Deacon Greg's Homily 11-19-17
Happy Almost Thanksgiving... And we do have much to be thankful for!!
Adding to last week's image of Wisdom being resplendent, or attractive and impressive through being richly colorful, and hastening to meet us, welcoming us with solicitude, that is, with care and concern... Today she comes to us as a worthy wife and mother, sharing the challenge for us to stand in awe of her work! Her worthiness is defined in the same vain as the worthiness of an army, with great valor and courage! The description of course is rooted in the culture and time of the writer, but don't let the specifics limit the potential of how one can use their gifts and abilities to truly serve God with the same valor and courage!
Remember where you come from... This family of ours has made its share of mistakes, but Paul reminds us that we are indeed the people of God, the children of a light that has empowered us to do great things! Let's live like it! Even if we don't know the day or hour of the Lord's return, we are called to confidently bring the light of Christ into the darkness that sometime envelops the world around us!
Our recent Gospel readings this month are from the three parables in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew. They are about the end times, the end of the world, the end of our lives. Whatever is given to us, whether it be money, talent, or opportunity, these gifts are meant to bear fruit for the kingdom, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. These parables are meant to guide us towards serving the Lord with a real sense of urgency. NOW IS THE TIME, because we just don't know how much time we have left! Today's Gospel wants us to know that we are trusted by God, and called to invest our time and talent wisely, not waiting for the Lord's return, but to work and do and live in the light of Christ! Quite frankly, the third servant in today's Gospel just wasted his time and squandered his opportunity to make things better.
From my perspective as a Church Worker, employed to focus on the liturgy and music here at St. John's, why do we not have a choir of 20 at all five Masses? Why are the same people serving as Altar Servers, Eucharistic Minister, Lectors and Ushers every other week? The answer is simple. We could use more liturgical ministers! There are many other ministries here in the parish that could ask the same question, leading to the same answer. So look to the "Getting Involved" page of your Bulletin, and contact a ministry lead today!
It's too easy just to accuse me of throwing the "Good ol' Catholic Guilt" your way to try and get you to do something. I know my tone makes you uncomfortable, and I know that it's attempting to add something else to your already busy schedule, that I can't possible fathom or understand. I get it! I've got no more time in my week either. I know many of you are doing great things, week after week to make this parish what it is!
So please don't misunderstand my fervor or the Master in today's Gospel. This isn't about sound investments, or helping you sort things out to make life more efficient or easy... It's about sharing the Good News while we still can, making the most of our time, even if we don't have much time to share. St. John's, we are already equipped with the grace to get things done, so as Wisdom is a worthy wife and mother, you are a worthy part of US as CHURCH, and US as WORLD... This is a call to valor with courage... This is my own opportunity to ask you to change the world! Heck, I say it all the time to folks at the door, or in the halls, or at parish meetings! We are children of the light of Christ! Fr. Bryan invited us a few weeks ago to live lives so as to become Saints Fr. Thomas quoted St. Teresa of Calcutta, reminding us to do small things with great love!
I'll close with the challenge from another "Master" of sorts, a character who is a tad shorter, and a little more green than the Deacon, from long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...
Adding to last week's image of Wisdom being resplendent, or attractive and impressive through being richly colorful, and hastening to meet us, welcoming us with solicitude, that is, with care and concern... Today she comes to us as a worthy wife and mother, sharing the challenge for us to stand in awe of her work! Her worthiness is defined in the same vain as the worthiness of an army, with great valor and courage! The description of course is rooted in the culture and time of the writer, but don't let the specifics limit the potential of how one can use their gifts and abilities to truly serve God with the same valor and courage!
Remember where you come from... This family of ours has made its share of mistakes, but Paul reminds us that we are indeed the people of God, the children of a light that has empowered us to do great things! Let's live like it! Even if we don't know the day or hour of the Lord's return, we are called to confidently bring the light of Christ into the darkness that sometime envelops the world around us!
Our recent Gospel readings this month are from the three parables in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew. They are about the end times, the end of the world, the end of our lives. Whatever is given to us, whether it be money, talent, or opportunity, these gifts are meant to bear fruit for the kingdom, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. These parables are meant to guide us towards serving the Lord with a real sense of urgency. NOW IS THE TIME, because we just don't know how much time we have left! Today's Gospel wants us to know that we are trusted by God, and called to invest our time and talent wisely, not waiting for the Lord's return, but to work and do and live in the light of Christ! Quite frankly, the third servant in today's Gospel just wasted his time and squandered his opportunity to make things better.
From my perspective as a Church Worker, employed to focus on the liturgy and music here at St. John's, why do we not have a choir of 20 at all five Masses? Why are the same people serving as Altar Servers, Eucharistic Minister, Lectors and Ushers every other week? The answer is simple. We could use more liturgical ministers! There are many other ministries here in the parish that could ask the same question, leading to the same answer. So look to the "Getting Involved" page of your Bulletin, and contact a ministry lead today!
It's too easy just to accuse me of throwing the "Good ol' Catholic Guilt" your way to try and get you to do something. I know my tone makes you uncomfortable, and I know that it's attempting to add something else to your already busy schedule, that I can't possible fathom or understand. I get it! I've got no more time in my week either. I know many of you are doing great things, week after week to make this parish what it is!
So please don't misunderstand my fervor or the Master in today's Gospel. This isn't about sound investments, or helping you sort things out to make life more efficient or easy... It's about sharing the Good News while we still can, making the most of our time, even if we don't have much time to share. St. John's, we are already equipped with the grace to get things done, so as Wisdom is a worthy wife and mother, you are a worthy part of US as CHURCH, and US as WORLD... This is a call to valor with courage... This is my own opportunity to ask you to change the world! Heck, I say it all the time to folks at the door, or in the halls, or at parish meetings! We are children of the light of Christ! Fr. Bryan invited us a few weeks ago to live lives so as to become Saints Fr. Thomas quoted St. Teresa of Calcutta, reminding us to do small things with great love!
I'll close with the challenge from another "Master" of sorts, a character who is a tad shorter, and a little more green than the Deacon, from long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...
Master Yoda said, "Do, or do not. There is no try!"
Why not dive in and love, and be, and do all that you can do to make things better What are we waiting for?
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