Ex 17:8-13
Ps 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
2Tm 3:14-4:2
Lk 18:1-8
“Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed because you know from whom you learned it…” This passage comes from our second reading today, a passage from a letter to Timothy. One of the most beautiful things of our Catholic faith is the handing-on of our faith. This faith which has grown out of over 2000 years of tradition has been true and faithful to God’s desire in our lives. I find it especially beautiful because we have the assurance of Jesus Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Some may ask or think to themselves, “Why should I baptize my child? Shouldn’t I wait so that my child can make his or her own decisions?” I used to be glad that I had the opportunity to choose my faith growing up, but at the same time I wonder to myself, “Why did I have to prolong something so good for so long? I could have enjoyed the grace and blessings of my God and a relationship with God so much sooner!” As St Augustine writes in his confessions, “Late have I loved you! Late have I loved you…”. Scripture and Tradition are part of our rich inheritance, a revelation from God that opens an intimate relationship with Him. And from that rich and abundant life with God, flows our spiritual life into our daily life.
When we meditate on scripture and ponder its meaning, we are pondering the Word of God; we are pondering his self-gift to us. When you read scripture and you do not derive a richness of God speaking to you in a personal way, it is not scripture that is boring, but something is blocking the communication between you and Him. Prayer and scripture are intimately tied together in the times of the day that you take to commune with God. Yes, I know that everyone has their responsibilities in life be it job, family, friends and the like. These are priorities that you have already set and are perhaps difficult to change. But in your life, when given a choice between doing the things that have to be done and the things needing to be done, you will do the things that you want to do because they give you more satisfaction. If you truly wanted or desired prayer and God in your life, then you would make time to make it happen.
When one takes a long and critical look at their own life, they will find the short comings that are easy enough to spot: I could be more holy, I could be nicer, I could pray the rosary more, etc. Within these sins, it is imperative that you examine why or what caused you to commit those sins. God desires a conversion and not a laundry list of sins for confession. You go to the priest for confession not because you want to erase the chalkboard of your soul, but so that Jesus can write how much He loves you and you Him. God desires conversion of heart and in so doing your heart beats not to pump blood but to repeat the sounding love and praise of the Holy Spirit.
As you transform and as you grow in relationship with God, the stories in the first reading and gospel will start to make more sense. The story is very simple: Moses raises his arms for the Israelites to fight against Amalek, and the fight goes well as long as Moses’ arms stayed up. The Gospel speaks of the parable of the widow that incessantly pleads her cause to an unjust judge and by analogy if the unjust judge grants a something out of fear of his own well-being and the persistence of the widow, then surely God Almighty will be able to grant good things to us. Both of these stories at first blush show perseverance of the faith. That is, if you keep at something long enough, you’ll get what you want. Any spoiled kid will tell you the secrets of getting what they want from their parents.
If you want to be or act like a spoiled brat in front of God, be my guest I won’t stop you; it’s his ears you are talking off, not mine. Perseverance is definitely a virtue that is commendable and should be kept up. If you have perseverance you should persevere in it!!!
What I was saying earlier about desires is very important and what separates a spoiled brat and a good kid is easy. A spoiled brat will put on a mask and change their behavior until he or she gets their way. As soon as the objective is achieved, it’s back to acting nasty. However, a good child will change his or her behavior out of love for mother and father and not for the objects or favors desired. And because the good child does this out of love he or she will keep on doing it because it’s a good thing to do. In other words, the spoiled brat remains the same and the good child grows.
When we pray and when we ask God for something, do we pray incessantly while putting on our best behavior until we get what we want? Or do we pray constantly because our hearts and minds are on our Lord and desiring that his will be done?
It goes without saying that persevering in prayer is critical. We pray without ceasing and we lift our arms up like Moses in our daily battles. We assume the position of prayer, hands out extended so that we may lift our prayers to God and receive his blessings in our life. The longer we keep a mind and heart of prayer, the better we will fare in our daily struggles. In order to do so, especially in those times of need, we must cultivate our faith that was handed down to us. We have been given a rich treasure of sacred scripture and the teachings of the Church. Let us use them and take advantage of them. These are filled with rich descriptions, prescriptions, and meditations that enrich our relationship with God and help us to know our Lover better.
