18th January 2009
Today's gospel is a favourite of mine because it was the first passage of Scripture a Priest recommended me to read when I finally began to do something about the vocation I felt I had. It is a very real passage; it speaks to us of Jesus as being someone who possessed a very attractive personality, someone who asks the early disciples to come and see what he was about and if they liked what they saw to stay with him. Little did they know how their lives would be turned upside down; that each in their turn bar St John would suffer death rather than deny him? They had no idea that a Church would emerge because of their witness to Jesus, a faith that continues to fascinate even the most sceptical of people today.
The first question that parents are asked in the Liturgy of Baptism is very similar to the question Jesus asked those early disciples. The question they are asked may appear quite abrupt, 'what do you ask of God's Church for your child', in other words why are you here? Then they are given the task to care for the faith of that child of God. This question of Jesus is a question that is always on his lips when we go to him in prayer, what do you want. He wants for our good, he wants us to live as he lived having total trust in the plan of God no matter how bleak things may seem.
I like to think that it will be Jesus and not St Peter who will meet us at the gates of heaven. He will ask us that question again, what do you want, and I presume we will say eternal life, and then he will ask us to give reasons why we should live with him forever. No amount of money, no bravado of any kind will save us at that point. All we will have is the talents and gifts he gave us, used, or unused. Therefore, we will really judge ourselves worthy or not. In addition, to those who carried a cross throughout life can say, the cross you gave me this is how I dragged it after you, and I like to think that he will gladly take it from their shoulders as he carries them and hopefully all of us into eternity. Amen.
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Homilies Archive
17nd May 2009
26th April 2009
3rd Sunday of Easter
12th April 2009
Easter Sunday
9th April 2009
Holy Thursday
29th March 2009
5th Sunday in Lent
22nd March 2009
4th Sunday in Lent
17th March 2009
St. Patrick's Day
15th March 2009
3rd Sunday in Lent
8th March 2009
2nd Sunday in Lent
1st March 2009
1st Sunday in Lent
25th February 2009
Ash Wednesday
22nd February 2009
8th February 2009
1st February 2009
25th January 2009
18th January 2009
11th January 2009
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
6th January 2009
Feast of the Epiphany
4th January 2009
2008 HOMILIES ARCHIVE
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