Directions (2023-10-29, 30th Sun)

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●  Homily file for October 29, 2023 ●   30^th Sunday     ● Exodus 22:20-26 ● Psalm 18 ● 1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10 ●  Matthew 22:34-40 ●  

Title:   Directions.

[_01__]       Once upon a time, I frequently called up friends and family for “driving directions”. Don’t you remember calling up – even “dialing” the phone – before you went somewhere for the Exit number on the parkway or the streets to get to places like "Our Lady of Lourdes."?

However, these days, do you make fewer calls like this?  I make fewer calls, for 2 reasons. I am a more experienced drivers and I can hear and see the navigation in the car, or “GPS”. The computer is the companion I depend on and trust in.

 

[_02__]  Thank you for hearing and making the call! To you the families who have heard God’s call and given directions to your young people to directed them to 1^st Holy Communion Day, for nurturing and support them and bringing them to church.

          Today is 1^st Holy Communion day for - our young people....

They have followed directions to reach this encounter with our Lord and Savior.

[_03__]    In this Sunday’s Gospel of Matthew, Jesus was asked for “directions”: “which commandment is the greatest?”

          Jesus summarizes all the commandments into 1 direction, 1 instruction:  to love the Lord with all your heart, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments, all the law and the prophets find their foundation.

          Also, our love is based on what and whom we know and sharing a common destination.

          [**** PAUSE ****]

Recently, I traveled with my parents to medical appointment at a doctor’s office in NYC.   The destination was familiar. I’ve been there before. Yet, due to NY rush hour and GWB bridge traffic, it often feels that I have never done this before.  My father, travelling with me in the passenger seat was my navigator. He knew which toll plaza to go through, which lane to be in, when to slow down, and when to speed up. I didn’t need GPS. I had my father.

[_04__]     This experience is my analogy for the concept of love. Love is not just a theoretical idea or an emotion; it involves listening to someone who genuinely cares for you and imparts wisdom, even when you believe you already know.  I usually knew what lane to be in – my father knew that I knew … but it is an act of love both to provide and receive guidance.

Now to you -- our young people....-- is this familiar? Would your mother or mother or grandparents tell you what you think you already know, and tell you repetitively? That's love. That's what love is sometimes Jesus in the Gospel is speaking about love, as it was taught to him by his own father.

Teaching us to pray, , Jesus emphasizes that he and you and I all have the same Father, -- "Our Father who art in heaven."

Jesus's teachings on love stem from the love he learned from his Father. Our struggle to understand both God and our parents was stated by a 20^th century priest from England, Father Ronald Knox, who suggests that we should not wait to understand our fathers before understanding God. Rather, by learning to know God, we gain insight into our parents and the love they offer.

[_05__]      Holy Communion is the God's sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, for our salvation. In John 3:16, we read, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that all who believe in Him might not perish but might have eternal life."

This divine love, initiated in the original covenant with Abraham and Moses, extends to all of Israel and to the entire world. It is a love that transcends borders, latitude, longitude, GPS.

 

The ongoing conflicts in regions Israel and Palestine will not be resolved by ceasefires, boundaries, or the defeat of enemies. The solution is knowing God, loving Him, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. And, loving our enemies – not just “tolerating” enemies Love is not about uniform actions, but a shared destination – to reach heaven and experience it on Earth.

[_05__]       What is the connection between the directions and disciplines of Mass and Holy Communion and everyday life? I’d like to touch on the Catholic tradition of fasting before Holy Communion, à a 1-hour fast from food before. While fasting for a longer period can be spiritually beneficial, 1 hour is the rule. Why ?

          When we receive Holy Communion at the end of Mass, we may feel physical hunger, both individually and as a community.

This hunger reminds us of our need for nourishment, both physical and spiritual. We also experience hunger while praying, making petitions, and seeking God's guidance. Fasting during prayer also connects us to those in need of our prayers.

Recently, Pope Francis encouraged us to fast for peace on October 17  and this past Friday (10/27), emphasizing the power of fasting in promoting peace.

Fasting is challenging, but unites us in solidarity to those in need. We train our bodies and minds, by giving up food which is good, technology/media which is good, or just giving my opinion too often (clearly, my opinion =  good!)

During the fast, we make room for listening and prayer. We fast from the good to avoid the truly bad, and fasting extends our time of prayer, ensuring we remember the focus of our prayers.

Leaving the church, you don't have to leave spiritually hungry, but you may still feel physically hungry. This hunger should remind us to turn to our Lord and Savior for daily guidance and nourishment through His mercy and love. We partake in the body of Christ and savor every word that flows from the mouth of God. This is our spiritual GPS, leading us toward our ultimate destination. The Word of the Lord, the body of Christ – amen.  [_END__]