Homily: First Thursday of Advent
First Thursday of Advent (Mt. 7:21,24-27) “What Rock Do I Hold on to?
We have all seen the damage done by the hurricane in Florida. We have probably seen the damage done by the flooding in Pakistan. Homes were washed away by rivers of water and powerful winds.
We like to think that we have control over the natural forces of our world. Perhaps if the building that were destroyed sat up a little higher, they would have been spared. Maybe if the homes would have had firmer foundations they would have stayed in place. But it is doubtful that, if this were the case, buildings and houses would have survived the deluge.
What does this tell us about Jesus’ little sermon? What it says is that Jesus was not speaking specifically about natural forces that can impact our lives. He was more concerned about the spiritual powers that we need to contend with.
When I think of Sacred Heart Parish being wiped out by a Tornado or a flood, I wonder how I would react. I picture myself falling into despair. Would I have the fortitude necessary to start building again. I wonder?
But isn’t this what Jesus is talking about. A few years after Jesus preached, the City of Jerusalem was demolished by the Romans who wanted to destroy the nation of Israel. They leveled the city. The center of Jewish religion and culture was gone. What did the people do?
They were dispersed throughout the world, but somehow the Jews were able to maintain their religious identity even without the Temple in Jerusalem. The Jews reinvented their religion. It no longer centered around animal sacrifice. The Jewish faith began to revolve around the Jewish scriptures. Keeping the law became all important.
The Jews could practice their faith wherever they were in the world. Synagogues became their house of worship along with the prayer they engaged in at their table at home. The Jews did not lose their identity. They had built their faith on rock.
Reflection Questions:
1. If the Vatican was destroyed by an earthquake tomorrow, how would I react? Is a place or a building what my faith depends on?
2. What parts of our faith would survive such a catastrophe? What is all important?
Dear Parishioners,
At 4 p.m. Mass this weekend we will ask the people participating in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults to declare their intention to join the Catholic Church at some point in the future. At the beginning of Mass, the men and women who want to receive Easter sacraments will knock at the church door asking to be admitted to our worship services.
These candidates have been studying our faith for several weeks. I have talked to most of them. There is a hunger, on their part, to be a part of a church community. We have probably heard that people do not join organizations anymore.
The fact is there is still indivituals craving to be a part of a community of faith and there is a thirst for the supernatural. The Holy Spirit is still nudging people towards Jesus. Our RCIA candidates are a concrete sign that this is true. We give thanks for them today.
May Our Lady of Peace pray for our troubled world.
Fr. Mark