Homily: Thirtieth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

Thirtieth Tuesday of Ordinary Time (Rm. 8:18-25) “Hope for What is Eternal”

A priest got up to give a presentation at a day of reflection. The person who introduced the priest complemented him effusively. The people gathered to listen gave him a rousing round of applause. The priest reacted very humbly.

He said, “Your applause reminds me of the Theological virtues. When there is applause at the beginning of a talk it is an act of faith. Listeners do not know what is coming, but they trust it will be palatable. When there is applause in the middle of a talk it is an act of hope because there is a feeling that the presentation might end up in a good place. When there is applause at the end of a talk it is an expression of charity.”

St. Paul speaks about the theological virtue of hope as he writes to the Romans. What is it that a Christian hopes for? When it comes to the Theological virtue of hope what we hope for is that in the end we will be saved through the power of God. We know that we are sinners. We trust in the Lord’s forgiveness. We believe that Jesus came to redeem us.

As we celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day, we celebrate our hope. We are certain that there are people who have lived, who have been filled with holiness and who have achieved the salvation that we all desire. We also pray for those who were regular people who have died. We pray in hope that the Lord will bring them to be with him in heaven with all the saints.

One characteristic of hope is that we want something that we cannot see. We can’t see over the horizon. We can’t predict the future with certainty. What lies ahead is beyond our sight. Yet, we have a sense, that good things will come to us because of our faith in Christ Jesus. Hope is all about trust in the goodness of God and God’s plan for us.

Reflection Questions:

1.    What is one hope that I have for the future? Do I consider it a sure thing?

2.   Is my deepest desire to be with God in heaven? Is there something I want more?

 Dear Parishioners,

           Remember that tomorrow is a Holy Day of obligation. We try to have Masses at times that will fit into people’s schedule. There will be four All Saints Day Masses at Sacred Heart. We will have a Mass at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday night. There will be Masses at 6:30, 8 and 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday morning. And there will be a Mass at 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening.

          Attending Mass on a Holy Day is an expression of the Love we have for God. Also, it is a prayer of praise. The Saints praise God for all eternity. Our hope is that one day we might share that same beatific vision. The Liturgy is a foretaste of what we look forward to.

          May Our Lady of Peace pray for us,

          Fr. Mark