The following homily was preached by Fr. Emmett Gavin, O.Carm. on March 11th and 12th as part of the OLMC Lenten Mission entitled “OLMC Calls YOU To Holiness!”
Listening to God’s Call: 2nd Sunday in Lent, March 11th and 12th, 2017
MOST OF THE GOSPEL STORIES THAT WE HEAR SUNDAY AFTER SUNDAY DEAL WITH VERY FAMILIAR HUMAN EXPERIENCES.
STORIES OF LIFE AND DEATH, FORGIVENESS AND STRUGGLE, ILLNESS AND HEALING.
THINGS WE KNOW FROM OUR OWN DAY TO DAY LIVES AND CAN RELATE TO.
TODAY’S GOSPEL, THEREFORE, IS A GLARING EXCEPTION.
NONE OF US HAVE EVER OR WILL EVER EXPERIENCE ANYTHING REMOTELY LIKE WHAT THOSE THREE APOSTLES EXPERIENCED ON THAT MOUNTAINTOP.
THE TRANSFIGURATION, JESUS SHINING LIKE THE SUN, THE VOICE OF GOD BOOMING FORTH FROM A CLOUD, VISIONS OF LONG DEAD SPIRITUAL LEADERS.
THESE ARE NOT EXPERIENCES ANY OF US CAN RELATE TO VERY EASILY.
SO, I THINK IT IS A FAIR QUESTION TO ASK WHY THIS STORY IS GIVEN TO US ON THIS SUNDAY EARLY IN LENT?
WHAT DOES THIS EXTRAORDINARY EVENT HAVE TO SAY TO YOU AND TO ME?
WHAT, IF ANYTHING, DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE OR MINE?
WELL, IN FACT, I THINK IT HAS A GREAT DEAL TO DO WITH OUR LIVES BUT IT IS NOT ALL THAT OBVIOUS AT FIRST.
PERHAPS THE FIRST THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT THIS MIRACULOUS EVENT CAME RIGHT IN THE MIDST OF A MAJOR CRISIS IN THESE MEN’S LIVES.
SHORTLY BEFORE THIS INCIDENT, JESUS HAD REVEALED TO THEM FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME THAT HE WAS DESTINED TO DIE ON THE CROSS.
THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING NEWS FOR THESE APOSTLES WHO WERE LOOKING TO JESUS TO BE THE TRIUMPHANT MESSIAH.
THE ONE WHO WOULD RESTORE THE FREEDOM AND GLORY OF ISRAEL.
THOSE MEN HAD LITERALLY WALKED AWAY FROM EVERYTHING TO FOLLOW JESUS IN THE BELIEF HE WAS GOING TO LEAD THEM TO A NEW AND GLORIOUS FUTURE.
BUT THEN, TO THEIR SHOCK AND DISMAY, JUST BEFORE TAKING THEM TO THE TOP OF THAT MOUNTAIN, HE TOLD THEM HE WAS GOING TO END UP BEING KILLED.
AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, I SUSPECT THEY WENT UP THAT MOUNTAIN THAT DAY EXTREMELY UPSET AND DISCOURAGED.
WHAT’S MORE, ONCE THIS MOMENT OF GLORY ON THE MOUNTAINTOP WAS OVER, JESUS WAS GOING TO RESUME HIS JOURNEY UP TO JERUSALEM TO HIS DEATH.
HE KNEW THAT AND HE KNEW THAT THOSE APOSTLES WERE GOING TO NEED ALL THE HELP THEY COULD GET IF THEY WERE TO FIND THE COURAGE TO MAKE THAT JOURNEY WITH HIM.
IN OTHER WORDS, THIS EXPERIENCE ON THE MOUNTAINTOP WAS GIVEN TO THOSE APOSTLES TO GIVE THEM THE MOTIVATION AND RESOLVE THEY NEEDED TO FACE WHAT LAY AHEAD.
THEY NEEDED THE SPIRITUAL AMMUNITION OF THAT MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE IN ORDER TO MAKE IT THROUGH WHAT AWAITED THEM IN JERUSALEM.