As the letter to Timothy says, “…be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.” At the same time we are charged with a mission to grow in faith and to spread the faith down to others. It we truly believe in the goodness of the message of Love in our lives, there would and should be no hesitation to tell others about it. If the Lord has not touched your life in some way, ask for it and desire it. I earnestly desire a deeper conversion in your life as much as I do desire one in mine. As blessed as I may be with the people of God around me daily, I desire even more. The goodness of God in my life can only be given if I grow in relationship with Him each and every day. Let us glory in what He has done for us in thanksgiving to Him for the wonderful blessings in life.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C
2 Kgs 5:14-17
Ps 98:1,2-3,3-4
2Tm 2:8-13
Lk 17:11-19
Today, being Stewardship Sunday or Super Collection Plat Sunday in our parish, I find it very fitting that we have these readings today. What I realize also is that Stewardship – that is, stewardship of time, talent, and treasure – is more than Turkey.
Brothers and Sisters: It’s more than Turkey!
If you all are good Catholics and listened to your Sunday school teacher growing up, you would remember the story of Elisha and Naaman, an Aramean army commander with leprosy. If you aren’t, when you go home today read this short little story. Naaman was a highly esteemed commander of a neighboring country of Israel called Aram, but he had leprosy. Naaman discovers that Israel has a prophet named Elisha who could possibly heal him. He goes to find him carrying with him 10 silver talents, six thousand gold pieces, and ten festal garments – a lot of money in those days – as tribute for the healing. It was like he assumed that he was going to be healed and wanted to pay the healer for services rendered. (I wish it was as simple as that in our healthcare) So he goes to Elisha, with all this money and asks to be healed. You can imagine Naaman, a pagan idol worshipper, expecting Elisha to be a witch doctor with all the strange concoctions of medicines and strange dances, but Elisha is nothing of the sort.
Elisha tells Naaman, “Go and wash sevent times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.” Badaboom-badabing. No problems. This isn’t strange to us, because we know that Jesus does this kind of thing all the time. But Naaman is incredulous! He leaves angry because he’s expecting Elisha to wave his magical hands and to invoke God to heal him and fix everything, but he’s told to go do something that soldiers should be used to doing, taking baths in rivers. To add insult to injury, he said seven times! (Naaman must have really smelt bad) His servants advise him to do what Elisha the prophet said to do; he does and is miraculously healed.
Naaman is incredibly grateful to Elisha and seeks to pay him for his service. Elisha refuses all these riches. What is interesting is that Naaman asks for two mule-loads of dirt. Taking a step back this is strange; but Naaman wants to worship Elisha’s god instead of the pagan idols in his home country. Gods have territories and so if you take a piece of Israel back with you, you get to have Israel’s god. (Please do not take the hymnals, the tiles, or the pews back home with you. You still have to come to Church on Sunday)
Through this healing, Naaman is converted to believing in and worshipping the true God. This is a beautiful story of thanksgiving and conversion, but most of all the start of a new relationship. You see, Elisha did not accept the payment, which was right on his part, but what he really desired is bringing people to God and that he did gladly. Now by Elisha’s actions, Naaman was forever grateful to God who does wonderous things. And for the rest of his life, he served the Lord.
Jesus too heals lepers in the Gospel today. Ten lepers were healed, but one, the foreigner is the one that comes back to thank Jesus. (This story always reminds me of the scolding I get when I forget to say thank you) Though the other nine did what Jesus told them to do, the foreigner knew who to thank. He was really changed and I am sure his life was never the same after that – worshiping God for the rest of his life.
Both of these stories involve miraculous healings and even in this day and age we see people healed and miracles happening around us. However, we know that the heart of the message today is not just the miracles and healings. They are incredibly great and awesome; especially when you experience them. But it’s not just that; it’s even more!
When the family comes together during Thanksgiving, it’s not really about the Turkey. It’s more than the Turkey!!! It’s about thanksgiving in the midst of family, a relationship! When the family comes together, the family shares in a unique relationship – even in the most awkward of situations. And that’s what it is about: Relationships.
Namaan’s life, because of his leprosy, was miraculously changed and so now had the opportunity to know God. Had Elisha accepted Namaan’s gold, Namaan would not have thought to worship God. Like a contract that accepts this in exchange for that, he has now entered into a relationship, a covenant with God instead, which is lasting forever.
