Fr. Paul's Homily - 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2-13-2022) at St. Mary's

the readings are presented in such a way because there's a theme that's running through them that oftentimes goes unnoticed when our gospel reading started out it said and jesus came down on level ground to meet the people and the people were a huge crowd from jerusalem and bethlehem judea and all the people from the north including tyre and sidon which is northern israel but the whole people of israel were being pulled together as one by jesus and jesus was in turn going to speak to him but those words that phrase the lord came down is also used another time in scriptures and it's the story of the tower of babel babel is basically the hebrew word for babylon that country which finally took over all of jerusalem sacked it not just the northern kingdom but also the two southern tribes were conquered by the babylonians and the people were disseminated the diaspora and spread throughout the whole region so that they could no longer worship god when the people were building the tower of babel they forgot the presence of god and tried to do things on their own just as human persons and they were so intrigued with what they could do that they rivaled god they themselves wanted to be godlike and they were worried about their reputation and their power and their strength and they're growing together as a people without acknowledging god so the story goes and god came down and the people were then dispersed and they couldn't speak the same languages well jesus is making his presence known and just as luke presents it you know jesus is the one who's now going to unite all the tribes together through his example of what it means to live with god jesus says to the people you need to appreciate that when you make god part of your life not just on sundays but part of your life that you're like as jeremiah says that tree that is near running water where troops stretch out and are able to endure even you know droughts because god's presence is with them it is that where by we get power and protection from our lord yet people oftentimes just as the people israel because they even though they form themselves as the most powerful nation under king david and solomon nevertheless the people forgot that they were one with god they forgot how they were taken out of egypt rescued by god and god was no longer part of their life and so the kingdom splintered it fell away and that's what jeremiah the prophet's talking about in regard to our first reading he's saying look there will be trust in humans well and you don't include god this is what will happen to you jesus is saying the same thing he says if you're not aware that you're called to be a person with god and others you're missing the point so if you're rich and all you think about is your own riches well that's going to be your consolation because all you're going to get is what here is here on earth and if you're satiated you're full well you're going to be hungry in the future eternally and if you're laughing and having grand old time and celebrating life here on earth without acknowledging god or others well guess what you will be weeping in mourning he gives a presentation whereby he says you can either be blessed or you can endure whoa for when you read include god and god is part of our life we are truly blessed and jesus acknowledges that that blessing doesn't just take place here and we're called to support and be a source of blessing for others know our celebration our reward will be great in heaven we will be able to jump with joy and exaltation because we'll be in the presence of god for all eternity but we need to remember how we are created in god's image and likeness that we're called to be a source of blessing for others that we have all of us possess gifts and ability to extend ourselves for others and when we do so and acknowledge god we thereby contribute to the well-being of the many that's when we acknowledge the many we become one with god and that's what really takes place in the eucharist and this celebration everyone is called to contribute everyone's called to offer their sacrifice and you're called to bring not just your money for the collection not just the representation of bread and wine and that'll be transformed into the body blood of christ but you bring your poverty you bring your your suffering you bring your pain your sacrifice everything you literally bring everything before god and thereby god perfects it and heals us there is a time within the liturgy that most people just see as an intermission well we go ahead and do the collection and they bring up the gifts but actually as pope benedict said this is a very important time in the liturgy and should be acknowledged and presented in a special way that people need to understand that the person to bringing up the gifts a representation of the whole community and they themselves are walking from the midst of the people to encounter the priest the priest is someone who comes down on level ground to meet the people he is acting in persona christi in the person of christ and the priest with the help of the deacon and the servers received the gifts and represents all your sacrifices all your work all your struggles everything and everyone is able to contribute and god then by brings us together as one and brings healing to each and every person so much so we in turn go out into the world as a source of blessing for others but i can say to you how often is it that ushers will ask you to bring up the collection and let people go no that's all right i don't want to do so um and it could be for any various reasons if the person could truly be shy somebody who doesn't like to be center of attention is understandable but when people do it because well they're having a bad