(31st Sunday in Ordinary Time-Year A; This homily was given 30 October, 2005, at Our Lady of Mercy, East Greenwich, R.I.)
“What are you preaching on this week?” That is one of the most frequently asked questions whenever priests come together. We are always curious to hear what other priests will say about the Gospel on any particular Sunday.
Truth be told, we are often looking for some insight or new perspective that might help us with our own homily; and for good reason. One of the most serious obligations and also greatest joys of the priesthood is to proclaim the Gospel, to preach the saving message of God’s mercy and forgiveness in Christ.
As you probably know, about a year before a priest is ordained to the priesthood, he is first ordained a deacon. On the day of his diaconate, the bishop hands him the Book of the Gospels and says:
Receive the Gospel of Christ,
whose herald you have become.
Believe what you read,
Teach what you believe, and
Practice what you teach.
It is indeed a serious obligation and tremendous joy, but preaching can also be an occupational hazard (especially when the preacher fails to accomplish that last part: Practice what you teach). All throughout history we have seen this, and each preacher or priest must struggle and wrestle with this in his own life. It’s not always easy to practice what you preach.
There is nothing new here. A long time ago, in the nation of Israel, the priests of the old covenant were under the same obligation. When they failed to live up to the message they were teaching, God sent the prophets to “remind” them. As He says this morning through the prophet Malachi:
“You have turned aside from the way and have caused many to falter by your instruction.” —Malachi 2:8
They were not practicing what they preached, and God was watching. He warns them to return to their faith, lest He should turn their blessing into a curse! It is a very strong message. The same holds true in the Gospel this morning. Christ, speaking about the religious leaders of His own day, says:
The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice.
“What are you preaching on this week?” That is one of the most frequently asked questions whenever priests come together. We are always curious to hear what other priests will say about the Gospel on any particular Sunday.
Truth be told, we are often looking for some insight or new perspective that might help us with our own homily; and for good reason. One of the most serious obligations and also greatest joys of the priesthood is to proclaim the Gospel, to preach the saving message of God’s mercy and forgiveness in Christ.
As you probably know, about a year before a priest is ordained to the priesthood, he is first ordained a deacon. On the day of his diaconate, the bishop hands him the Book of the Gospels and says:
Receive the Gospel of Christ,
whose herald you have become.
Believe what you read,
Teach what you believe, and
Practice what you teach.
It is indeed a serious obligation and tremendous joy, but preaching can also be an occupational hazard (especially when the preacher fails to accomplish that last part: Practice what you teach). All throughout history we have seen this, and each preacher or priest must struggle and wrestle with this in his own life. It’s not always easy to practice what you preach.
There is nothing new here. A long time ago, in the nation of Israel, the priests of the old covenant were under the same obligation. When they failed to live up to the message they were teaching, God sent the prophets to “remind” them. As He says this morning through the prophet Malachi:
“You have turned aside from the way and have caused many to falter by your instruction.” —Malachi 2:8
They were not practicing what they preached, and God was watching. He warns them to return to their faith, lest He should turn their blessing into a curse! It is a very strong message. The same holds true in the Gospel this morning. Christ, speaking about the religious leaders of His own day, says:
The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice.
—Matthew 23:2-3
These are challenging readings, and I would like to think they make all of us a little uncomfortable, not just priests. For we are all called to know and live the Gospel message.
All of us, not just priests, are called to proclaim that message. What the bishop says to the deacon on the day of his ordination applies to every one of us as Christians. By virtue of our baptism, God, in a certain sense, says to us all:
Receive the Gospel of Christ,
whose herald you have become.
Believe what you read,
Teach what you believe, and
Practice what you teach.
And so I would like to ask you a question: What are you preaching on this week? Everyone in this Church this morning has been given a pulpit—either at home or in the workplace, among family and friends, or maybe even before perfect strangers; every Christian is called to preach the message of the Gospel. What is God asking you to share with the world we live in, and how is He calling you to live out that message?
