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Homily – August 11, 2024 19th Sunday (Year B) ● 1 Kings 19:4-8 ● Psalm 34 ● ● Ephesians 4:30-5:2 ● + John 6:41-51 ●
Bibliography: Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini (Apostolic Exhortation), 30 September 2010.
[__01__] When I was
visiting my cousin’s house for the very first time recently, I asked to Wi-Fi,
the wireless internet signal in their home. I wanted to be “informed” of the “network
name” and “password” for my phone and laptop.
But, my cousin
didn't know what it was, so he called 1 of his children. Whenever you don't
know something technical or computer-related, it's a good idea to ask someone
younger, but you probably already know this!
Passwords – and
PIN codes – are valuable. They “inform” and provide the key to allow us to perform in our lives and, perhaps, to transform our lives.
It was
transforming me in that moment when I got the password and the network for the
Wi Fi, the opposite is also true.
[__02__] When you
and I don't know the password, we can be frustrated spinning our wheels and we
need a reset or a clue.
On the television
TV show, situation comedy, The Office,
the main character and boss, Michael is often making some sort of comic error.
But he also has comic solutions to his problems.
This was his idea
for computers and passwords. Michael announced this, “I'm going to change all
my passwords to the word ‘incorrect’ ”. That way, when I type in the wrong
password, the screen message will tell me your password is “incorrect”.
In any case,
passwords are not only “inform”, they also perform. So passwords not only inform,
but they also perform.
[__03__] There is a connection connection between this and
the words of Pope Benedict, the 16th, who wrote that God's word the gospel good news. (Verbum Domini, 30 September 2010) is not only informing us, but performing in our lives and transforming our
lives. And this relates to Jesus's startling revelation in John Chapter 6 today, in which he concludes with
this statement, “the bread that I will give is my life for the bread that I
will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
(John 6:51)
One of the
challenges to us in reading John Chapter 6 is that we might be tempted to take
Jesus's words about his flesh and blood as metaphorical or symbolic or just as
an analogy.
Throughout John
chapter 6, when Jesus is challenged and asked, “Do you really mean you're going
to give us your flesh to eat, your body and blood to consume?”
Jesus says, Yes,
this is what I'm going to do. Jesus does this not to make an exaggeration of
his suffering, but to make a true explanation for his suffering and the nails
in his hands and the death on the cross.
[__04__] In another
place in the Gospel, Jesus says, in Mark 8:31, the Son of Man must suffer many
things and be rejected by the elders in chief priests and scribes.
Jesus is doing
this to fulfill the requirement that someone must pay the debt of sinfulness to
God, starting out with the original debt
of Adam and Eve’s sinfulness
There are sins
throughout the ages. There are your sins, my sins, and Jesus gives up his life
to die for us. This is my body given up for you. This does not mean that we
live in a world without sinfulness or without sins. There are still sins and
sinfulness, but our suffering in this life is temporary. Our suffering is not
going to be eternal. So Jesus has informed, performed and transformed our
existence by his suffering, death and resurrection.
Jesus has
informed, performed and transformed our existence by his suffering, death and
resurrection.
[__06__] This is
echoed in our reading from Ephesians chapter 4 today, in which we are called to
imitate Christ in our bodies, to put on a new person, to imitate Christ in our
body, soul.
When
we receive Holy Communion – the bread of life – Jesus comes to us and is within
us
We are called to recognize–
by his presence and hope and faith – that it is possible - though it may not be
easy -- to refuse to let anger and pain master us and overcome us.
He must increase,
you and I must decrease.
About “anger”, Paul
famously wrote in Ephesians chapter 4, do not let the sun set on your anger and
wrath. In other words, calling us to pardon and to forgive quickly, rapidly.
This to show mercy
quickly, rapidly, this call to pardon and to Mercy is not just a matter of
informing someone that Our Mercy, because sometimes we're called to pardon
those who don't even know they have offended us or have trespassed against us.
Because mercy is
not just about informing, it's also about performing and taking up our cross
each day and then being transformed.
This is also one
of these things – similar to computer passwords and technical things – that
children can retain and do very well. A little child can teach us what the
“word” is not just the password, but also God’s word.
As a child and
young person, were you easier on yourself and easier on others and more likely
to forgive rapidly, not to let the sun set on your anger?
As we get older,
we may get accustomed to storing up anger and resentment. Sometimes, it even
makes us feel good! Or, we associate “anger” with “inner strength”.
Children know this
is not the “correct” internal password. Rather, we are called to store up
“mercy” and see the good in others rather than minimizing the good we see in
others and maximizing the good or strength in ourselves.
A frequently
quoted verse is that there is something out there that “covers a multitude of
sins”. We use that expression a lot – maybe we think “wealth covers a multitude
of sins“ ….”attractiveness covers a multitude of sins” …. Or “power covers a
multitude of sins”. None of these is the
Gospel – the Gospel Good News is that “love covers a multitude of sins”.
Is it not true
that when someone sees the true goodness in you, when you are forgiven, that
this helps you to do as Paul wrote in Ephesians – to put on the new man, the
new person, the new woman, the new identity.
Love covers a
multitude of sins.
[__05__] This coming
Thursday, August 15, is the Solemnity and Holy Day of Obligation of the Assumption
of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
There is Mass at
7am, at 8:30am in the morning, and also 7pm in the evening.
Now the assumption
the Blessed Virgin Mary is different from the Ascension of Our Lord after
Easter.
The reason for the
assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is based on the ancient Christian
tradition that Mary, our Blessed Mother, did not suffer death and receive a
burial in the way you and I will.
The Mystery of
Mary as having been conceived without Original Sin and later assumed into
heaven is really less about Mary and more about the identity of Jesus, Christ,
who was conceived of the Virgin Mary, and who exists as our Savior, as a divine
person with a human nature and human flesh.
Jesus is the
second person of the Trinity who humbly accepted being born, Born of the Virgin
Mary, being born in Bethlehem. This is
the Incarnation of God among us.
And Jesus feels
everything we feel. He feels hunger, thirst, pain, frustration, anger, all
without sinfulness.
[__07__] The
coming Feast of the assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary reminds us, as does
the Holy Eucharist, that this transformation toward love and God does not end
here on Earth, but it begins here, and even if there are sinful actions, sinful
attitudes, these two can be healed by going to confession, by turning back to
God and to His Word, they're turning back to God for to love God, to love our
neighbor, even to love our enemies.
This assumption of
the Blessed Virgin Mary reminds us that God loves us, loves us both soul and
body, and which is us to unite to Him in heaven, both soul and body. This is
possible because Jesus is the Word made flesh, who has pitched his tent among
us. His word informs, performs and transforms and his flesh in Holy Eucharist
is also a sacred word for the life of a divided world that is greatly in need
of his love and mercy.
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