All of us have received the graces and blessings of God daily. By the very fact that we exist, by the very fact that we are here today to worship the Lord, He has blessed. We have been given these wonderful gifts to be used whether it is kindness, generosity, charity, patience, or wealth. These are all God’s bountiful gift to us. We didn’t ask for them, they were unmerited and he didn’t have to give them to us. For those that are not hurting in this economy, it is his favor to you and your hard work in cooperation with Him. For those that can and do teach, serve, and spend time in our various different ministries, these are the Holy Spirit’s gift and favor to you and your hard work in cooperation with Him. I want to thank you all for using them well here in this parish. You are stewards of these gifts and blessings. Like Namaan, we should be ever grateful for God’s wonderful work in our lives. Like the Samaritan leper that came back to Jesus to thank him for healing, we too should know that all thanksgiving, glory and honor, riches and power belong to God.
But if we left it at that; if we just stopped in to Church to say thanks to God using our time and talent and treasure, as good stewards do; if we just stopped there, it would not be enough. At the heart of the message today like I said before: “It’s more than the Turkey!!” It’s more than eating the Turkey, it’s about the relationship of family and the love shared with one another. God gifts you so that you can love the ones around you, love the Church, work for the parish, etc. However, these gifts are not because he wants to use you for your money or for your time or for your talents. You are not simply a tool in the hands of God. You received these gifts because God has loved you first. You for you – He desires an intimate relationship with you.
Jesus Christ came to this earth so that we could come to know His Father, Our Father. Jesus wants us to partake with Him at this Holy Table of Thanksgiving. There’s no turkey here, but there is an offering of His complete self for us, uniting ourselves to Him, with Him and with each other. He wants to share this relationship with Him: together with Him we will die, live, and reign with Him forever and ever.
Ps 98:1,2-3,3-4
2Tm 2:8-13
Lk 17:11-19
Today, being Stewardship Sunday or Super Collection Plat Sunday in our parish, I find it very fitting that we have these readings today. What I realize also is that Stewardship – that is, stewardship of time, talent, and treasure – is more than Turkey.
Brothers and Sisters: It’s more than Turkey!
If you all are good Catholics and listened to your Sunday school teacher growing up, you would remember the story of Elisha and Naaman, an Aramean army commander with leprosy. If you aren’t, when you go home today read this short little story. Naaman was a highly esteemed commander of a neighboring country of Israel called Aram, but he had leprosy. Naaman discovers that Israel has a prophet named Elisha who could possibly heal him. He goes to find him carrying with him 10 silver talents, six thousand gold pieces, and ten festal garments – a lot of money in those days – as tribute for the healing. It was like he assumed that he was going to be healed and wanted to pay the healer for services rendered. (I wish it was as simple as that in our healthcare) So he goes to Elisha, with all this money and asks to be healed. You can imagine Naaman, a pagan idol worshipper, expecting Elisha to be a witch doctor with all the strange concoctions of medicines and strange dances, but Elisha is nothing of the sort.
Elisha tells Naaman, “Go and wash sevent times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.” Badaboom-badabing. No problems. This isn’t strange to us, because we know that Jesus does this kind of thing all the time. But Naaman is incredulous! He leaves angry because he’s expecting Elisha to wave his magical hands and to invoke God to heal him and fix everything, but he’s told to go do something that soldiers should be used to doing, taking baths in rivers. To add insult to injury, he said seven times! (Naaman must have really smelt bad) His servants advise him to do what Elisha the prophet said to do; he does and is miraculously healed.
Naaman is incredibly grateful to Elisha and seeks to pay him for his service. Elisha refuses all these riches. What is interesting is that Naaman asks for two mule-loads of dirt. Taking a step back this is strange; but Naaman wants to worship Elisha’s god instead of the pagan idols in his home country. Gods have territories and so if you take a piece of Israel back with you, you get to have Israel’s god. (Please do not take the hymnals, the tiles, or the pews back home with you. You still have to come to Church on Sunday)
Through this healing, Naaman is converted to believing in and worshipping the true God. This is a beautiful story of thanksgiving and conversion, but most of all the start of a new relationship. You see, Elisha did not accept the payment, which was right on his part, but what he really desired is bringing people to God and that he did gladly. Now by Elisha’s actions, Naaman was forever grateful to God who does wonderous things. And for the rest of his life, he served the Lord.
Jesus too heals lepers in the Gospel today. Ten lepers were healed, but one, the foreigner is the one that comes back to thank Jesus. (This story always reminds me of the scolding I get when I forget to say thank you) Though the other nine did what Jesus told them to do, the foreigner knew who to thank. He was really changed and I am sure his life was never the same after that – worshiping God for the rest of his life.
