Deacon Greg's Homily 11-8-15
Homily – November 8, 2015 (The Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time - B)
Readings: 1 Kings 17: 10-16; Psalm 146: 7-10; Hebrews 9: 24-28; Mark 12: 38-44
You know the cliche, some see the glass half empty, while some see it as half full.
In our world today, there are varying opinions and theories, and half baked ideas that revolve around this cliche. The starting premise for every informercial is that your life is empty, so order now. If you’ve ever struggled with some sort of dependency or addiction, you struggle with the notion that you're somehow incomplete without that drink, drug, or no-so-great person in your life. In our own realm of church and religion, we too have the “scribes” who seek the good seats, and the so-called religious people who would have you believe that your life is empty without them.
Well the Word today offers us a fun little twist and a response to this ones who want to keep you seeing that glass as almost empty. The harvest is plenty, and much has been stored away in anticipation of the season to come. We are God’s people, and our Faith always sees the glass as half full!
Elijah offers us a connection between this abundant land of ours and a faithfulness to God. Today’s First Reading takes place in a time of severe famine and drought. Elijah promised this would happen, as the people of the day insisted on idolizing themselves. This suggests that we eventually deplete ourselves when we see each other as keepers of the kingdom, or the ones who know all and can help all without the need for or help of God.
But to those who seek God, and allow Him in their lives, they find themselves included in something so much more that their own supposed surpluses. They find themselves rich and abundant in His love. Elijah knew of that abundance, and called up on it from an unlikely source… A poor widow and her son with barely enough for themselves. Throughout Scripture, God has a special affection for the widow and the orphan, and in today’s reading from the Book of Kings, Elijah trusts that he will find abundance in a glass that seems to be half empty as he asks for water and bread. She answered, "As the LORD, your God, lives, I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar and a little oil in my jug. Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks, to go in and prepare something for myself and my son; when we have eaten it, we shall die.” Now that sounds like a “half empty” outlook to me. But Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid.”
Ever notice that in the Scriptures whenever someone is called upon to do something important for the Lord, they are reassured by hearing a response like “Be not afraid”, or “Fear not”. Starting with the Blessed Mother herself, we could list hundreds of examples in the Scripture, and countless ones in our own tradition, and in the lives of the Saints, and in the lives of our own loved ones who have gone to the Lord before us… When we’re up against a seemingly insurmountable challenge, and we take heed in God’s invitation not to be afraid, and we trust in His love… We see results! Today’s example in the First reading results in a woman and her son, with nothing, being able to eat for a year, as the jar of flour did not go empty, nor [did] the jug of oil run dry.
The good news for us today is that we too can accept the fullness of our lives as God’s love is abundant and with us here in the Presence of Jesus Christ!
We are almost at the end of our Liturgical Year, and in two weeks our journey will bring us to the throne of Christ the King! Again, we see the glass as more than half full, but overflowing, as we approach our Lord in all of His glory and abundance knowing that He is the source and summit of our journey of faith. Our Second Reading from Hebrews reassures us that He has approached us to call us to trust, and do, and love one another by giving ourselves!
Today we’re called to give our 110%, as abundance lies with those who seem to have nothing. In this month of November as we remember the dead, we also lift up those widows, widowers, and children who mourn and miss their loved ones. God has a special love for you, and those who choose to view your glass as half empty are sorely mistaken. Your faith is filled to the brim with all of God’s love and purpose… We must all dare not to be afraid, and share in the glory and the abundance of our Lord Jesus Christ!
My friends, our is a glass that is half full, but not yet filled…
Readings: 1 Kings 17: 10-16; Psalm 146: 7-10; Hebrews 9: 24-28; Mark 12: 38-44
You know the cliche, some see the glass half empty, while some see it as half full.
In our world today, there are varying opinions and theories, and half baked ideas that revolve around this cliche. The starting premise for every informercial is that your life is empty, so order now. If you’ve ever struggled with some sort of dependency or addiction, you struggle with the notion that you're somehow incomplete without that drink, drug, or no-so-great person in your life. In our own realm of church and religion, we too have the “scribes” who seek the good seats, and the so-called religious people who would have you believe that your life is empty without them.
