Homily: Seventh Wednesday of Easter
Seventh Wednesday of Easter (Acts 20:28-38) “Blood, Sweat and Tears”
We have a lot of goodbyes in the Mass readings during this last week of Easter. Jesus prays his final discourse asking that the Father protect his Apostles as they move forward in their work of being disciples. Paul closes his missionary journeys. Eventually, he will end up in Rome where he will be decapitated and martyred for the faith.
Paul shares a rather somber message with those who bid him farewell. He warns them that they will pay a price for following Jesus. Is he being pessimistic? I would say he was trying to be realistic. The good news of Jesus has never been that when we follow him our lives will be carefree. The good news of Jesus is that God will give us strength to carry our cross. The good news of the Gospel is that we have believers who are willing to make any sacrifice to serve Jesus.
On May 13, 1940, Winston Churchill addressed the British people. He had only been prime minister for a few days. The preceding government had tried to avoid ways with Hitler by appeasing him. This did not work. Every time the English government made a concession Hitler asked for something more. In 1940 he was ready to ask the British to surrender.
Winston Churchill believed that England should not capitulate. He believed that if this happened it would be an end to freedom in the world. He also knew that this would lead to a decisive battle for the British Isles and that there would be a lot of suffering. He was honest with the people and said, “All I can only offer you blood, toil, tears and sweat.” In the end he said the only hope was in being victorious.
These words mirror the words of Jesus and of St. Paul. Are these thoughts depressing or are they uplifting? The Christians pulled together, and they made the sacrifices necessary to spread the Gospel. Some were martyred, but they thought the price was worth it. Their resolve can inspire us all.
Reflection Questions:
1. Is a goal that does not involve sacrifice a worthy one? When have I made a sacrifice to achieve something?
2. When I asked to do something important do I appreciate honesty about the sacrifices that are necessary? Why or why not?
Dear Parishioners,
We need your help. Our annual secondhand sale is coming. We need people to step up. The funds from the sale will help defray the cost of putting a sound system in the Gathering Center. Several people have been leading this effort for years. They are very dedicated. The sale has become one of the biggest in the area.
We need people to sort, carry, mark items, clean up, bake and perform a host of other tasks. There will be a sign up at our Masses this weekend. You can volunteer the week of June 4th.
May Our Lady pray for all graduates this week.
Fr. Mark