Homily: Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent (Genesis 17:3-9) “God Has a Sense of Humor”
The first lesson from today’s Mass speaks of a covenant made between God and Abraham. This is not the first time that God and Abraham have this converse. Each interaction between the Lord and Abraham clarifies the elements of the covenant more and more.
If we read the whole passage from Genesis that is presented today, there are several things that cement the relationship between God and Abraham. God says there will be a physical sign that marks his people which was circumcision. God also states that Abraham’s descendants will be his chosen ones. Finally, God says that Abraham and Sarah will have a son that will carry the promise forward to new generations.
How does Abraham react to all this news? As he lies prostrate on the ground before the Lord, he laughs out loud. He is a man in his eighties. How can he father a child he asks? He is amused by what he has heard.
We would think that God would react negatively to being laughed at. We might think that the Lord would be angry. But he isn’t. God just carries on with his plan. Abraham’s life takes many twists and turns, but eventually he does have a son who is named Isaac (which means to laugh).
Often, we probably all feel that God’s plan for us is not realistic. We might doubt that being a conscientious Christian is going to bring happiness to our life. How can leading a life of self-sacrifice bring joy to us? The world tells us to be self-centered and that satisfaction comes from having material things and amusing ourselves. Many do laugh at God. But what happens in the end?
Lots of times being self-centered leads to self-destruction. Joy comes when we seek a higher purpose for our lives. We are asked to make a leap of faith. That is what Abraham finally did and he became the father of a great nation.
Reflection Questions:
- Am I foolish for adhering to Christian values? Do others make fun of me for trusting God?
- Have I found joy in following the Christian ideal? Do I feel like I am building my life on rock?
Dear Parishioner,
We had a Pastoral Council meeting this evening and we had a report on our listening campaign. There were about a dozen people who engaged in conversations with parishioners about our parish life. Around 60 people were interviewed. We have developed a few goals from this process.
We learned a lot, for example, about people’s attitudes towards the pandemic. It seems that people are getting braver about joining in parish activities. There are still those who want to keep a social distance. Many are concerned about protecting their health. One of our goals is to reassure people about their safety at Mass. If people want to wear masks, for example that will be respected.
We want everyone to feel comfortable when they come to worship. We will try to repeat this idea so that everyone will be at ease at Mass.
Other goals will be articulated in weeks to come. The overall aim is to build community and to reach out to invite more people to Sacred Heart. Let’s pray that this will happen as the pandemic slowly subsides.
May our Lady of Peace pray for our violent world today.
Fr. Mark