11th Sunday of Ordinary Time (June 15, 2008)
15/06/08 20:47
Homily
11th Sunday of Ordinary Time
June 15, 2008
A Father’s Heart
Today, on the screen, is a photo of a father, reading a book to his daughter. Why do you think we have this photo on the screen today? Right! Because it’s Father’s Day!
I like Father’s Day. They say dads get short shrift compared to moms on Mother’s Day, and maybe they’re right. We give out flowers to all the moms on Mother’s Day. Sorry, dad, but I don’t have any gifts for you today – no gift certificates to Home Depot or Lowe’s, or Best Buys or Circuit City or Radio Shack. No free tickets to a Laker’s game or to one of our area golf resorts. But I do like Father’s Day, even if it’s not a religious holiday, per se. Maybe it’s because we priests also are called “Father.” In fact, a friend once told me that priests actually get to enjoy two Father’s Day holidays, not one! We get to enjoy “Father’s Day,” today, but also “Independence Day,” no kids!
Fathers often get a bum rap. Mark Twain, the famous 19th century American author, once said: When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years. It’s funny how we don’t really appreciate our dads when we are teen-agers, but we appreciate them a lot when we grow up and are dads ourselves. So let’s give all of our dads a big round of applause today, this Father’s Day! (applause) And kids, if you’re next to your dad, give him a hug!
Today, we’re going to talk about “a Father’s Heart.” We’re going to look at what makes a good dad, and also, we’re going to look into the heart of God, who is our heavenly Father.
What makes a good father? Watch this funny video… (show humorous video of a father)
Is this a good father in the video, yes or know? Why? What makes a good father -- give me some ideas… he’s kind; hardworking; responsible; spends time with his kids; tries to know his goods; is a good husband to the kid’s mom; faithful in his marriage; sacrifices; guides his family spiritually.
What makes a bad father? Always comes home grumpy, angry, yelling, screaming; violent, abuse; a drunk; uses bad languages, teaches his children bad habits; is unfaithful; is irresponsible, lazy; machismo; refuses to teach his children about God – that’s “women’s work.”
Did you know that God is a Father? We’re God’s children. Jesus taught us to pray to God this way: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…” Some people have a hard time relating to God as “father.” Their human father was abusive, mean-spirited, cruel – and so, they have a hard time picturing God as “father.” Or lots of children today are growing up without fathers, in single parent households where dad is absent or gone because of divorce or separation. Some children have lost their fathers to death. Today, because it’s Father’s Day, we’re going to use the image of God as Father, but if that is painful or difficult for you, don’t get hung up on the image or the word “father.” It’s simply meant to show that God is the ideal, perfect, all-loving, all present “father” – maybe the father that some of us never ever really had.
Jesus, the Bible tells us, is God’s Son. That means Jesus reflect the face and the character and the mindset of his Father in heaven. In the letter to the Colossians, Saint Paul tells us: Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. (Colossians 1:15, NLT) Jesus himself spoke to his disciples about God as “abba,” “daddy,” and he told them, Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. (John 14:10-11, NAB)
Maybe it’s a bit of an oversimplification to say that God in the Old Testament of the Bible is portrayed often as an angry, jealous, punishing, distant God. We know that Abraham, Moses, the prophets and the other great leaders of ancient Israel spoke intimately and lovingly to God. But Jesus really brought it home – God wants to be in relationship with us, as a father wants to be in loving relationship with his children. There is an intimacy, a tenderness in the relationship Jesus has with his Father. And Jesus teaches us that we, too, can experience that same intimacy and tenderness with God.
All of our readings today show us the heart of God as a loving Father.
♣ In the first reading, from Exodus, God tells his people, Israel: “You shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine.” (Exodus 19:5, NAB)
♣ In our Psalm for today, Psalm 100: You know the Lord is God! He created us, and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep in his pasture… The Lord is good! His love and faithfulness will last forever. (Psalm 100:3, 5, CEV)
♣ In our second reading, from Paul’s letter to the Romans: The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us. For Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:5-8, NAB) Notice something very important in this reading: The notion of sacrifice. We sacrifice today for lots of things, for ourselves – we sacrifice for money, popularity, attractiveness, pleasure, material comforts. And we sacrifice for the ones we love – our spouses, our kids, our family, sometimes for our friends. But notice: Jesus challenges us to sacrifice for anyone and everyone, not just for those whom we find easy to care for and love.
♣ Finally, let’s look at the heart of God in our gospel today, from Matthew: Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Matthew 9:35-38, NAB)
Jesus, reflecting the heart of his Father, is filled with love and compassion for the people, all the people, wandering lost, like sheep without a shepherd. Too often, in the church, we jump too quickly to the second part of this gospel, the part about too much harvest and too few laborers – and we use this gospel as a way to club people over the head and to lay a guilt trip on them for not volunteering, not serving. Jesus does ask us to go out, to serve – but first, before the serving, comes the heart. You see, we too must have the heart of God, the heart of a servant, the heart of compassion. And for everyone – not just those who are easy to love: for the criminals in jail, even the murderers and rapists and child molesters; for the foreigner who is here in our country without legal papers and documentation; for those of different races and ethnic backgrounds and sexual orientations; for the victims of war and violence in Iraq; for the people starving in Asia’ for the victims of AIDS dying in Africa and in America; for the homeless; for those who’ve lost homes and jobs during this economic recession that is afflicting our country; for those who are struggling because of high gasoline prices; for those who are sick and dying in hospitals and hospices and nursing homes; for those who are somehow different from us... The list goes on and on and on… Some of us are those same hurting people. We need compassion and we need to give out compassion.
