Homily – June 13, 2021 11th Sunday (Year B)
● Ezekiel 17:22-24 ● Psalm 92 ● ● 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 ● + Mark 4:26-34 ●
Title: Church on Sunday
[__01__] Many
years ago, my parents took us on our very last – final – family vacation
together. This was in in the mid-1990’s.
I say it was our FINAL vacation because we
were all getting older, bigger…I was an adult at this point – almost 30
(thirty). That’s old !
And, soon there some of us would be married,
I would later be in the seminary, etc. Spoiler alert: I became a Catholic
priest.
This particular vacation was the last time it
was just my 2 parents + the 4 of us together.
My parents paid for the whole thing. That was sweet!
But, given that some of us were officially
“adults”, we also had to choose to be there.
1 of my siblings and I were not
living with my parents at the time …. On the one hand, there was both RICHNESS
and LUXURY to be there. It was a vacation. But, given that I also had to
consciously schedule this… because my parents were not running my life at that
moment, there was also a RESPONSIBILITY on my part.
Nevertheless, I was glad to be there.
[__02__] Another
thing about that trip was that we all looked forward to it and we talked about
what we would do …at the beach… we were going to rent bicycles at the beach
too.
[__03__] Recently,
we were told and reminded about the obligation and responsibility for us as
Catholics to attend Sunday Mass.
Why is this even a thing?
Did something happen?
Well, you know, there was this global
worldwide lockdown and COVID-19 pandemic.
The Archbishop of Newark and all
Archbishops of U.S. closed churches and also suspended our obligation to attend
Sunday Mass.
And
encouraged us to pray from our homes, and with the feast of Corpus Christi,
resume Sunday Mass as an obligation.
[__03__] That
word “obligation” may not seem to be adequate to express what is happening at
Sunday Mass. But, I suggest it’s helpful because we usually see value in
keeping up our “obligations” and not opting out. Very familiar to us is the obligation to
receive an education whether at school, in a private school or public school or
to be home-schooled.
There is no “opting out” of education
and we see the value in it.
Where is the VALUE in Sunday Mass, in
church ?
[1st PRESENCE] This is primary, that Mass/church is the location where we receive
the Body and Blood of our Lord and acknowledge that he laid down his life for
our sins.
Now,
because the prayers of the Mass at Communion time – everything that
happens after the readings / homily are so similar from week to week, we may
not focus on them. We see “variety” in the readings and homily but maybe not
what is changing in the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
While Jesus’ Body and Blood Soul and
Divinity are not changing, you and I are changing, constantly.
So, the priest offers the Mass also as
continuation of the Gospel, the most important words of all:
“Take this all of you and it, for this
is my body given up for you.”
The priest is called to apply this to
himself and to help you to apply this to your life. You also – in sacrifice and
love – give up your strength, your energy, your body, for others.
We rely on God’s grace to do this. As
we prayed in the recent feast of the Sacred Heart:
“May this Sacrament of charity, O
Lord, make us fervent with the fire of holy love so that drawn always to your
Son, we may see Him in our neighbor.”
So, the PRESENCE of God in church
reminds us of his PRESENCE everywhere. The value of PRESENCE.
[2nd PROTEST]
The
value of PROTEST.
There
are may protests happening these days. And, the Sabbath – observation of Sunday
– is our PROTEST, but it is a protest of a different kind.
That is, it provides a break in the
action and a protest against the burden of our work and the worship of money (CCC 2172, Nehemiah 13:15-22, 2
Chronicles 36:21)
You might say, but I do not need the
value of church because I do not worship money, I don’t care that much about
material things. I live a very simple life.
I also would like to think that I have this “simplicity” figured out,
but I find that I have to re-visit and consider what are my values constantly.
Nevertheless, maybe you have it figured
out. All the more reason that we need you at the protest. We need you here. The
value of PROTEST.
[3rd PATTERN]
The
value of PATTERN.
Sunday
Mass / church does call us to follow a certain pattern and we might find it
very difficult to it into this pattern.
I am very grateful to our many
parishioners and volunteers who try to make you comfortable here whether you
come to church with children, with your family, on your own.
The pattern of weekly church may not
be possible for families with very young children or family members who require
ongoing attention. For you, Sunday Mass
is not an obligation.
On the other hand, Church/Mass are
also opportunities to teach our children about the value of being at rest and
at prayer – TOGETHER.
And, just as we might prepare for an
important TEST or GAME or MEAL or TRIP several days ahead of time, I invite you
to prepare yourself and your children with prayers, petitions and thoughts
several days and how you talk to each other…. indeed every day.
The
value of PATTERN.
[4th PUBLICITY]
The
value of publicity.
Our church / Mass has a public and
social value. Your attendance at church
brings the Good News not only of Jesus Christ because you learn something here.
It brings the Good News that Sunday is
precious, that time is precious and that freedom is precious.
No
one makes you come to church, but by your public witness, you are affirming to
all of West Orange and all the world of the value of FREEDOM and of RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM.
The value of PUBLICITY.
[__04__] I
also must do this myself and admit that I do not always get this right in
This is part of a sermon addressed to priests
by St. Charles Borromeo.
It is a message – especially to
priests and deacons – and I think summarizes
the aspects of PRESENCE – PROTEST – PATTERN – PUBLICITY --
“I admit that we are all weak, but
if we want help, the Lord God has given us the means to find it easily. One
priest may wish to lead a good, holy life, as he knows he should. He may wish
to be chaste and to reflect heavenly virtues in the way he lives. Yet he does
not resolve to use suitable means, such as penance, prayer, and the avoidance
of evil discussions and harmful and dangerous friendships. Another priest
complains that as soon as he comes into church to pray the office or celebrate
Mass, a thousand thoughts fill his mind and distract him from God. But what was
he doing in the sacristy before he came out for the office or for Mass? How did
he prepare? What means did he use to collect his thoughts and remain collected?
”
[__05__] And
the last family vacation we ever took reminded me of this.
On all of our family vacations, we
always we went to church on Sunday. This was expected, we knew it was going to
happen …and that trip in the mid-1990’s was no different. We went to church on
Sunday, August 13. But then 2 days later
was the holy day of obligation – August 15 and the Assumption of the Blessed
Virgin Mary.
We knew that my mother would want us
to go to mass for the holy day . None of wanted to go to mass that day. It was
a beautiful sunny day, we wanted to ride on bikes or go to the beach or sleep
late.
My father didn’t want to go. This was
before I was in the seminary or a priest. I didn't want to go either. So
scandalous for me to say, perhaps.
It was on. We were going.
And
has everything was wrong in church that day. 1st of all, it was
actually super crowded and only some of us got seats.
I think the church was air conditioned
but was a very hot day, et cetera et cetera.
And as soon as we left the church and got in
the car afterwards, we were complaining
about the experience to each other. Sometimes that what happens when
Mass
is only experienced as an obligation.
But, while, it was the
the
time, the most onerous of obligations and disruptive of our vacation, it was
also the most memorable of any meditation, the
most
powerful of any prayer as we went to Mass together.
I
remember the priest saying Mass was definitely not, as we say, at his best ….
At the top of his game that day. Sometimes, I am not at the top of my game!
I try to remember the pray for him, to pray
for my family, to pray for you.
Sunday Mass and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament does
not happen simply because I am ready, because you are ready.
Mass is going to start and continue even
without you, even without my “readiness” or preparation.
But, it’s so much better when we are here together.
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