Friday, August 2, 2013

Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Leviticus 23:1.4-11.15-16.27.34b-37; Matthew 13:54-58)

In one of his novels Larry McMurtry tells the story of an antique collector who buys a precious item from the owners of a second-hand store.  The owners ask a price many times below the object’s value because they do not know its real worth.  In the gospel today the townspeople where Jesus grew up similarly do not recognize Jesus for who he really is. 

The people of Nazareth think that they know Jesus because they know his family.  They cannot comprehend that he is the long awaited Messiah who comes to save Israel.  Even his miraculous cures and his wonderful teaching do not convince them but just confound them more.

Some of us may likewise be scandalized by the ways that Jesus dominantly makes himself present today.  He does not come in a grand banquet which we have to pay thousands of dollars to attend.  No, he is present in the simple hosts and the inexpensive wine that we bring to the altar.  His teachings promising eternal life are also neither complex nor enigmatic.  No, they contain the straightforward message that we are to love God above all and to love our neighbors as ourselves.  We must be careful not to reject Jesus as his townspeople do in the gospel.  Quite the contrary, we must be ever grateful that he makes himself available to us and to all.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Jeremiah 26:1-9; Matthew 13:54-58)

In one of his novels Larry McMurtry tells the story of an antique collector who buys a precious item from the owners of a second-hand store. The owners ask a price many times below the actual value of the object because they do not know what it is really worth. The story reminds us of how the people of Nazareth consider Jesus in today’s gospel

The townspeople where Jesus grew up do not recognize Jesus for who he really is. They think that they know him because they are acquainted with his family. But they do not realize that he is actually the long awaited Messiah whom God has anointed with the Spirit to save Israel. Even his miraculous cures and his authoritative teaching fail to penetrate their obtuseness.

Some of us may be scandalized by the ways that Jesus makes himself present to us. He does not present himself at a grand banquet which costs thousands of dollars to attend. No, he comes at our gathering in his name and makes himself palpable in the Eucharistic hosts and simple wine that we bring to the altar. His teachings promising eternal life are likewise not complicated doctrines that require a Ph.D. to understand. Rather, they contain the straightforward message that we are to love God above all and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We must be careful not to find some other excuse to reject Jesus. No, despite the challenges with which he confronts us, we want to embrace him with all our hearts.

Homilette for Friday, August 1, 2008

Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, bishop and doctor of the Church

(Matthew 13:54-58)

In one of his novels Larry McMurtry tells the story of an antique collector who buys a precious item from the owners of a second-hand store. The owners ask a price many times below the actual value of the object because they do not know what it is really worth. In the gospel today the townspeople where Jesus grew up similarly do not recognize Jesus for who he really is. Rather, because they know his family, they think that they know him. They do not realize that he is actually the long awaited Messiah who comes to save Israel. Even his miraculous cures and his wonderful teaching do not convince them.

Some of us likewise may be scandalized by the ways that Jesus makes himself present to us. He does not come in a grand banquet which we have to pay thousands of dollars to participate in. No, he becomes present in the simple hosts and the inexpensive wine that we bring to the altar. His teachings, which promise everlasting life, are likewise not complicated theorems that only people as intelligent as astrophysicists can understand. No, they contain the straightforward message that we are to love God above all and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We must be careful not to reject Jesus as his townspeople do in the gospel. Quite the contrary, we must be ever grateful that he makes himself available to us and to all.