SEEN FROM THIS PERSPECTIVE, I THINK WE CAN ALL APPRECIATE WHAT WAS SO IMPORTAN.T ABOUT THAT MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE.
AND WHY THESE APOSTLES NEEDED THE NEW HOPE AND THE NEW PURPOSE IT REPRESENTED.
AFTER ALL, WE ARE NOT STRANGERS TO THAT SAME NEED IN OUR OWN LIVES.
WE TOO HAVE, AT TIMES, EXPERIENCED, AND PERHAPS ARE EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW, THE NEED FOR NEW HOPE IN ORDER TO FACE THE HARSH REALITIES THAT SOMETIMES COME OUR WAY IN LIFE.
WE TOO CAN AND DO, AT TIMES, GET BOGGED DOWN AND DISCOURAGED BY THE TRIALS AND CHALLENGES OF LIFE.
I BELIEVE THAT MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE WAS GIVEN TO THOSE APOSTLES BECAUSE THEY WERE TRULY IN A CRISIS.
THEY HAD INVESTED ALL THEY HAD IN JESUS AND FOLLOWING HIM.
AND TO LEARN THAT IT WOULD SOON END ON A BLOODY CROSS IN JERUSALEM WAS, ALMOST CERTAINLY, MORE THAN THEY COULD DEAL WITH.
AND SO THEY NEEDED THAT GLIMPSE OF CHRIST’S GLORY.
THEY NEEDED THAT EXPERIENCE OF THE NEARNESS OF GOD.
AND THEY NEEDED THE ASSURANCE THAT CHOOSING TO FOLLOW JESUS HAD NOT BEEN A MISTAKE.
BUT MOST OF ALL, I BELIEVE, THEY NEEDED TO HEAR GOD’S CONFIRMATION THAT JESUS WAS HIS BELOVED SON AND THAT THEY WERE TO LISTEN TO HIM AND FOLLOW HIM.
OUR REALITY AND OUR NEED ARE, I BELIEVE, MUCH THE SAME.
LIKE ABRAHAM IN OUR FIRST READING AND LIKE THE APOSTLES IN THE GOSPEL WE TOO ARE CALLED TO FOLLOW THE LORD.
AND LIKE ABRAHAM AND LIKE THE APOSTLES WE TOO ARE ASKED TO BEAR WITH MANY TRIALS AND CHALLENGES IN RESPONDING TO THAT CALL.
AND, THANKFULLY, LIKE ABRAHAM AND THE APOSTLES WE TOO ARE GIVEN A GLIMPSE OF THE REWARD AND GLORY THAT ONE DAY WILL BE OURS IF WE DO FOLLOW HIM.
BUT, WE MUST FIRST OPEN OUR MINDS AND HEARTS TO THE MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCES ALREADY AVAILABLE TO US IN OUR LIVES.
AND, THE KEY TO THAT, I BELIEVE, IS TO BE FOUND IN THAT CLEAR AND DIRECT COMMAND THOSE THREE MEN RECEIVED FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD THAT DAY: “THIS IS MY BELOVED SON…LISTEN TO HIM!”
LEARNING TO LISTEN TO JESUS CHRIST DESERVES, THEREFORE, TO BE THE GOAL OF NOT ONLY LENT 2017, BUT THE GOAL OF THE REST OF OUR LIVES.
THAT IS WHAT I WANT TO EXPLORE WITH YOU TODAY.
BUT FIRST I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE BEING ASKED TO DO.
THE LORD GOD SAID TO THOSE APOSTLES THAT DAY THAT JESUS WAS HIS BELOVED SON AND THEY WERE TO “LISTEN” TO HIM.
OK, YOU MIGHT SAY, “LISTENING” IS SOMETHING FAMILIAR TO ALL OF US.
THAT DOESN’T SOUND LIKE SUCH AN EXTRAORDINARY THING TO ASK OF US, DOES IT?
BUT, ON CLOSER EXAMINATION, IS THAT REALLY TRUE MOST OF THE TIME IN OUR LIVES?
