Homily — 5th Sunday Of Ordinary Time
St. Anthony of Padua Church and Furman University
Sun, February 06, 2011 — 8, 10, 12 Noon & 6:30 PM
May our Lord Jesus give us His peace.Timeliness, style, and tasteless.
Timeliness. The readings for this weekend were chosen in 1969. Yet if I was to go to the bible looking for backing in making a second appeal to build a new school for our children, I couldn't do better. The call of the Prophet Isaiah to not turn our back on our own, to share our gifts, and to satisfy the afflicted strengthens our mission, and gives us the solid sense that we are acting in a trajectory from 740 BC.
But there is an unfortunate timeliness also. The Prophet speaks of the need to remove from our midst, malicious speech, that is, speech designed to hurt other people. He says remove from your midst oppression and false accusation. I am afraid we are living this as well. Not the removing from our midst, the committing oppression.
So I was wondering how we could address this, and correct it, so that the prophecy is heard in our time. I suggest a meditation on our mouths. We have throat, vocal chords, tongue, teeth and lips. Across these we push air. What if the air was pushed and each part was employed to utter only things heard in heaven? That would be timely. Print the word "mouth" and stick it everywhere. It'll remind us.
Style. Paul speaks to his fellow Hebrews who used to trust him when he was killing the Christians, but now doubt him, because he became one. He is trying here to re-establish credibility so they will hear him about the good news of Jesus Christ. "I speak now without eloquence, without wisdom of my own, but only of Jesus. And I speak scared, weak, trembling." Now what kind of style is that?
It's a humble, an honest, it ain't about me style. That is the new Paul.
He comes now in a Spirit and power not his own, he speaks for God.
I get so confused sometimes when people attribute the success of the parish to me. Like it is church "Fr. Pat style." That actually hurts.
I am praying as I speak to you, that you see past that. I have preached and led the same way in other places and did not experience what I do here.
The musicians, the ministries, the warmth, the success comes from God.
The house builders had a banner day yesterday, the inspector from the city could only find one thing needing change, and they got to run! putting in windows and wall board. The musicians are almost Zen masters as they search the scriptures for hymns that serve, and we tag team you all from the front and back. Done well, this is Catholicism " God-style.
Tasteless. Jesus warns us that we are precious salt and light for a dark and tasteless world. Imagine fries without salt, Main St. without the pretty tree lights. But Jesus isn't talking about McDonalds and He isn't asking us to fashion a maintenance team for Main Street. He is calling US salt and light. He cautions us about getting dim or losing the flavor.
If our time with each other and with God does not have the zest of salt and is not in the light of day, hear Jesus call. "A light cannot be hidden." If you salt, lose flavor, who will season the banquet of life?
So decide, "this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine•&" Decide, I am going to cast off deeds of darkness, and I am going to stop making others hide from me. These things are tasteless! Yuk! When we could be 5 guys fries. Dang!
So join the mission to our children and build them a school.
See the timeliness of the call to use a mouth in a heavenly way.
It's not about you or me, it's Jesus, deliverance from sin and death. Alleluia!! (alleluia!)
Pick up your head Christian!
You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Amen? So be it.
—
Fr. Patrick Tuttle, OFM