Homily: Twenty-ninth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

Twenty-ninth Wednesday of Ordinary Time (Luke 12:39-48) “Will it All Pay Off?”

Today I will be presiding at the Seton School Mass. Here is my homily.

If we want to find out what we value in life, we can find out by looking at how we spend our money. Every activity has a cost associated with it.

Let’s say that you want to start playing hockey. The first thing that you would have to do is go out and buy the equipment. A hockey player needs skates. Pads are required. A uniform would be needed. You would have to have a helmet. What does all that cost? I would guess it could be well over a thousand dollars.

On top of that there would be fees to join a team. The coach would have to be paid. The ice rink would have to be rented. All this could be very expensive.

Beyond that time would have to be invested. A hockey player must go to practice. The games might be on weekends when your friends are doing other things. There would not be as much time for play. When we consider all that, we might have second thoughts about playing hockey.

We might also consider how much a pet costs. If we wanted to get a dog, we would have to pay for the dog. Some dogs can cost over a thousand dollars.

After we buy the dog, we must take the dog to the veterinarian. The dog will need to have shots and make regular trips to the doctor just like we do. We will have to have certain equipment for the dog like a leash, crate, bowls, etc. We will have to feed the dog every day for years.

The dog will take some of our leisure time. We will need to brush the dog, walk the dog, bath the dog, entertain the dog. The dog will depend on us.

With every activity in life there is a cost. The question is whether we think it is worth it. Jesus wants us to consider the cost of being his disciple. Are we willing to follow him? The investment will be worth far more than the cost. And there will be eternal consequences?

Reflection Questions:

1.    What is the costliest thing I have ever invested in? Was it worth it?

2.   Do I wonder if my Christian discipleship is worth my time, talent and treasure? What is the payoff?

 Dear Parishioners,

           Please remember that All Saints Day is next week on November 1st. This is a Holy Day of obligation. We don’t like the word obligation. Why don’t we? I think it is a positive thing to feel like we owe others something for how they have guided us and taken care of us throughout our life. Friendship is reciprocal, isn’t it? If we feel like we owe no one for anything then we must feel like no one really cares for us?

          If we feel like we owe God something, then this shows we have faith. We realize how much we have been given. We have a sense that God is caring for us at every moment.

          May Our Lady Pray for us as we move to the end of October.

          Fr. Mark