Homily Second Friday of Easter (John 6:1-15) “Where is God Leading?
Homily Second Friday of Easter (John 6:1-15) “Where is God Leading?
Yesterday, I had the children’s Mass for Seton School. The theme of the Mass was authority. The question we were reflecting on was how we can know what God wants us to do in our life. I tried to share about the three types of law that can direct our lives. We have natural law; human law and we have divine law. Divine law supersedes the other two types of law.
Even though we say divine law is the most important law, at times it is not clear how to interpret divine law. We may have two courses of action, each of which would seem to be justified by divine law. What do we do then?
We see this dilemma played out for us in the Acts of the Apostles. The Sanhedrin and temple priests believed that they oversaw the religious life of people in the city. They wanted to maintain order. For them this was what God wanted for his people. If there was unrest, then the people might suffer. An underlying motivation was that they might lose their favored status.
The apostles were preaching a new doctrine given to them by Jesus. He had ordered them to engage in this ministry. The apostles could have absolved themselves saying that they had to listen to the religious authorities, but they realized that it was their responsibility to listen to the Spirit and discern a course of action.
Such faith shows spiritual maturity. To often we act like children rather than adults in our faith. Adult Christians listen to those in authority and respect authority, but ultimately choses a course of action that cooperates with God’s plan for their life. At times this is an intensely personal decision-making process, but it also is a way that leads to a sense of joy and peace.
- How do I cooperate with God in my life? Do I look for rules and laws to guide me?
- Have I ever ignored a religious law and felt that it was the right thing to do? What kind of process did I use to make that decision?
Dear Parishioners,
Since it is Easter Season, we are having a lot of baptisms. This is a great grace for our parish. Since the Easter Vigil, I have had eleven baptisms. I think parents are choosing to have their children baptized because they want help them have an anchor to hold on to in life. I look at this as a positive sign for the church.
Perhaps if any good comes out of the suffering of the last year it will be that people begin to value the importance of Christian community more. Parents will want to be more connected to the church and they will see the value of such a connection for their children.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark