Homily for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

 

Jer 31:7-9

Ps 126:1-6

Heb 5:1-6

Mk 10:46-52

 

St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, Burkburnett, TX

St. Paul Catholic Church, Electra, TX

Christ the King Catholic Church, Iowa Park, TX

 

A long time ago, in a parish far, far away…a young man was sitting in Mass one Sunday when the Director of Religious Education made an appeal to the assembly: “Religious Education classes start in three weeks, and we still are three teachers short. Please consider becoming a catechist.” The young man was disturbed. How terrible that his parish did not have enough people volunteering to teach the youth! He decided he would pray hard that week that three people would come forward. The following week at Mass, the DRE again made the same appeal: two weeks to go and she still needed two more teachers. Amazing, thought the young man! Why is it so hard to get volunteers here? He decided the pray even harder this week. Maybe some people would step up to help? Sure enough, the following Sunday, the DRE was begging for help again. Three days until classes started and she was still one teacher short. The young man shook his head. He was getting upset. What was wrong with all these people? Why is nobody willing to help out? Then, the Holy Spirit whacked him upside the head and convicted him: “Hey dummy! She’s talking to YOU” Three days later, I was teaching my first religious education class and I found in my subsequent 24 years volunteering in Christ’s Holy Catholic Church in various ministries, some of the most joy-filled and rewarding times I ever had.

The ending of our Psalm reminds of Jesus’ parable of the Sowers of Seed. Throughout our lives we sow seed by the choices we make. Eventually we will also reap the harvest of what we have sown. As such, we should take every care to ensure that the seed we sow is only the good seed and that we do not fail to sow it at all. The good news is that it is never too late in anyone’s life to sow good seed, that is, to do God’s will and work to build up the Kingdom of God.

Poor blind Bartimaeus sat by the roadside in our Gospel passage today. We don’t know if he was blind from birth or if some tragedy had taken his sight. Though the crowd and even the disciples tried to quiet him, Bartimaeus would not be silenced. Whether it was because he already had faith in Jesus of because he knew Jesus could provide him something other than money, he took a risk and called out to the Lord in case he might receive the alms of sight. Then he did something we need to sit up and take notice of. When Jesus called for him, Bartimaeus tossed aside his cloak. Why would he do that? Remember that Bartimaeus was blind – it was far too easy for him to lose things. Did he believe he would be able to somehow find it again after encountering Jesus? Did he toss it aside in his haste to get to Jesus as quickly as possible? In any case, because of the faith of Bartimaeus, the Lord restored his sight and then told him to “go on your way.” Bartimaeus did indeed go on his way – He followed Jesus on his way. Jesus’ way became Bartimaeus’ way. So too, Christ’s way is our way.

Faith in Jesus restored the sight of the blind man. Catechism 1184 defines faith as “the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us, and that Holy Church proposes for our belief, because he is truth itself.” God first offers us the gift of faith and then gives us the grace to be able to assent to what he invites us to believe. Understand this my friends – faith is not just a mental assent to what God proposes to us for belief. Oh, no, no! “The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, bear witness to it, and spread it… [through our words, deeds, and actions]” (CCC 1816) God gives us the gift of faith so that we can put it into practice in our everyday lives. As St. James reminds us poignantly, “Faith apart from works is dead.” (Jas 2:26).

We have successfully completed our Annual Diocesan Campaign wherein our treasure has been put into service. Now, today as your priest, your spiritual father, I am inviting you to offer a little bit of your time and some of your many talents in service to our parish.

COVID and other factors wreaked havoc on our once thriving array of ministries and apostolates. Now it is time to restart, rebuild, and recommit ourselves to the service of the Gospel here within our parishes. Today, in collaboration with your St. Jude Thaddeus pastoral council, I am presenting to you the opportunity to kick off the first three ministries most vital to the life of the parish. In the bulletin, you will find descriptions of these three service apostolates: Adoration Ministry – we need a team of people to come before the Blessed Sacrament for an hour a week, praying for the needs of our parish and for vocations. Care ministry – we need a team of people, sent out 2x2 to bring Holy Communion to the sick, shut-ins, and those in assisted care facilities. Guardian Ministry – we need a team of trained people ensuring we have a welcoming and safe environment at every Holy Mass, every weekend. Signup sheets for these ministries are on the table outside the doors. I ask to you please discern if the Holy Spirit may be calling you to manifest your faith by serving in one of these ministries. We will restart more once these three are well underway.

 Christ the King & St. Paul - soon, in collaboration with your pastoral councils, I will be giving you the opportunity to kick off the first three ministries most vital to the life of our parishes. Stay tuned! Watch the bulletin and social media pages

The Gospel today challenges us to respond to Christ and the gift of faith He has given to us. How will we respond? We have a choice in front of us, my friends. Will we be brave disciples, like Bartimaeus, casting aside our cloaks and quickly responding to the call? Will we be like that hesitant young man in the pews so long ago, needing a bit more prodding before stepping out his comfort zone? Jesus asked Bartimaeus “What do you want me to do for you?” Let us ask Jesus the same question, right now.

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