Both of these stories involve miraculous healings and even in this day and age we see people healed and miracles happening around us. However, we know that the heart of the message today is not just the miracles and healings. They are incredibly great and awesome; especially when you experience them. But it’s not just that; it’s even more!
When the family comes together during Thanksgiving, it’s not really about the Turkey. It’s more than the Turkey!!! It’s about thanksgiving in the midst of family, a relationship! When the family comes together, the family shares in a unique relationship – even in the most awkward of situations. And that’s what it is about: Relationships.
Namaan’s life, because of his leprosy, was miraculously changed and so now had the opportunity to know God. Had Elisha accepted Namaan’s gold, Namaan would not have thought to worship God. Like a contract that accepts this in exchange for that, he has now entered into a relationship, a covenant with God instead, which is lasting forever.
All of us have received the graces and blessings of God daily. By the very fact that we exist, by the very fact that we are here today to worship the Lord, He has blessed. We have been given these wonderful gifts to be used whether it is kindness, generosity, charity, patience, or wealth. These are all God’s bountiful gift to us. We didn’t ask for them, they were unmerited and he didn’t have to give them to us. For those that are not hurting in this economy, it is his favor to you and your hard work in cooperation with Him. For those that can and do teach, serve, and spend time in our various different ministries, these are the Holy Spirit’s gift and favor to you and your hard work in cooperation with Him. I want to thank you all for using them well here in this parish. You are stewards of these gifts and blessings. Like Namaan, we should be ever grateful for God’s wonderful work in our lives. Like the Samaritan leper that came back to Jesus to thank him for healing, we too should know that all thanksgiving, glory and honor, riches and power belong to God.
But if we left it at that; if we just stopped in to Church to say thanks to God using our time and talent and treasure, as good stewards do; if we just stopped there, it would not be enough. At the heart of the message today like I said before: “It’s more than the Turkey!!” It’s more than eating the Turkey, it’s about the relationship of family and the love shared with one another. God gifts you so that you can love the ones around you, love the Church, work for the parish, etc. However, these gifts are not because he wants to use you for your money or for your time or for your talents. You are not simply a tool in the hands of God. You received these gifts because God has loved you first. You for you – He desires an intimate relationship with you.
Jesus Christ came to this earth so that we could come to know His Father, Our Father. Jesus wants us to partake with Him at this Holy Table of Thanksgiving. There’s no turkey here, but there is an offering of His complete self for us, uniting ourselves to Him, with Him and with each other. He wants to share this relationship with Him: together with Him we will die, live, and reign with Him forever and ever.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C
Hab 1:2-3; 2:2-4
Ps 95:1-2, 6-7,8-9
2Tm 1:6-8, 13-14
Lk 17:5-10
“If you’re looking for faith, you’re not going to find it here!!”
If you have come here today, come to Mass with the expectation that you are going to get some faith, you may be disappointed. If you have come here today, dragged yourself out of bed, dragged your children out of bed (kicking and screaming), and expected to get a sudden surge of faith, you may be disappointed. “Uh-oh, I think Father has left the reservation. Don’t we come to Church to get faith?” The apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith. What was his reply? Whatever it was, it certainly was not what they were expecting. Jesus replies, “If you have the faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” And then he goes off into another analogy about a servant coming in from the fields and meeting his master. Jesus neither increases the faith of the apostles nor does he tell them how to increase their faith. “If you have the faith the size of a mustard seed…” tells them how big their faith needs to be, but it doesn’t increase it. I had to google mustard seeds to see how big they really were. They even have pendant necklaces with mustard seeds so that you can wear it around your neck. I don’t know how that is supposed to increase your faith. (Sorry if there’s anyone that does have one, I hope it helps.)