I WOULD MAINTAIN THAT, IN FACT, MANY, IF NOT MOST OF US, ARE PROBABLY NOT VERY GOOD AT LISTENING MOST OF THE TIME.
THAT IS TRUE, I THINK, BECAUSE SO OFTEN WHEN WE SPEAK WITH ONE ANOTHER WE ARE NOT REALLY LISTENING.
WE ARE HEARING WORDS AND PERHAPS EMOTIONS BUT WE ARE USUALLY TOO BUSY PREPARING A RESPONSE TO REALLY LISTEN TO WHAT THE OTHER PERSON IS SAYING.
TOO PREOCCUPIED WITH OUR OWN AGENDA TO REALLY ENTER INTO THE OTHER PERSON’S HEART AND SOUL.
HEARING IS A PHYSICAL CAPACITY BUT LISTENING, TRULY LISTENING TO ANOTHER, IS AN ACT OF DEEP RESPECT AND RECEPTIVITY MOTIVATED BY EMPATHY AND GENUINE CONCERN.
IT IS NOT SOMETHING MOST OF US DO VERY OFTEN AND IT IS NOT SOMETHING MOST OF US DO VERY WELL.
IT IS WITH THIS IN MIND THAT I WOULD LIKE TO RETURN TO THAT DIRECTIVE FROM GOD GIVEN ON THAT MOUNTAIN THAT “THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED—-LISTEN TO HIM.”
THAT COMMAND WAS GIVEN TO THOSE THREE APOSTLES ALL THOSE CENTURIES AGO.
BUT, IN TRUTH, IT WAS A UNIVERSAL COMMAND GIVEN NOT ONLY TO THEM BUT TO ALL OF HUMANITY, INCLUDING US.
THE QUESTION AND THE CHALLENGE FOR US IS TO DETERMINE WHAT WE MUST DO TO TRULY “LISTEN” TO THE BELOVED SON OF GOD.
WHERE AND HOW DO WE DO THAT?
WHERE DO WE HEAR HIS VOICE AND FIND HIS WISDOM, HIS TEACHING, HIS WILL FOR US AND FOR OUR WORLD?
THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE PLACES WE SHOULD TURN TO IF WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT LISTENING-REALLY LISTENING—TO THE VOICE AND MESSAGE OF CHRIST
THE FIRST, AND THE MOST OBVIOUS, IS THE SCRIPTURE, AND, ESPECIALLY THE GOSPELS, WHICH, IN CHRISTIAN TRADITION, ARE OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE “WORD OF GOD”.
IN FACT, VATICAN II MADE THAT POINT QUITE EXPLICITLY.
IN THE DOCUMENT ON THE LITURGY, THE COUNCIL WROTE, “CHRIST IS PRESENT IN HIS WORD, SINCE IT IS HE HIMSELF WHO SPEAKS WHEN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES ARE READ IN CHURCH.”
WOW, THAT SHOULD MAKE US SIT AND UP AND PAY ATTENTION WHEN THE GOSPEL IS PROCLAIMED AT MASS!
HOWEVER, HOW OFTEN DOES THAT HAPPEN?
HOW OFTEN DO WE THINK ABOUT., LET ALONE FOCUS ON, THE FACT THAT WHEN THE GOSPEL IS PROCLAIMED, IT IS CHRIST HIMSELF SPEAKING TO US?
PROBABLY NOT ALL THAT OFTEN!
BUT THAT SHOULDN’T BE THE CASE BECAUSE LISTENING, TRULY LISTENING TO THE GOSPEL IS SUCH AN EFFECTIVE AND IMPORTANT WAY TO TRULY LISTEN TO THE LORD AND NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT IS HIS WORD, BUT FOR ANOTHER REASON AS WELL.
I AM REFERRING TO THE FACT THAT WE FREQUENTLY SEE JESUS HIMSELF DESCRIBED AS “THE WORD OF GOD.”
MEANING, THAT IN THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST AND IN WHAT HE TAUGHT AND HOW HE LIVED AND DIED WE HAVE THE CORE TRUTHS OF WHAT GOD WANTS US TO UNDERSTAND AND BELIEVE ABOUT HUMAN LIFE.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT GOD’S WILL IS FOR HUMANITY, WE NEED LOOK NO FURTHER THAN JESUS AND HIS LIFE.
