XV Sunday Ordinary Time, Cycle B

First Sunday Mass as Parochial Vicar
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, Plano, TX

Am 7:12-15
Ps 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14
Eph 1:3-14
Mk 6:7-13

People have often asked me how does it feel – to be a 43 day old newly ordained priest?  I tell them that it is great and awesome and they can usually see me gushing with joy.  But it still doesn’t quite express it well enough.  I think newlywed couples, especially the ones that have saved themselves for marriage, and maybe couples that have just had their first child have that feeling that I am feeling.  You wake up in the morning and you say, “Oh my God, I’m married!” or “Oh my God, I’m a Father/Mother” in my case, “Oh my God, I’m a priest!”  And this feeling takes a few minutes to sink in, while I marvel how great it feels to be a priest and what awesome favor I have been shown by our Lord.
 
People outside St. Elizabeth Ann Seton have often asked me about my new parish assignment and how I am liking it.  I think the best way to describe the situation is that is an “arranged marriage”.   The bishop called me up a few months ago and said, “Reuben, I’d like you to go to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and there you will serve as a new priest.”  He didn’t ask me, he told me – which is to be expected, he’s the bishop! Like a blind date: all you have is a name, when to show up, a picture, if you’re lucky, and the assurance of your friend that’s “a great girl with a good personality.”

I don’t know much about you and you don’t know much about me, but now we’re stuck together like an arranged marriage.  Of course one may think of all the horror stories of arranged marriages, but for me I kinda like them.   For one, I have to allow God control my life.  I have to resign the fact that I’m not in control and what little control I do have is to simply depend on Him.  I also know and believe that He is looking out for me.  Because I know that He loves me and everyone here, I know that He has our best interests at heart.  It is providence that we are here today at this moment to celebrate Mass together as a family.  And therefore we have much for which to be thankful.

Finally, I love to take the situations in our life and transform them.  An “arranged marriage” works because the people have to learn to love each other – they’re stuck.  So I think this as an opportunity to grow in love both for the Lord and for all of you.  So I don’t look at this new beginning as being stuck, but rather an opportunity to offer myself in love to all of you.  As I get to know you and you get to know me, we will grow in the love of God. I look forward to getting to know all of you, pray with you, and share life with you: the sorrows and the joys.  I have already received such a warm welcome from many of you, which only confirms the many wonderful things I have heard about this parish.

My hope is that I can serve you well through Word and Sacrament, to be your shepherd with Fr. Bradley.  I ask for your prayers and your patience as I get to know you and you get to know me.  I hope to serve the Lord and to serve all of you.  I desire to bring Christ into your life which means that I will preach the Good News and sometimes I will preach some words that may be tough to hear.  I hope that I will not end up like Amos in the First Reading, where he is run out of the sanctuary.

This new beginning for me is much like the Gospel today.  I am being sent out by Christ to go on this journey.  And one of these instructions is to stay at a house until I leave.  After many years of seminary and moving all over the place, I’m happy to call St. Elizabeth my home and desire to stay.  The fact that Jesus tells the Twelve to bring only the essentials is to reinforce the complete dependence on God and to bring out the charity of others.  In our journey together we must rely on God and trust in His providence.

As it is written in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we are chosen by him, destined for adoption.  We are redeemed by His blood.  These words are beautiful and speak the truth of the reality of our relationship with God.  We are HIS adopted children and redeemed by Him and he desires to lavish extravagant graces upon us if we so desire to receive it.  Paul also writes, In him we were also chosen destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.  Again, the theme of trusting in God and how He has destined us for His purpose is echoed for us to remember that He is in control.

As we place our trust in Him, we know ultimately all that we do should give God all the glory and praise.  We should seek to serve Him at all times.  When we come to Mass to worship, it is the time to bring all of ourselves to God – all the good that we have done, all our sins, all our joys, and all our sorrows.  We put them to the altar of God and allow Him to transform them for His glory.  We offer them to the Lord through Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.  That is why the Mass is so awesome and why it is so important for us to go.  He is our Daily Bread to give us the grace and strength to give ourselves to God, to change our wicked and sinful ways, and to receive His healing.

Our readings today give us such a powerful message that we have to take to heart.  That we are all destined to be God’s children, that we must trust in Him, and that we are part of His plan of salvation giving Him all the glory.  What a wonderful message we have today!!  And I am so blessed to be able to share this with all of you.  I pray that we may all grow together in serving the Lord in love and joy.