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Homily, 6th Sunday Easter, 2024-05-05 (year B)
●●Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48 ●
●Psalm ● ●1 John 4:7-10 ● ●+John 15:9-17 ● ●
[_01__] It might have been expected, it might have been expected from our Savior's return after Easter, and on the days thereafter that he would have shown himself to great numbers of people, great crowds of people all at once.
(John Henry Newman, “Witnesses of the
Resurrection”, Parochial and Plain
Sermons Book I, Sermon 22, p. 181)
This statement about how we might how
Jesus Christ might get maximum publicity is from a sermon called “witnesses to
the resurrection” by John Henry Newman. And Newman continues, why did not Jesus
show himself to all the people? Why did he only choose numbers of person to
give testimony, to be his witnesses? [not to “businesses”… witnesses].
He says, because this is the most
effective means of publicity. To start with small groups,
Jesus
invites you and me to follow him and we are still today the witnesses to His
resurrection. He still appears to us, speaks to us, not via a computer screen,
but via our consciences. We are called to prayer and listening and coming to
church on Sundays in order to practice our faith and follow Him and to keep
going.
Do
you ever think that your prayer and fasting and coming to church and your moral
and religious choices do not matter don't matter to very many people,?
Sometimes, I am tempted by this thought.
I need reminders that my faith and my
witness matters. And you also need these reminders. I'm not saying I'm going to
give you the reminder, I'm saying the reminders come in our own lives by our
own experience. And I'd like to share with you my own experience. Some from
long ago, one very recently.
[__02__] in the beginning,
Long before it was ordained a priest, I was a
college student. And we had the opportunity to go to Catholic mass in our
college chapel on a Saturday afternoon. One of my classmates, Victor, would usually
go to church as well. He is one of my closest and oldest friends.
During
the time we were together, I also met his father and family many times and his
father became a friend and father figure to me.
So,
we had a nice connection, but we were not completely in synch time-wise. Victor
was so intensely focused on his studies scientific studies, pre med studies. He
is a physician, a doctor now. He actually asked me to come get him so that he
would take a break and go to the chapel. He said I won't remember to take a
break and go. Please come and get me.
It
was an example that my practice of the Catholic faith mattered to a friend. Faith and testimony starts in small groups.
[_03__] A few years
after college, and again, well, before I was ordained a priest, I heard the tragic news that Victor’s father had a terrible fall
and was paralyzed. Though they did not live in NJ, the accident happened in NJ
and Victor’s father ended up at Kessler Rehabilitation hospital in West Orange
for some time.
If I experienced –
and I did experience – any inspiration to visit him -- I pushed it away. I did
not want to see his father suffering. I was being very immature and selfish. Yet,
I also imagined that he would have been glad to see me. I regret never visiting
him. He died a few years later.
But in a positive
way, the regret became part of my own meditations, conversion and consideration
of the priesthood and my understanding how important it is to live Jesus’
words: “I was sick and you visited me”. Compassion also starts in small groups
and one-on-one!
So, now I am not
perfect, but I understand better. And,
God – having a sense of humor – has assigned me to Our Lady of Lourdes parish
near Kessler Rehabilitation - in West Orange, twice !
[_04__] These days, it is common for priests of
this area to visit, bring Holy Communion, pray and anoint a person who might be
staying and recovering at Kessler in West Orange. I have done this many times.
[_05__] This
past Friday, around 4:30 in the afternoon, I visited a man at Kessler in West
Orange, to pray with him and bring him Holy Communion.
As I
made my way there, I felt a bit unprepared because I was running out of time
and feared I might not have enough time or might not be able to see him at all.
Fortunately,
it all worked out. The timing was actually perfect and I am so glad I met him.
More
often than not, do we not need the Holy Spirit to set the agenda and timeline?
This
past Friday, this man was a witness to me of faith and perseverance.
I walked into his hospital
room and he was immediately joyful and articulate, thankful I was there. And he
told me about his ongoing extended recovery and life. He has been at Kessler
repeatedly over the years. Over the past 20 years. 20 years ago, he barely
survived a serious accident, which leaves him with headaches, great difficulty
walking, memory loss.
He has a traumatic
brain injury. He brought me joy due to his perspective, in great difficulty. He
told me how he volunteers to help others with severe head and brain injuries.
He was the victim of a collision with a dangerous car and driver while crossing
the street as a pedestrian. The accident was not his fault. It should never
have happened. He did not dwell on that fact. I asked him if anyone else was
hurt or injured in the accident. He told me, “No, no one else was hurt. Because
I pushed my wife and my kids out of the way.”
That's joy, amid suffering.
[__06__] We receive
we receive Communion at this mass and forgiveness through Jesus Christ because
He laid down His life for us. And laid down for you his life for you, Camila, on
your 1st Holy Communion day and for each of us at our next Holy
Communion and at every holy communion. And we pray that he will lay down his life
at our final Holy Communion that we will be united with Him forever in Heaven
in friendship.
Jesus
gives us his life to call and pull us out of the way of evil, sin, and death.
[__07__] To whom
does the practice of your faith and my faith matter?
We
might find it only matters to one person or to one person at a time.
That’s
enough of a headcount!
It
matters that you, Camila, and your family practice your faith and that your
classmates who will receive Holy Communion next week practice your faith, that
you come to church on Sundays.
You
are personal witness to Jesus Christ’s Resurrection so that the Good News can
go out to your family, friends, classmates, teammates, neighborhood, front yard
and back yard.
This
brings glory to God.
And this brings us
into connection and friendship with our Savior and brother who said,
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