HE LITERALLY IS “THE WORD OF GOD”, AND IN LISTENING TO HIM AND OBEYING THE GOSPEL WE HAVE THE CLEAREST POSSIBLE EXPRESSION OF GOD’S WILL FOR OUR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF EVERY HUMAN BEING.
THAT, THEN, IS THE POWER AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SCRIPTURE AND ESPECIALLY THE GOSPEL WE HEAR PROCLAIMED AT EVERY MASS.
IF WE TRULY WANT TO LISTEN-REALLY LISTEN-TO THE LORD WE SHOULD BEGIN WITH THE SCRIPTURE BOTH IN OUR COMMUNAL WORSHIP AND IN OUR PRIVATE PRAYER!
BUT, THE EFFORT SHOULDN’T END THERE ARE OTHER VERY IMPORTANT WAYS TO ENCOUNTER THE LORD AND LISTEN TO HIM AS WELL.
FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT WAY WE ENCOUNTER THE LORD AND HAVE A CHANCE TO TRULY LISTEN TO HIM IS IN THE PEOPLE WHO CROSS THE PATH OF OUR DAILY LIVES.
RECALL THE SCENE IN MATTHEW’S GOSPEL IN WHICH THE FINAL JUDGMENT IS PORTRAYED.
THE LORD DIVIDES HUMANITY INTO TWO GROUPS, THE JUST AND THE UNJUST.
HE TELLS THE JUST THAT WHEN HE WAS HUNGRY THEY FED HIM, WHEN HE WAS THIRSTY THEY GAVE HIM DRINK, WHEN A STRANGER THEY WELCOMED HIM, WHEN ILL THEY COMFORTED HIM AND WHEN IMPRISONED, THEY VISITED HIM.
THEN, IN RESPONSE, THE JUST QUESTION HIM, ASKING HIM, WHEN LORD, WHEN DID WE DO THOSE THINGS FOR YOU?
AND, IN REPLY, HE TELLS THEM SOMETHING PROFOUNDLY IMPORTANT:
HE TELLS THEM,”I ASSURE YOU AS OFTEN AS YOU DID THOSE THINGS FOR ONE OF THE LEAST OF MY PEOPLE, YOU DID IT FOR ME.”
HE THEN HAS THE SAME CONVERSATION WITH THOSE WHO ARE UNJUST.
AND HE REVEALS TO THEM THE SAD AND SOBERING NEWS THAT WHEN THEY FAILED IN THEIR LIVES TO MINISTER TO THE SICK AND THE HUNGRY AND THE IMPRISONED AND THE STRANGER, THEY WERE FAILING TO MINISTER TO HIM.
WHAT A TRAGIC MESSAGE AND REVELATION THAT IS!
IT IS IN THOSE DRAMATIC PROCLAMATIONS THAT JESUS UNDERSCORES THE REALITY THAT HE DOES INDEED COME TO US DAILY IN AND THROUGH THE PEOPLE WHO FILL OUR LIVES.
IT IS OFTEN THERE, IN THE EVERY DAY ENCOUNTERS OF LIFE, THAT WE EITHER MEET HIM AND LISTEN TO HIM OR FAIL TO DO SO!
AND IF THAT IS TRUE IN OUR INTERACTION WITH THE MANY STRANGERS WE ENCOUNTER DAILY, HOW CAN IT NOT BE TRUE AS WELL IN THE SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS IN OUR LIVES?
WHAT I AM ASKING, OF COURSE, IS WHETHER WE ARE AWARE AND TRULY APPRECIATIVE OF THE GENUINE LOVE SHARED WITH US BY THOSE WE ARE CLOSEST TO US IN OUR LIVES?
THE LORD’S PRESENCE SHOULD BE MOST EVIDENT TO US IN THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
AND THE REASON, OF COURSE, IS THAT GENUINE AND SINCERE HUMAN AND COMMITTED LOVE IS A SELFLESS LOVE THAT MIRRORS GOD’S OWN LOVE.