hair day and don't recognize as an invitation to come before god that's problematic and when we're going to do it and say to ourselves well no somebody else can do it why does it have to be me try to appreciate you're being asked to represent the many people and give to christ which will be lifted up to god the father perfected by god the father and then god himself gives back gift to you his very being this body and blood making all one the holy spirit it says so in the eucharistic prayer besides which if you notice just as jesus went ahead and before he had the last supper said to his disciples go and prepare a place for the lord's supper and they went and did so and then they took the gifts of the people and christ acting as the high priest offered those things so that he could be one with us and we could be one with him he was bringing unity instead of division he was trying to get the people to understand that they can and ought to contribute that they're important their significance and the reason why we come to mass is to acknowledge that hey god made me in his image like this he gave me power he breathed his holy spirit into me i received him in the sacrament of baptism i receive him again in the sacrament of penance and confirmation i become configured to christ transformed it's because the persons bringing up the gifts represent the people that they journey with god offer gifts like god gives gifts who created the universe and everything in it and in turn god will transform not just the gifts into bread and wine but all the people you see because god does what he says he's going to do he says if you are poor you'll be blessed if you are hungry you will be satisfied and he feeds us with his body and blood and if we understand that we're suffering we can be consoled knowing that we shall laugh through his blessing we shall enjoy and celebrate life and even we're being ridiculed because we come to mass and offer gifts for others instead of being selfish and thinking of ourselves it's then that we will be greatly blessed that we should rejoice and be glad because our reward will be great in heaven but oftentimes we fail to see and recognize the invitation of christ for us to play a role for us to understand what it means to be one and representative of the many it's a simple procession but it makes a huge difference so too does your gift because when we understand that what we give represents out of love what we need and want of god then everyone becomes one from the many is one body that theme which is part of the synod right now where all the people get to say what they think the church could do all of them can contribute not just their monies but to have a say in what the church teaches and does and participates in it that synod that's taking place now that theme is what's the theme also of our house of charity catholic campaign try to appreciate that too is an invitation for you to understand that even the poorest of the poor can participate in god's loving saving plan that we can be strengthened by god just like that tree next to the running stream that we will be nourished and bear fruit the house of charity is responsible for all kinds of ministries within our diocese it helps educate our youth if you saw today our youth was trying to participate in one of god's works saving works that is to feed the hungry they are out there trying to collect so they can feed the food pantry and we can just walk by and ignore them or we can say why would they be doing this because they want to participate participation and giving of our gifts is something we're called to do we can't just say somebody else will do it or we can't go ahead and say you know what uh i don't like how the church is using the money so i'm not going to give it the church is where we receive in the sacraments god's grace where we're able to be transformed we're able to be healed where we're able to offer our sacrifice try to understand the priest after he prepares the gifts ask the people who says pray my brothers and sisters that your sacrifice and mine will be acceptable to god the almighty father because it's meant to be inclusive it's meant to call everyone to offer themselves on behalf of others so all might have happiness in this lifetime and most importantly the life to come when we give to the house of charity we support not only catholic education of our youth we support formational programs for our religious education for uh seminarians and deacons studying for the the acne or the priesthood we give to those things whereby people who are poor needy are benefited and brought to healing and strength the different ministries to the poor uh all these things are taking place through the house of charity none of it's being used for the parish's own i mean for the diocese own personal benefits but no it's meant specifically for the poor and if you give to the house of charity it will make a huge difference try to understand even if you have a little if everybody from the man he gives many will be blessed jesus gives us a choice we either understand that we're called to be blessed and a source of blessing or we can choose to be selfish be divisive be splintered and be well left to vamp ourselves when this life is ended allow yourselves to be a source of blessing be able to give not just with your prayers and things at mass but even beyond that to people not outside of our parish try to understand we're called to represent everyone the body of christ the church from the many we become one body one spirit in christ please try to understand that we're all called to be a source of blessing for all thank you god bless

Channel: St. Mary Catholic Church Cherry Hill NJ

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Length: 16min 57sec (1017 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 13 2022