HOMILY – THIRD SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

ST. ANTHONY CATHOLIC CHURCH & FURMAN UNIVERSITY

JANUARY 25, 2009 – 8, 10, 12NOON & 6:30PM

May our Lord Jesus Christ give us His peace.

Jonah arrives from Charlotte, the winds of change, 4 faithfully follow.

Jonah arrives from Charlotte.  It would be a 3 day walk from Charlotte if you were to set out from there to Greenville.  That is how far Jonah walked.  It was an enormous city – Nineveh.  It was city that had lost its way.  They were, all of them, using one another for their own needs, their own pleasure.  It was ugly, no city of God, they counted so much on things to stay the same.   Until Jonah.

When Jonah preached that they should turn their hearts, they looked at him, felt what he said came from God, and all of them, from the king on, turned from the evil they were doing and asked God for mercy.

Who is the Jonah in your life?  The one who can stop you from sinning?

Can you bring someone to mind?  Your Jonah?  You DO HAVE ONE, right?  Perhaps they should make the trip.  A couple of turns are in order.

The sackcloth God wants is change.  You can feel…

The winds of change.  We have heard for two years now the fever pitch of the Obama campaign, YES WE CAN!  We have heard Jonah, 40 more days and this place is toast.  We have become troubled like Nineveh, my brother lost his job of many years with Circuit City as a national buyer.  Several talented execs in the parish - all looking for work.

We need hope, we need change, we need a different way.  You want to know what brings the winds of change?  It won’t be President Obama without you.  It will be the disposition of the people, like the people of Nineveh AFTER Jonah.  They changed! 

So don’t look to Barack, benevolence or bestowed betterments.  

Ask NOT what your God can do for you, but what you might do because God has decided - not to punish – you either.  Me either, I praise Him gladly.  The winds are blowing, your sail up?  Service-sailing-scintillating.

St. Paul says, “the world in its present form I passing away.”  It is Jesus who is calling for change and…

4 faithfully follow.  John is jailed, Jesus gets busy and calls 4.

The 4 will become 12.  The 12 will follow and watch Him speak everywhere about the “Kingdom of His Father.”  No other Kingdom will do.  They are to leave everything and follow Him.  This is radical!  They will be charged to go against ANYTHING that is not of the Kingdom,

that life where God is in charge.

If Jesus walked on in here and said, “Drop it all and come with me.  Follow me.”  Would you go?  Would you?  Then why haven’t you?

Maybe you have.  Maybe nothing is more important to you than being faithful to God.  Great!  We think this a quaint old story from Jesus time, and that this isn’t Jesus time.  Yes it is.  Drop everything and follow Him.  Live in the Kingdom NOW.  I dare you.  I’ll do it with you.  We can do it together.  We’ll be a sign.

Jonah has already been through town.  No other sign will be given.

Now, you and I will give the sign.

And it will be a richness no bank can hold, no rust can corrode, it cannot be bought or sold.  4, then 12, then you then me.

The Kingdom of God is at hand.  FEEL the winds of change, and

let the sail puff tight.  You’ll have enough strength to pull others will you.