue he has visited many times before (see Mk 1:21, 1:39, and 3:1-6). He tried to preach the truth of God, the need for conversion, and the Kingdom of God to the Jewish people, but they rejected him and ridiculed him. They questioned his parentage and his heritage. 'How dare he, this lowly carpenter, the son of a woman who conceived outside of marriage, attempt to teach them about God and call them to conversion?!' In the rejection of Jesus at his home of Nazareth, there is a warning to us who are disciples today. We must be on guard that we do not become resistant to God’s call to faith and conversion.

Jesus was rejected by his family, his neighbors, his townspeople because he did not look or act in the way they felt a prophet should look and act. They were aware of the miracles Jesus had worked all around the area of Galilee as part of his ministry. They knew about Jesus preaching conversion and building the Kingdom of God, yet they could not get over the fact that Jesus wanted to include in his Kingdom those people many felt were undesirable: people from other cultures, people speaking strange languages, people that didn't look like them: the Gentiles, women, and the unclean: tax collectors and lepers. Jesus had returned to his home town because he wanted those closest to him to share in the Kingdom. But when they saw the others Jesus wanted in the Kingdom of God, they wanted no part of it!

How like the Jews of Ezekiel’s time and the Jews of Jesus’ time are we today? Do we at times find ourselves approaching our faith and the way we participate in the life of the parish based on who else is participating? Do we on occasion put conditions on our personal relationship with Jesus Christ based on our own expectations? Do we now and then agree to follow Christ, but only as far as his deacons, priests, and bishops preach and teach what fits our own personal agenda and makes us feel affirmed? My friends, that is not how faith works. I believe you know that. Jesus did not come to earth so that he could change his nature and his divine law and be more like us. He came so that we can learn his divine law and change to be more like Him! Like the people in Nazareth, sometimes we can be stubborn and hardheaded, can’t we? All too often, we want the presence and attention of Jesus, we want his blessings and grace, but we refuse to accept the changes in attitude and life (conversion) that he asks us to make.

Jesus wants to be in a committed relationship with us. But he is not going to force us. God did not force the Israelites in Babylon to accept his teaching, nor did he force the Jews in Nazareth to listen to his Son and follow him. Discipleship is a decision each one of us must make based on our own personal conviction. Each one of us must make that decision. And we must be willing to make that decision based on God’s terms in the Gospel, not on our terms. To be a disciple of Jesus Christ, we must respond in faith, humbly give him our ‘yes,’ and also be willing to make the changes he demands in our lives.

In my vocation as your priest, I act in persona Christi capitis, in the person of Christ the Head and Shepherd. (CCC 1548) In my service to you as my flock and in cooperation with you as coworkers in the Christ’s vineyard, Jesus himself becomes present to you via my priestly offices of shepherding, sanctifying, and teaching. We will work together to build our faith and embrace conversion of life. As we walk this exciting journey of discipleship hand in hand, I will frequently ask for your advice and opinion and how you want your parish and mine to grow, to thrive, and to build up the Kingdom of God. Please be honest and open and never, ever, ever be afraid to speak with me. My door is not always literally open, but somewhere on my calendar always is! Please – come by to see me. Better yet, invite me to lunch or dinner so I can get to know you, your hopes, your dreams, your fears, your ideas, and your visions for the parish.

Together we will celebrate many, many sacraments, liturgies, and rituals this beautiful bride of Christ has given to us to offer worship to God our Father. I will guide this wonderful parish in worshipping God in the way He desires to be worshipped, according to the rubrics and guidelines given to us by Holy Mother Church. Together, we will work hard to deepen our lives of prayer and to strengthen our personal relationships with our Risen Lord. In order to live, grow, and persevere in our Catholic faith to our very last day on earth, we must nourish it on the Sacred Scriptures, we must beg our God to increase it, and we must manifest it in works of charity, all grounded in the faith of the Church. (CCC 162)

I want to be there for you and with you in your best times and in your worst times. It is in our times of darkness we most need the light of Christ. If you are sick and need prayer and anointing, going into the hospital or are in the hospital, do not hesitate to call for me. I am never too busy to come to you with the sacraments. If you are spiritually sick and need confession, but cannot make it during a scheduled time, make an appointment or drop by to see me. ‘Go before you need to go so you do not have to go!'

Finally, I will do my absolute best to be a good teacher in my homilies and elsewhere. It is of the utmost importance to me that you be spiritually and intellectually nourished on the Word of God and on the doctrine of His Holy Catholic Church. I will preach to you the whole Gospel, not just the comfortable parts. Sometimes, you will feel warm and fuzzy after my homily. Sometimes, you will want to throw a shoe at me! You might even think ‘Father was mean today!’ That’s ok – I love you too much to allow you to stumble into fatal error and put your immortal soul into danger. I am here to save souls, not run a popularity contest. If my preaching never-ever makes you squirm a little and take a long look at yourself in the secret hidden places of your soul, then I will have utterly failed to fulfill my sacred call as a priest of Jesus Christ. I do not intend to fail you!

My brothers and sisters in Christ, I cannot be more overjoyed than to be with you here today as your priest. After Bishop Olson called me in San Antonio to give me my assignment, I was floating on the clouds for at least a week! I had a really hard time concentrating on finishing my last few papers and exams in seminary. All I could think about was getting here, and now -  here I am! I am your shepherd. Tell me how I can help you get to heaven. I am here to serve you. Let us walk this lifelong journey of faith and conversion together, shall we? I’ll see you in the Kingdom!

St. Joseph, Minister of Salvation, Pray for us!