Look closely at this gospel. Notice that Jesus did four things:
♣ First, he announced the Good News of the Reign of God. But what is the Reign of God? How can we announce it if we don’t even know what it is? Often, we think the reign of God is just about heaven, off in the future. Wrong! We pray: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom (thy Reign) come, thy will be done” – where? – “on earth as it already is being done in heaven.” Jesus announced a new world here on earth, where God is King, where there is no more war, no more poverty, no more violence and torture and injustice. God wants us to announce and to build that same Kingdom, that same Reign, here and now, in our day and in our time.
♣ Second, Jesus cured the sick and the hurting. We, too, are called to go out and minister to those in need.
♣ Third, Jesus felt compassion. This is at the heart of what motivated and moved him. Deep inside, he felt compassion, for the people were lost, like sheep without a shepherd – and so many needs, and so few laborers.
♣ So finally, fourthly, Jesus turned to his Father in heaven, in prayer, trusting in God: Ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. This is God’s work, not ours. God is in charge. We just are asked to cooperate with the Lord’s purposes and the Lord’s plans.
Notice that this is the context for Jesus sending his twelve apostles out on mission. He told them: As you go, make this proclamation: First -- ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ You are to be instruments of a new Reign, a new Kingdom. Then, second: Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. You are to be compassionate and to reach out to those in need. And finally: Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Be generous. Trust in God. Recognize that everything is a gift from the Lord. We never earned it. So give back freely what you yourselves have received freely. (Matthew 10:7-8 (NAB)
This heart of God does not come naturally. We are born with selfish hearts that crave and demand for ourselves. Babies do this – “give me milk, change my diaper.” Children do this: “That’s my toy.” Teen-agers do this: “Dad, give me money. Dad, lend me the keys to the car.” Adults do this: “What’s in this relationship for me? What will I get out of this deal?” Watch this short video clip… [Show brief clip of a heart transplant operation]
God needs to give us all a heart transplant, a heart like God’s that feels real deep compassion and love for other people, all other people. God even promises to give us this new heart, if we are open to receiving it: I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts. (Ezekiel 36:26, NAB)
How do you get started? Let’s go step-by-step.
♣ First, how do we announce the Reign of God? Here are some simple ways. First, tune in to the political issues. Don’t be apathetic or uninvolved or too busy to engage the world. Read. Watch the news. Think about how God would want us, as a nation, to use our resources to help the poor and the needy, in our own country and around the world, and how to build a world of peace, harmony, wholeness. Second: Vote. It’s not an option for Christians – it’s a duty. And this is an election year! We are called to participate in building a more just society, a society that reflects the values of God’s Kingdom, God’s reign. Third, we can also get involved locally in our community. This Tuesday, for example, at 6:30 p.m. right here in the church, our church Social Justice Group is inviting people to meet with our city officials to improve parks and recreation programs in the city. We’ve already had some success. Maybe you’ve seen the Skate Park for teens that is going up next to the Boys and Girls Club. That’s because of the efforts of our parish social justice team. But it takes all of us, pulling together, not sitting on the sidelines, attending – that’s how we begin to build God’s Reign.
♣ How do we cure the sick and help the hurting? How do we grow into people who are more compassionate towards others? Simple. One word. Serve. I’ve talked a lot about that the last few weeks. That’s why we’ve started the white hospitality cards, so you can indicate areas where you might be willing to help out and serve in ministry. For a Christian, serving is not an option. Following Jesus is not a spectator sport. But why? Serving enlarges our hearts, changes and transforms us. If you fix a meal for the homeless on a Sunday night at the Old Church, you not only help them, but you also help yourself. You grow in your compassion and concern for other people. The same in any ministry. Working with the children or with the teens, and you help them, of course – but they also help you and change you!
♣ Finally: Trusting in the Lord. How do we do that? It requires steady self discipline, a habit of prayer, each day. We can’t do it on our own. We need a steady connection to God, the power source. If we stay connected, he promises to help us. And we need to stay connected to other people, other Christians, because two or more are always stronger than one alone. That’s why Jesus founded a church – so we can live as sisters and brothers, encouraging and strengthening and helping one another.
Mother Teresa said this: “Everything starts from prayer. Without asking God for love, we cannot possess love and still less are we able to give it to others. Just as people today are speaking so much about the poor but they do not know the poor, we too cannot talk so much about prayer and yet not know how to pray.”
Prayer is the starting point. Mission, service – that’s the ending point. But it requires a heart of God in us, a heart transformed and transplanted, a heart of love and care and compassion for everyone, for the world. “God so loved the world!”
How many lives do you have? Just one, right! Use it well. Use it not just for yourself, but for others. The harvest is plentiful, the workers are few – but God is calling you, to have a heart transformed, a heart of compassion for those in the world who are hurting.
I want to end with a story, a wonderful tradition about Saint Francis of Assisi, the kindly thirteenth century monk, who one day informed his brethren that he planned to go into the nearby village on a preaching mission. He invited a novice to go along. On their way, they passed an injured man and Francis promptly stopped, saw to the poor fellow's needs and arranged medical care for him. They went on and soon passed a homeless man who was near starvation. Again, Francis stopped his journey and ministered to the hungry, homeless man. So it went, through the day: people in need, Francis lovingly caring for them as best he could until the sun was low in the sky. He told his novice friend it was time for them to return, now, to the monastery for evening prayers. But the young man said, "Father, you said we were coming to town to preach to the people." Francis smiled. Then he said, "My friend, that's what we've been doing all day."
Friends, that’s God’s call to us as well – to be people who preach and announce the Good News of God’s Kingdom, but through our actions and our love and our compassion. God is calling you – and me – to use our one life in service to others. Will you say “yes” to God’s call and God’s invitation?
Let us pray…