What about the second part of the Gospel? “Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’?” What does this have to do with faith? The master expects the servant to serve him well even after a hard day’s labor. And is the Master grateful? Heavens no! The servant is doing what he is expected to do and should not be rewarded for it! Say you are sitting at a nice restaurant and your waiter gets to your table and sits down right next to you. I have to admit it’s a bit awkward to me. No offense to the waiter, but normal convention dictates that I sit with my friends or family and the waiter stands and takes the order. I’m sure the waiter is a really nice person and if I needed a companion to dine with me I would enjoy it very much, but he’s supposed to be serving at table. My point is that the servant has a specific role as servant and when the servant, or the master for that matter, steps out of his or her respective role, it confuses things. Nobody expects you to get up from your meal and start bussing other people’s tables; and even if you did the other employees would not know what to do with the tips. With the understanding that the servant and master are to be doing their respective duty, Jesus tells the apostles to say, “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.” The apostles, at this point, I imagine are quite confused. “If you’re looking for faith, you’re not going to find it here!”
What were the apostles expecting? Were they expecting Jesus to close his eyes, say a few magic words, and for them to suddenly start seeing with the eyes of faith? Were they expecting him to push a button transforming them into perfectly loving people? If Jesus does indeed speak the truth, the answer is there.
Let us look at the reading today from the Book of Habakkuk. It is a short book, only three chapters, but contains a beautiful prophecy. In it, the prophet is crying out to and questioning God for the calamities that had fallen on Israel. He receives an answer in the second chapter, “The rash one has no integrity; but the just one, because of his faith, shall live.” God is telling the people to have patience, not to be rash. There will be a time when things will come to fulfillment, even if it is late, it won’t be too late. Continue to be faithful, continue to be just, keeping the commandments, and live daily in God’s goodness. As one of my professors would say, “We gotta keep on keeping on.” It is an assurance that things will be well and to persevere, even if the present does not seem to show it.
As Paul’s letter to Timothy also reiterates as well, “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control…. Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.” Paul writes in the beginning to “stir into flame” that which Timothy had already received. The coals of his faith are growing cold and it is up to him to stir the coals into flame. Despite all the trials and mishaps that Timothy may be experiencing, Timothy must keep on his ministry and not shy away from it. The graces that come from the Holy Spirit, his bond with the Apostle Paul and his faith and love in Christ Jesus are his fuel to fan the coals into flames of zeal.
The answer, my brothers and sisters, to the apostles’ question is simple: Perseverance in your love. Spouses know that there will be difficult times in marriage, but what keeps the fidelity and love alive is a conscious choice daily to persevere. The same is in our relationship to Our God. We must daily commit to love him with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our bodies. This is done daily like the first and second readings tell us. We must have patience, we must use the gifts that God has given us and work daily with an assured hope that the Lord will come to our aide. We must use the wonderful gifts of the sacraments, Holy Scripture, prayer, and the support of our brothers and sisters to stir up our faith. I said at the beginning, “If you are looking for faith, you’re not going to find it here.” And what I meant by it is this: It took faith for you to come here and believe that you are actually performing a work of thanksgiving to God. It took faith for you to even believe that a God exists and to share that with others. It will take faith to believe that the Eucharist that we celebrate and the food and drink that we consume is not bread and wine, but the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ our Lord. The faith should already be in you, however dim it may be. The Mass stirs the coals of faith into flames of love and charity. The Mass only takes and transforms what you bring to the table. If you come here with unbelieving faith, chances are you are going to leave with unbelieving faith. But even a grain of faith will transform one to move mountains and trees. God can and will transform it, but you have to have something there for him to work with.
But what of the Gospel, for us to continue to wait at the master’s table after toiling in the fields; and Jesus’ last words for us to say, “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.”? My brothers and sisters, when we can say those words with the true humility, recognizing with heads bowed that we are truly unworthy to receive him. When we can do that, we will lift our eyes to the altar of God here before you, and see his loving eyes and his welcoming arms extended out - an invitation to sit at his table with him and partake in the holiest and most sacred of meals that you will ever consume.
Ps 95:1-2, 6-7,8-9
2Tm 1:6-8, 13-14
Lk 17:5-10
“If you’re looking for faith, you’re not going to find it here!!”
If you have come here today, come to Mass with the expectation that you are going to get some faith, you may be disappointed. If you have come here today, dragged yourself out of bed, dragged your children out of bed (kicking and screaming), and expected to get a sudden surge of faith, you may be disappointed. “Uh-oh, I think Father has left the reservation. Don’t we come to Church to get faith?” The apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith. What was his reply? Whatever it was, it certainly was not what they were expecting. Jesus replies, “If you have the faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” And then he goes off into another analogy about a servant coming in from the fields and meeting his master. Jesus neither increases the faith of the apostles nor does he tell them how to increase their faith. “If you have the faith the size of a mustard seed…” tells them how big their faith needs to be, but it doesn’t increase it. I had to google mustard seeds to see how big they really were. They even have pendant necklaces with mustard seeds so that you can wear it around your neck. I don’t know how that is supposed to increase your faith. (Sorry if there’s anyone that does have one, I hope it helps.)
