Homily: 25th Sunday of Ordinary time cycle B

This past Thursday Fr. Raymond and I went to Syracuse to join in a celebration for all the Friars in our community who were celebrating their anniversary of ordination or religious profession.  It was a wonderful trip but as we were driving into town I noticed something that made me think.

On one side of the highway there was a large, beautiful, white building with a big steeple and big windows in it.  It also had wide and inviting door out front.

As we drove down a little bit further there was another large building.  This one was beautiful, red, brick, with two steeples and large windows as well.  It too had large and inviting doors out front.

These two buildings seems so similar in their "feel" and their emotional appeal.  Their construction seemed to inspire and invite people to partake of the wonders that they contained.

One was the mall and the other was the Church where we were going for the celebration!

Where do you worship?

Where do you find yourself going to for comfort and rest?
Which building draws you in and which location inspires you?

The mall?

Which set of wonders do you partake of to calm and sooth the pain and suffering of life?

Where do you worship?

Last week we heard in the readings the call to take up our cross and follow Jesus.  The message is clear that life will include suffering and it can't be avoided.  In fact Jesus is calling us to suffer if we want to be His disciple.  Where do you go to give you strength, comfort, peace, and rest from the suffering of life?

In church?

Where do you worship?

Saint James tells us that we are all fighting a war within our members.  This happens between people and within our own selves... within our hearts.  We are fighting a war in the depths of who we are.

You see, when we are confronted with suffering and the reality of death there are only two options to the way that we can respond.  We can respond with a type of silent despair at the pointlessness of it all.  For those who respond to suffering with despair there is the remedy of living in a way that covers over the despair with pleasure, power, and possessions.

For others there is faith.  We believe that death is not the end but it actually a moment of incredible joy at the promise of a new eternal life.  We also know the hope that claims that God really is at work in our world and that suffering has meaning, value, and merit.  

We can choose despair or faith, hope, and joy.

We can choose to struggle with the reality of suffering and death at the mall seeking pleasure, possessions, and power. (So many "new and trendy" things are just status symbols which is a symbol of social power and prestige)

Or we can choose to struggle with the reality of suffering and death at Church where we can get in touch with the hope and joy that comes with the experience of God's grace and His eternal promises.

In response to suffering we can choose spiritual therapy or "retail therapy"

Where do you worship?

But please be aware that if you choose to live a life of real hope and joy it will not be easy.  For those in our world who have chosen despair (pleasure, power, and possessions) they will not appreciate those who have chosen real hope and joy.  In fact our reading from the book of Wisdom makes the point clearly.  

"The wicked say, 'Let us attack the just one for he is obnoxious to us.  He sets himself against our [seeking pleasure, power, and possessions]... Let us condemn him to a shameful death [to prove that life really is only despair]."

For those who choose despair they often resent those who live with hope and joy.  As such the despairing can  try to prove that life is despair by attacking those who live with faith.

That being said, I have a confession to make, I myself do enjoy a bit of "retail therapy" every now and then.  I am responsible to preach this message but that does not mean that I always live up to it.

I love getting a new tool for my woodworking workshop.  There is something exciting and pleasurable about it... I'm not unlike everyone reading this.  We all experience this type of pleasure.

So... if you are like me and you are sometimes stuck between the mall and church.  If you sometimes worship in both locations please let the Gospel offer you come comfort (and a challenge).

Here we see that Jesus, for a second time, has told the apostles that he will be going to Jerusalem, suffer, be tortured, and killed.

Notice how the apostles respond to hearing this message a second time.  As they begin their journey they argue amongst themselves who is the greatest.  They completely miss the point that Jesus is trying to say.  The apostles hear of suffering and they choose the same silent despair that we all sometimes choose.  Their immediate reaction is to cling to power (pleasure and possessions) as a way to handle this terrible news of Jesus' suffering and death.

If you ever find that the mall (power, pleasure, and possessions) is the way that you handle the pain and suffering of life then don't worry... you are in good company.  The apostles made that same mistake.


We must be challenged by Jesus' call to respond to suffering with faith, hope, and joy instead of despair.

Where do you worship?