Because there is an intimate connection between what we believe and profess and the way we live our lives. That’s the very thing Christ laments in the Gospel this morning: the scribes and Pharisees did not practice what they preached. There was a “disconnect” between their words and their actions. But when our words and actions are both working together, when both of them are united in procaliming God's meaasge of truth, it cannot but help to change and transform the lives of the people around us.
St. Francis of Assisi once said that we should proclaim the Gospel always, and use words when necessary. It is an often-misquoted line. He didn’t mean that we should never use words, but that the two of them should go together. Our actions speak every bit as loudly and clearly as our words when we preach the Gospel.
Everyone knows the great works of charity that Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta performed in her time here on earth. But few people knew her concern was never just the bodies of the people she was caring for. She was also concerned with the care of their souls. She would often say to the dying, after she cared for their wounds and bandaged them, and comforted them: “Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Do you believe that He died to save you and to bring you to heaven?” She was preaching, using words to go with her actions.
One day a young man she was caring for responded, “Mother, I’ve never heard of Jesus before. Why should I believe in Him?” She replied, “Because He loves you and He wants to bring you to heaven. Do you believe?”
The man said, “Is He anything like you?” Mother Theresa was shocked. She said, “I try to be as much like Him as I can . . . I guess you could say that He is like me in that way.” The man said, “If Jesus is like you, then I believe in Jesus.”
Not everyone is called to preach the Gospel from the pulpit, and most of us won’t be called to preach it in the streets of Calcutta. But all of us are called to preach and teach the Gospel message of God’s forgiveness and mercy. And all of us are called to put into practice that saving message we preach.
Our lives might be the only homily the people around us will ever hear. If so, we should ask ourselves this morning, as well as each other: "What will you be preaching on this week?"
These are challenging readings, and I would like to think they make all of us a little uncomfortable, not just priests. For we are all called to know and live the Gospel message.
All of us, not just priests, are called to proclaim that message. What the bishop says to the deacon on the day of his ordination applies to every one of us as Christians. By virtue of our baptism, God, in a certain sense, says to us all:
Receive the Gospel of Christ,
whose herald you have become.
Believe what you read,
Teach what you believe, and
Practice what you teach.
And so I would like to ask you a question: What are you preaching on this week? Everyone in this Church this morning has been given a pulpit—either at home or in the workplace, among family and friends, or maybe even before perfect strangers; every Christian is called to preach the message of the Gospel. What is God asking you to share with the world we live in, and how is He calling you to live out that message?
Because there is an intimate connection between what we believe and profess and the way we live our lives. That’s the very thing Christ laments in the Gospel this morning: the scribes and Pharisees did not practice what they preached. There was a “disconnect” between their words and their actions. But when our words and actions are both working together, when both of them are united in procaliming God's meaasge of truth, it cannot but help to change and transform the lives of the people around us.
St. Francis of Assisi once said that we should proclaim the Gospel always, and use words when necessary. It is an often-misquoted line. He didn’t mean that we should never use words, but that the two of them should go together. Our actions speak every bit as loudly and clearly as our words when we preach the Gospel.
Everyone knows the great works of charity that Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta performed in her time here on earth. But few people knew her concern was never just the bodies of the people she was caring for. She was also concerned with the care of their souls. She would often say to the dying, after she cared for their wounds and bandaged them, and comforted them: “Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Do you believe that He died to save you and to bring you to heaven?” She was preaching, using words to go with her actions.
One day a young man she was caring for responded, “Mother, I’ve never heard of Jesus before. Why should I believe in Him?” She replied, “Because He loves you and He wants to bring you to heaven. Do you believe?”
The man said, “Is He anything like you?” Mother Theresa was shocked. She said, “I try to be as much like Him as I can . . . I guess you could say that He is like me in that way.” The man said, “If Jesus is like you, then I believe in Jesus.”
Not everyone is called to preach the Gospel from the pulpit, and most of us won’t be called to preach it in the streets of Calcutta. But all of us are called to preach and teach the Gospel message of God’s forgiveness and mercy. And all of us are called to put into practice that saving message we preach.
Our lives might be the only homily the people around us will ever hear. If so, we should ask ourselves this morning, as well as each other: "What will you be preaching on this week?"
