Homily: Feast of Justin Martyr
Feast of Justin Martyr (John 17:11b-19) “We Promote Jesus”
As we move toward the end of the Easter season, we hear both Paul and Jesus saying farewell to their disciples in the scriptures. They try to exhort their disciples to keep the faith as they have received it.
Jesus’ words today come from what is called his priestly prayer. He realizes that his apostles will be under a lot of stress. There are several temptations that people can have when they are involved in ministry.
The first is that a Christian minister can distort the message that they have received. This can be done through human weakness, and it can be done because of deliberate choice. We can adjust the teaching of Jesus to agree with our agenda and what we already believe rather than teach the Gospel in its purity. We must listen closely to Christian preachers, and we must know the New Testament well so that we won’t stray.
Another temptation is to use the Gospel for self-promotion. I remember a priest who was pastor of a parish, but he also had another ministry that he named after himself. He benefited from the various activities of that ministry. In fact, he spent most of his energy there rather than caring for parishioners. He forgot that he was a pastor first.
A final temptation is an outright betrayal of Jesus. Jesus alludes to this in his prayer. He asks the Father to protect his disciples. The evil one is always probing to see if he can find a weak spot in a Christian’s resolve.
Jesus prays for his disciples before he left the earth. He prays for us now as He intercedes for us in heaven. He prays that we will preach the truth, never promote our own agenda and that we will never lose heart.
Reflection Questions:
- Have I heard a preacher say something that I questioned? What was it?
- What causes me to lose heart in my Christian walk? Does it comfort me to know that Jesus is praying for me?
Dear Parishioners,
The Secondhand Sale is fast approaching. We need people to donate stuff and their treasures. This is always important. The things that are donated need to be in good repair. Please don’t bring things that we will have to just throw away.
Another need we have is for volunteers. Can you give not just your things, but you time. Just a few hours would be very helpful. Please contact Connie Morris or Pami Triebel if you could be of assistance. Time is the most precious treasure we have.
The funds from the sale will help pay off the pledge the committee of the sale made to the restoration of the stained-glass windows. The pledge payment was delayed because of the COVID 19 pandemic. Please be generous.
May Our Lady of Peace pray for our troubled world today.
Fr. Mark