"Act today in such a way that you need not blush tomorrow." St. John Bosco

This is another way of saying that our actions have consequences, some eternal. Adam and Eve sought the temporary satisfaction of eating the fruit of knowing good and evil. The eternal consequences were devastating: lost relationship with God. How often we act without thinking of the real effects of our actions! The saints teach us to keep the final judgment in mind when we act, so that this present decision will receive the rewards of eternal life and not the condemnation of eternal alienation from God. In other words, keep eternity before you, rather than just the present moment. 

 

Joseph, in all of this, does not utter a word, but he believes, hopes and loves. He does not express himself with “idle words”, but with concrete deeds. He belongs to the lineage of those who, according to the apostle James, “put the Word into practice” (cf. James 1:22), translating it into deeds, flesh, life. Joseph trusts in God and obeys: “His inner watchfulness for God … leads quite spontaneously to obedience” (Benedict XVI, The Infancy Narratives, Milan-Vatican City 2012, 57).

Sisters, brothers, let us, too, ask the Lord for the grace to listen more than we speak, the grace to dream God’s dreams and to welcome responsibly the Christ who, from the moment of our baptism, lives and grows in our life.  Pope Francis

For most of us, we speak more than listen, especially to God. We fail to realize that God has given us two ears and only one mouth for a purpose. There are times God speaks loudly and clearly, directly and forcefully. But more often than not, God speaks in the silence of a whisper and in our inner stillness. As ones who want instant results, it is hard for us to enter into the quite and just wait upon the Lord. It is a challenge that comes with patient practice and endurance. It is a grace that God desires to give to those who are open to it. Ask for that grace and then wait upon the Lord.

 Jesus doesn't say, “Come into my world.” He doesn't say, “Come, I will change you.” He doesn't say, “Become my disciples,” “Listen to me,” “Do what I tell you,” “Take up your cross.” No. He says, “Come and see. Look around. Get to know me.” That is the invitation. Henri Nouwen

It sounds so simple but it is so profound at the same time. How can we follow and commit ourselves to another person without first coming to know them. If all we know is about another, we don't really personally know that person. In marriage, a person has to truly get to know the other before committing themselves to a life-long covenant. This means spending quality time with the other to know beyond the surface. Jesus invites us to spend quality time with him to get to know him as he is and not just on the surface. It is then we can truly commit ourselves to him as a disciple, desiring to have a deeper relationship with him. 

Let us take a look at our world from a distance, not from the physical distance of a plane or space vehicle, but from the spiritual distance of our faith. Let us look at ourselves, at our humanity, from above and with the eyes of God. Jesus always looked at the human condition from above and tried to teach us to look as he did. “I come from above,” he said, “and I want you to be reborn from above so that you will be able to see with new eyes.”  Henri Nouwen

What does it mean to see with the eyes of Jesus? How did Jesus see the people of his day? He saw them as sheep without a shepherd, hungering for the truth that would set them free. He saw beyond the physical, seeing the faith of those who sought his assistance. He saw with compassions and mercy those who were seen as sinners. He saw with a heart of love those who were in need of acceptance and meaning. Do we try to have the eyes of Jesus in our relationships with others whom God sends to us? When we see with the eyes of Jesus we begin to see how God sees the other and what God wants us to do for the other. Pray for this gift and act on it when it comes, as it will come.

 

“It is a hope that leaves peace and joy inside, regardless of what happens outside. It is a hope that has strong roots, which no storm of life can uproot. It is a hope that, says St. Paul, 'does not disappoint' – hope does not disappoint! – which gives the strength to overcome all tribulations." Pope Francis

 

Without this hope life’s difficulties can be unbearable. But with hope our life is anchored in Christ during the worse storm. Without hope we are rudderless and adrift, left on our own. But with hope we are in the hands of a loving God. Our hope will be tested by the Father of liars. But as long as we keep our eyes on the Lord, these rests will be deflected

 Hope is also a task that Christians have a duty to cultivate and put to good use for the sake of all their brothers and sisters. The task is to remain faithful to the gift received, as rightly pointed out by Madeleine Delbrêl, a 20th-century French woman who was able to bring the Gospel to the geographical and existential peripheries of mid-century Paris, marked by de-Christianization. Madeleine Delbrêl wrote: “The place that Christian hope assigns us is that narrow ridge, that borderline at which our vocation requires that we choose, every day and every hour, to be faithful to God’s faithfulness to us”. God is faithful to us; our task is to respond to this faithfulness. But take care: it is not we who generate this faithfulness; it is a gift from God that works in us if we allow ourselves to be molded by His power of love, the Holy Spirit Who acts as a breath of inspiration in our hearts. It is up to us, then, to invoke this gift: “Lord, grant me to be faithful to you in hope!” Pope Francis