Well the Word today offers us a fun little twist and a response to this ones who want to keep you seeing that glass as almost empty. The harvest is plenty, and much has been stored away in anticipation of the season to come. We are God’s people, and our Faith always sees the glass as half full!
Elijah offers us a connection between this abundant land of ours and a faithfulness to God. Today’s First Reading takes place in a time of severe famine and drought. Elijah promised this would happen, as the people of the day insisted on idolizing themselves. This suggests that we eventually deplete ourselves when we see each other as keepers of the kingdom, or the ones who know all and can help all without the need for or help of God.
But to those who seek God, and allow Him in their lives, they find themselves included in something so much more that their own supposed surpluses. They find themselves rich and abundant in His love. Elijah knew of that abundance, and called up on it from an unlikely source… A poor widow and her son with barely enough for themselves. Throughout Scripture, God has a special affection for the widow and the orphan, and in today’s reading from the Book of Kings, Elijah trusts that he will find abundance in a glass that seems to be half empty as he asks for water and bread. She answered, "As the LORD, your God, lives, I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar and a little oil in my jug. Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks, to go in and prepare something for myself and my son; when we have eaten it, we shall die.” Now that sounds like a “half empty” outlook to me. But Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid.”
Ever notice that in the Scriptures whenever someone is called upon to do something important for the Lord, they are reassured by hearing a response like “Be not afraid”, or “Fear not”. Starting with the Blessed Mother herself, we could list hundreds of examples in the Scripture, and countless ones in our own tradition, and in the lives of the Saints, and in the lives of our own loved ones who have gone to the Lord before us… When we’re up against a seemingly insurmountable challenge, and we take heed in God’s invitation not to be afraid, and we trust in His love… We see results! Today’s example in the First reading results in a woman and her son, with nothing, being able to eat for a year, as the jar of flour did not go empty, nor [did] the jug of oil run dry.
The good news for us today is that we too can accept the fullness of our lives as God’s love is abundant and with us here in the Presence of Jesus Christ!
We are almost at the end of our Liturgical Year, and in two weeks our journey will bring us to the throne of Christ the King! Again, we see the glass as more than half full, but overflowing, as we approach our Lord in all of His glory and abundance knowing that He is the source and summit of our journey of faith. Our Second Reading from Hebrews reassures us that He has approached us to call us to trust, and do, and love one another by giving ourselves!
- We see Christ as one who has come “for a little while" made "lower than the angels,” so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
- We see Christ as the word of God, living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword.
- We see Christ as the one who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, as He has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin, so we can confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.
- We see Christ as the one who, once for all, who will appear at the end of the ages to take away sin by his sacrifice.
- Let us make our sacrifices, and accept the grace of God, so that we may we might “die to self” and embrace the abundance of life we have in Christ Jesus.
- Let us accept the Word of God as that living and effective guide in our lives, cutting through the pain and challenges of this world, helping us to get a glimpse of the kingdom that is to come.
- Let us serve the Lord, in our accepting one another’s weaknesses with patience and kindness
- Let us run the race, and respond to the blessings, the trials and the tests of this life, so we may confidently approach the Lord’s throne of mercy and grace.
Today we’re called to give our 110%, as abundance lies with those who seem to have nothing. In this month of November as we remember the dead, we also lift up those widows, widowers, and children who mourn and miss their loved ones. God has a special love for you, and those who choose to view your glass as half empty are sorely mistaken. Your faith is filled to the brim with all of God’s love and purpose… We must all dare not to be afraid, and share in the glory and the abundance of our Lord Jesus Christ!
My friends, our is a glass that is half full, but not yet filled…
- We must continue this journey that promises to reach the kingdom of God!
- We must allow ourselves to be filled with the real presence of Jesus Christ, and the blessings of the Holy Spirit, knowing that there is more to come!
- We must always make room for others, as we evangelize to our family & friends, strangers & enemies, our parish & community, and the world around us, giving them hope, love and purpose.
Comments
Post a Comment