What about the second part of the Gospel? “Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’?” What does this have to do with faith? The master expects the servant to serve him well even after a hard day’s labor. And is the Master grateful? Heavens no! The servant is doing what he is expected to do and should not be rewarded for it! Say you are sitting at a nice restaurant and your waiter gets to your table and sits down right next to you. I have to admit it’s a bit awkward to me. No offense to the waiter, but normal convention dictates that I sit with my friends or family and the waiter stands and takes the order. I’m sure the waiter is a really nice person and if I needed a companion to dine with me I would enjoy it very much, but he’s supposed to be serving at table. My point is that the servant has a specific role as servant and when the servant, or the master for that matter, steps out of his or her respective role, it confuses things. Nobody expects you to get up from your meal and start bussing other people’s tables; and even if you did the other employees would not know what to do with the tips. With the understanding that the servant and master are to be doing their respective duty, Jesus tells the apostles to say, “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.” The apostles, at this point, I imagine are quite confused. “If you’re looking for faith, you’re not going to find it here!”
What were the apostles expecting? Were they expecting Jesus to close his eyes, say a few magic words, and for them to suddenly start seeing with the eyes of faith? Were they expecting him to push a button transforming them into perfectly loving people? If Jesus does indeed speak the truth, the answer is there.
Let us look at the reading today from the Book of Habakkuk. It is a short book, only three chapters, but contains a beautiful prophecy. In it, the prophet is crying out to and questioning God for the calamities that had fallen on Israel. He receives an answer in the second chapter, “The rash one has no integrity; but the just one, because of his faith, shall live.” God is telling the people to have patience, not to be rash. There will be a time when things will come to fulfillment, even if it is late, it won’t be too late. Continue to be faithful, continue to be just, keeping the commandments, and live daily in God’s goodness. As one of my professors would say, “We gotta keep on keeping on.” It is an assurance that things will be well and to persevere, even if the present does not seem to show it.
As Paul’s letter to Timothy also reiterates as well, “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control…. Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.” Paul writes in the beginning to “stir into flame” that which Timothy had already received. The coals of his faith are growing cold and it is up to him to stir the coals into flame. Despite all the trials and mishaps that Timothy may be experiencing, Timothy must keep on his ministry and not shy away from it. The graces that come from the Holy Spirit, his bond with the Apostle Paul and his faith and love in Christ Jesus are his fuel to fan the coals into flames of zeal.
The answer, my brothers and sisters, to the apostles’ question is simple: Perseverance in your love. Spouses know that there will be difficult times in marriage, but what keeps the fidelity and love alive is a conscious choice daily to persevere. The same is in our relationship to Our God. We must daily commit to love him with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our bodies. This is done daily like the first and second readings tell us. We must have patience, we must use the gifts that God has given us and work daily with an assured hope that the Lord will come to our aide. We must use the wonderful gifts of the sacraments, Holy Scripture, prayer, and the support of our brothers and sisters to stir up our faith. I said at the beginning, “If you are looking for faith, you’re not going to find it here.” And what I meant by it is this: It took faith for you to come here and believe that you are actually performing a work of thanksgiving to God. It took faith for you to even believe that a God exists and to share that with others. It will take faith to believe that the Eucharist that we celebrate and the food and drink that we consume is not bread and wine, but the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ our Lord. The faith should already be in you, however dim it may be. The Mass stirs the coals of faith into flames of love and charity. The Mass only takes and transforms what you bring to the table. If you come here with unbelieving faith, chances are you are going to leave with unbelieving faith. But even a grain of faith will transform one to move mountains and trees. God can and will transform it, but you have to have something there for him to work with.
But what of the Gospel, for us to continue to wait at the master’s table after toiling in the fields; and Jesus’ last words for us to say, “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.”? My brothers and sisters, when we can say those words with the true humility, recognizing with heads bowed that we are truly unworthy to receive him. When we can do that, we will lift our eyes to the altar of God here before you, and see his loving eyes and his welcoming arms extended out - an invitation to sit at his table with him and partake in the holiest and most sacred of meals that you will ever consume.
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