Homily: Feast of St. Athanasius
Feast of St. Athanasius (Jn 10: 22-30)
People confront Jesus in the Gospel today. They want to know who he is. To them it seems like he is being evasive. Was Jesus dodging the question?
We could be reminded of the experience of students in a classroom. When I was in seminary, I took any number of Philosophy and Moral Theology classes. Quite often a complex ethical question would be proposed. The instructor would ask, “What course of action is moral?” Some students would press the instructor to tell them what the morally appropriate answer would be. Usually, the professor would dodge the question.
Students might also propose a quick answer to the teacher. The instructor usually would ask why they would do what they were proposing. The teacher wanted justification for their answer. He or she wanted to know the thought process behind the conclusion that had been drawn. What kind of moral principles were employed.
If a student could lay out the reason for their answer, then they had made the moral argument their own. They also would be better at convincing others.
Jesus did not want to tell the crowds that he was God’s Son. He wanted the people who interacted with him to come to that conclusion on their own. He wanted them to come up with reasons for the faith they had in him. In that way their faith would be stronger. In the end, they would be more comfortable evangelizing others.
Sometimes we probably would like Jesus to give us the answers to our dilemmas, but we know that most of the time there are not easy answers to the moral questions we face. We must discern what we should do. Discernment takes time and it is messy. But in the end, we make our moral choice our own.
Reflection Questions:
1. Why do I think Jesus is God’s Son? Could I explain to another what I believe?
2. How do I make tough choices? Does discernment factor in?
Dear Parishioners,
I was at a gathering on Sunday where the leaders of Cursillo were thanked for their efforts in leading Cursillo weekends. One of the announcements that was made was that Fr. Duane Jack will be retiring from his duties with the program. He will still help but will not be involved in administrating the program.
Fr. Jack helped found the Cursillo program in the Quad City area. He has been the spiritual adviser for over 40 years and has led countless weekends. This was an extra duty along with his work as a pastor. The compensation he received was minimal. He helped lead 4-6 weekends a year and was at team meetings throughout his time as the leader of Cursillo.
If you made a Cursillo you might want to write a thank you to Fr. Jack. He deserves our gratitude.
May Our Lady pray for peace in our world,
Fr. Mark