Homily Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

            The Kingdom of Heaven is something Jesus spoke about all the time.  But he does not speak of it in ways we might expect.

            When we think of the Kingdom of Heaven, we probably think about how heaven is described in popular mythology.  In heaven there are golden streets with mansions down the avenues.  God is enthroned there. His heavenly court is there with myriads of angels.  In heaven there is no suffering.  No one has a worry about anything.  Now this may be the way heaven is. But Jesus says the Kingdome is among us.

            Jesus describes the Kingdom of Heaven in the Gospel.  Jesus uses parabolic stories to describe it.  Parables are not real precise.  The stories Jesus told, can have any number of meanings.  Jesus doesn’t speak of fluffy clouds or angelic singing when he speaks of the Kingdom of Heaven.  He doesn’t talk about a place where we will live after death.  He says the Kingdom of Heaven is here.  He describes the Kingdom of Heaven by referring to things like weeds and wheat and fungus. 

            He says that the Kingdom of Heaven is like wheat growing in a field.  We can picture that.  We can think of heaven as a beautiful field with a crop growing in it.  But then, Jesus says, an enemy comes to sow weeds in the field.  Who is this enemy? The enemy is the evil one. 

            Suddenly, things are not so heavenly.  We have a mess.  We are reminded of our flower and vegetable gardens this time of year.  If we don’t keep up with the weeds, the plants we desire, are overwhelmed.  Our lives can seem like that. We cultivate the garden that is our lives, things seem fine, but then disruption enters in.  Perhaps it’s an unexpected pandemic.  Our lives are thrown into disarray.  We grow impatient.  Why can’t we solve the problem so we can get back to normal? But we must patiently endure.  If we move too precipitously, we may do more harm than good.  God will sort things out in the end.  The harvest will be secure.  Can we trust that this will happen? Will we keep the faith?

            The second symbol Jesus uses for the Kingdom of God is the symbol of the mustard seed.  The mustard seed is another weed.  The mustard plant was not useful.  But Jesus says the Kingdom of Heaven is like the mustard plant.  Why?  Because out of something small something large grows.  A weed as big as a tree.

            Jesus reemphasized his point with another little parable. The Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven mixed in with flour to make bread.  Leaven is a fungus. The Hebrew people considered it unclean.  During holy days they would remove leaven from their house, storing it outside. Most of us do not want fungus around us either.  But the leaven causes bread to rise through a process of fermentation.  Out of something small and rotten comes something wonderful, bread to eat.

            So how does the Kingdom of Heaven reveal itself in our daily life?  The Kingdom Jesus speaks of reveals itself through the struggles we endure.  When we see someone patiently living through difficulty, we experience the Kingdom of Heaven.  Also, we can recognize the Kingdom when someone acts with unexplainable virtue.  Badness can beget goodness.  When we see that, we can say the Kingdom of Heaven is there. 

            We see the Kingdom in the present in many ways if we but look with eyes of faith.  Recently, a man named Bubba Wallace has been getting a lot of attention.  He is a racecar driver for NASCAR.  He is the only African American race driver at the highest level of this sport.  Last month he asked that the Confederate Flag be dropped as a symbol of the sport. Most people supported his effort.  Others have attacked him, some viciously. 

            What was his answer to his critics?  He tweeted, “Always deal with hate being thrown at you with love.  Love should win over hate every time.  Love is natural.  You have to teach people to hate.”

            When we see patience with the imperfections of life?  When there is an instance of someone showing love in the face of hate. When we see these things, we should say the Kingdome of Heaven is there.

Reflection Questions:

1. Have I ever thought of the Kingdom of Heaven as being in the here and now?  Do I see signs of the Kingdom around me?

2. What can I do to make the Kingdom a reality for others?

Dear Parishioners, 

            The pandemic is continuing to expand.  I feel like we should make Friday a special day of prayer and penance in our parish.  I would suggest we make a novena (nine days of prayer).  This would be a novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  The next nine Fridays we could treat like we were observing Lent.

            Novenas are part of the tradition of the church.  The idea comes from the tradition that for nine days the Apostles prayed in the upper room before the Feast of Pentecost.  I would suggest that younger people could fast from sun-up to sundown as a reparation for social sin.  If that is impossible, I would suggest abstaining from meat, not eating between meals, or some other act of self-denial.

            I would suggest that parishioners spend 15 minutes in prayer and meditation on Fridays.  At the end of that time the following prayer could be said,

            “Holy Heart of Jesus, Sweet Sanctuary of rest,

            Bring peace to my soul and settle my spirit,

            especially in this Coronavirus Crisis

            I vow to place all my worries and fears

            into the wound of your Sacred Heart,

            there to be tended to in accordance with your perfect will,

            which desires only the best and highest good.

            Your love alone is enough, and I surrender to it;

            clinging to the hope of a swift resolution

            and trusting with confidence in all your promises.

            Amen.

            We are living through a most difficult time.  I invite you all to participate in this special prayer.

May Our Lady and All the Angels and Saints Watch over you.

Fr. Mark