WHEN WE EXPERIENCE THE GENUINE LOVE OF ANOTHER PERSON, WE ARE EXPERIENCING THE LOVE OF GOD.
THE LORD SPEAKS TO US IN THAT KIND OF LOVE AND COMMITMENT.
THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE LISTENING, TRULY LISTENING TO HOW HE COMES TO US IN THOSE SACRED RELATIONSHIPS?
I ASK THAT BECAUSE WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, IT IS OFTEN THERE THAT THE VOICE OF THE LORD IS TO BE HEARD AND RESPONDED TO IF ONLY WE ARE LISTENING.
FINALLY, I BELIEVE WE ARE ALSO CALLED TO LISTEN—TO TRULY LISTEN—TO THE VOICE OF THE LORD AS IT COMES TO US IN YET ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT WAY.
NAMELY, IN THE EVENTS AND DAY-TO-DAY REALITIES OF THE WORLD AROUND US.
BECAUSE IT IS THERE-THERE IN EVERYDAY LIFE AND IN WORLD EVENTS—THAT WE OFTEN SEE BOTH THE BEST AND THE WORST OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND VALUES.
CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A SET OF BELIEFS THAT WE EMBRACE AND CELEBRATE ONLY IN THE CONFINES OF OUR HOMES AND OUR CHURCH.
IT CERTAINLY BELONGS THERE BUT IT IS NOT MEANT TO END THERE.
WE ARE CATHOLIC CHRISTIANS WHEN WE GATHER HERE FOR MASS.
BUT WE ARE ALSO CATHOLIC CHRISTIANS WHEN WE ARE AT WORK, IN THE MARKET PLACE AND GOING ABOUT OUR LIVES AS CITIZENS.
THAT REALITY SHOULD MOTIVATE US TO SPEAK OUT IN SUPPORT OF MERCY, LOVE AND COMPASSION WHENEVER AND WHEREVER THEY ARE LACKING OR THREATENED.
THE VOICE OF THE LORD SPEAKS TO US IN THOSE SITUATIONS AND IT IS OUR DUTY TO BOTH HEAR HIS VOICE AND BE HIS VOICE WHEN THAT IS REQUIRED.
JUST AS WE SHOULD OPPOSE THE ABSENCE OF GOSPEL VALUES IN PUBLIC LIFE.
SO TOO WE SHOULD SUPPORT AND AFFIRM PEOPLE, EVENTS AND POLICIES THAT DEFEND LIFE AND PROTECT AND ASSIST THOSE IN NEED.
THE VOICE OF THE LORD IS THERE TO BE HEARD IN ALL THOSE SITUATIONS IF WE ARE LISTENING—TRULY LISTENING.
IN CONCLUSION, LET ME REMIND YOU THAT WE ARE IN THE EARLY DAYS OF LENT.
IF YOU ARE STILL LOOKING FOR A LENTEN COMMITMENT THAT WILL DEEPEN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD I URGE YOU TO EMBRACE TODAY’S GOSPEL.
EMBRACE IT BY LISTENING, TRULY LISTENING. TO THE VOICE OF THE LORD IN YOUR LIFE.
LISTEN ESPECIALLY IN THE SCRIPTURES.
BUT LISTEN ALSO IN THE JOYS AND SORROWS AND THE CARES AND CONCERNS OF ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE THE LORD IS ALIVE AND ACTIVE IN OUR LIVES AND IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS.
AND LISTEN AS WELL IN THE NEWS AND HAPPENINGS OF OUR COUNTRY AND WORLD.
THOSE EVENTS ARE OFTEN VERY REVEALING ABOUT WHERE THE LORD IS PRESENT AND ACTIVE AND ALSO, SADLY, WHERE HIS PRESENCE AND HIS VALUES ARE IGNORED.
MAKE THIS A SPECIAL LENT BY TRULY LEARNING TO LISTEN TO THE LORD IN THE WAYS HE IS ACTIVE AMONG US AT ALL TIMES.
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