HOMILY – 21^ST SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA CHURCH – POOR CLARE MONASTRY

GREENVILLE, SC – AUGUST 27, 2006  - 5PM SAT. – 8 & 11 SUNDAY

May the Lord give us His peace.

Decide today,  Jesus was married,  to whom shall we go?

Decide today.  Joshua says something Catholic bookstores have made a lot of money on.  “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  There are plaques, bookmarks, window and bumper stickers, all with those words inscribed on them.

There are so many other gods to serve, the Lord asks us through Joshua to decide today who we will serve.  Playstation2?  The lottery?  Sometimes we serve lawns, cars, properties, our addictions, our status.  We can serve self mostly, things that become signs of success, things that comfort us.

We can also serve selflessly.  We can serve family, neighborhood, the poor, we can serve schools, hospitals, food distribution, thrift stores, community events, voting stations, walks for hunger, get better educated.  But what does Joshua mean when he says, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” 

He means that He will accept the gift of Jesus against his sins and coming death, and make a return out of gratitude.  THEN! Everything can be in His Holy Name!

I go to visit people in prison, I pray for police and fire officers, I sort clothes at St. Vincent DePaul, I teach CCD or English or adults how to read  IN HIS NAME, as a return, in gratitude for Jesus gift to me.  What return shall I make to the Lord for all the good He has done for me?  DECIDE TODAY.

Jesus was married.  No this isn’t the Di Patrick Code.  Hah!

The fact is the spouse of Jesus is the Church.  St. Paul is using the images of his time about husbands and wives to explain Jesus and the people of God.  He says, “Jesus married you!”  You and Jesus are joined, one in the same flesh and blood.

Think of yourself as a blood relative of Jesus, we are His spouse.  If I take the cup and drink, then His blood and my blood are the same blood.  Like blood brothers or sisters we do anything for our blood, our kin.  That is where the subordination come from.  What do you need?  Here I am.  Jesus is married – to us.  A fine union.

To whom shall we go?  When a person experiments with life enough to come to a sense that they themselves do not make a very good God, that there is One who is for all despite sin and beyond death, when a person decides to follow a wisdom that is more significant than their own, they look for direction, hope, someone to trust.

That someone is Jesus Christ.

There isn’t another way that leads to the death of sin and eternal kingdom of God.

Peter knew it.  I think, so do you.  Experiment if you must, but remember the gift.

They couldn’t handle the graphic description – eat my flesh, drink my blood.  Maybe they would have stayed if they understood He meant absolute union and total service, a service He would offer first, a union He established freely.

I know marriages, and other vocations remain when we understand – inseparable union and complete service rendered.  Everybody is beneath everybody!  Look!  Jesus comes!  in body, soul, divinity – all for humanity!  Inseparable – like when we eat Him, drink Him in.

As for me and my house?  We have decided to show this is true.  Just watch.