God is always faithful to us. His very nature will not allow him to do otherwise. He is faithful to us, even when we are unfaithful. If our hope is in the faithful promises of God and in their fulfillment, then our life is to be a witness of this hope to others. In the admonition of St. Peter: "Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope,  but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear." (1 Peter 3:15-16) If the reason of our hope is the promises of God, then our life should always be a sign of this hope to others, especially in difficult times.

 

Homily Third Sunday Year C

 

Reading 1: What is the background to this reading? People have returned to Jerusalem after their exile into Babylonia. They began, following the command of God, to rebuild first the city, then the Temple which were destroyed. In the process of restoration, Ezra the priest found scrolls which were hidden at the time of the exile. The scrolls were the Book of the Law, the Torah.

 

Once he realized what he had found, namely its significance, he told Nehemiah the Governor. They decided that the people needed to hear this Word of the Lord which would explain their relationship to God as his chosen people, the necessity of living as a Covenant people and how their ancestors were sent into exile because they had broken the Covenant.

 

As Ezra read from the Word of God the people began to weep before the Lord. But Ezra reminded them that this was not a time to weep over the past but a time of rejoicing. Why? They have found the source of their history and the recollection of God’s love for his chosen people. He proclaimed that since they are the people chosen by God they should rejoice for the Lord is their strength.

 

Eventually, he will call them to renew their covenant with God publicly. The Word of God was proclaimed; its truth was revealed, interpreted and received with rejoicing. Each Sunday we gather to hear the Word of God, our Salvation History. We are reminded how God has truly loved us and has redeemed us, so that we may be truly his people in whom we find our strength.

 

Reading 2: Paul reminds us who we are in relationship to God. We are the Body of Christ. He reminds us also who we are in relationship to one another. We are members of the one Body. He reminds us that in Baptism we entered into a new relationship with God and filled with the Holy Spirit. He tells us that because we are one in Christ there should be no division on antipathy between us.

 

Each member is unique and has a unique role in the Body of Christ. As such each is to be in harmony with the other. Our importance is not in who we are in ourselves, but who we are in Christ. Therefore, Paul says if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one is honored all the members are to be joyful. We are to understand our role and how we have been gifted by the Holy Spirit and exercise that gift for the good of others.

 

Gospel: We begin with the first four verses of Luke’s Gospel where he states that he wants to write down in an orderly sequence the life and teachings of Jesus. This he has received from an eyewitness. Then we jump to the fourth chapter of Luke, which begins the public ministry of Jesus.

 

According to Luke, immediately after the Baptism of the Lord, which we celebrated two Sundays ago, Jesus began to teach and preach in such a way that people were amazed. His reputation spread throughout the region of Galilee. Now he returns to Nazareth, maybe to visit Mary.

 

Since he is a covenant observer, faithful to the Law, he goes with Mary to the synagogue on the Sabbath to praise God and to hear the Word of God. He had just had a powerful affirmation of the Father’s love for him. He was anointed by the Holy Spirit so that his ministry would be confirmed with signs and wonders.

 

Because he is somewhat of a hometown celebrity already, they ask him to read the Word of God and interpret it for them. Providentially they gave him the scroll of Isaiah the prophet. Jesus unrolled it to where Isaiah had prophesied what Jesus had experienced at his Baptism. It identified his mission as the One promised and sent by God. After reading the passage he concluded by saying: “Today, this passage has been fulfilled in your midst.” In other words, I am the one Isaiah is speaking about. I have experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and know the plan God has for me. At first the people were amazed, but as Jesus continued to explain, they turned against him and wanted to kill him.

 

In the first reading the people heard the Word of God, wept and then rejoiced at what God had revealed. In the Gospel the people heard the Word of God, were amazed but then rejected the interpretation. We have heard the Word of God. How do we receive it? How do we respond to it? Do we allow it to root in our hearts and bring about growth and bear fruit? Or do we stifle the Word of God by ignoring it and not acting on it?