Dear friends, Here is my homily for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. On Monday, we celebrated ‘National Heroes Day’. I am sure that we can all identify someone we hold up as a hero. Perhaps, as a child, it was a comic book super-hero, or later an athlete, a teacher, an actor, a musician, or singer. Later, it may be a mentor, someone whose qualities inspired us. It may have been a family member, or it may have been someone whom we only know through a book. Sometimes, too, in the news we may hear about a hero – a passerby who pulled someone from a swollen river or a burning building, someone who stood up to a bully, or someone who gave their life – as have so many – in wars and conflicts. In a faith context, we would look upon the saints as heroes, persons who were faithful to God in their lives. I thought of this as I reflected on the gospel of today (Luke 9:18-24). In many ways, for the disciples, Jesus was becoming their hero. He was someone they were following and wanted to be like. In the good times, it was easy to accept Jesus as a hero – when he calmed the waters, when he healed, when he multiplied loaves and fishes, when he courageously proclaimed the Good News. But, there were also moments that he may have lost them – especially when he prophesied about his suffering, death, and resurrection. For them – as probably for any of us – the cross became a stumbling block in recognizing Jesus as a hero. We don’t expect a hero to die on a cross. Even though Jesus said, “Anyone who wants to come after me must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.”, I am sure that at that moment the disciples had no idea that this (pointing to the cross) was the way that Jesus was going to end up. No exactly a drawing card or good advertizing to convince people to follow him! Today Jesus asks us if we are willing to proclaim who he is for us. Since we know the ‘full picture’, unlike the disciples at that time, it may be easier for us to do that. It was easy for the disciples to respond to “Who do the crowds say I am?” But, when he got more personal and asked, “Who do YOU say that I am?”, it got more difficult. Always impetuous Peter was the first to speak, “The Christ of God!” In our First Reading today, from the Book of the Prophet Zechariah (12:10-11,13:1) God prophesies about Jesus. He is the “whom they have pierced”. He is the one for whom they mourned “as one mourns for an only son”. Once again, not quite hero material! In our Second Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians (3:26-29), St. Paul reminds us that through our Baptism into Christ we have been “clothed in Christ”. We now belong to God, and are one with one another in our following of Jesus. How do we profess who Jesus is for us? Of course, it is not only an intellectual question, but one that is revealed by our way of life. It is easy to say that “Jesus is my Lord”, “Jesus is my Saviour”, “Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s revelation”, but it is not always so easy to translate into thoughts, feelings, words and actions. In our human condition we may have great intentions, but often we are weak and do not respond to the grace that God sends our way. That is our challenge, to proclaim who Jesus is for us every day. One of the ways that we can prepare ourselves to proclaim who Jesus is – in word and deed – is to do what he tells us. In the gospel, he tells us, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me”. We do not ‘arrive’ at that point in our life by adding water and stirring. This is, in reality, a day-to-day challenge. But, at the same time, we should be aware of day-to-day blessings, in order to make it a reality. For each one of us that cross will be unique – according to our own human condition, our personality, our weaknesses and struggles, our temptations and sins. Perhaps it is impatience, or dislike for someone at work, or past hurts of a neighbour. Perhaps our cross is an addiction. None of us here are finished products. We are all on the way. We are changing, growing and developing. We believe that Jesus is at work in each one of us and when we turn our minds, hearts and souls to him, we can “deny ourselves, and take up our cross and follow him”. He would not invite us if he was not willing to shower us with his grace to bring it about. He has not set us up for defeat, but for success – in and with him! Today the Church has given us this beautiful message to help us to decide to follow Jesus and to proclaim his as our ‘hero’. If we do so, the results will be amazing, as they were for the disciples of Jesus who have gone before us, because when we deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him, we are taking giant steps to proclaiming him as “the Christ of God”, and witnessing to him as his faithful disciples.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:18:14 +0000
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