Homily Cycle A – Offered at OLPHReadings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061823.cfm
Today we resume Ordinary time in the Church. But today is really anything but ordinary, it is the only day we have yesterday is gone, tomorrow is not here, so today is it.
In our Gospel Jesus summons the twelve to help announce the Kingdom, the Good News. Upon seeing the crowd Jesus’ heart is moved with pity. Not pity like oh what a shame, but a visceral, painful pity – Jesus identifies with the crowd, with the people at the deepest part of His.
Jesus is announcing the Kingdom, which is here, on the way and not yet fulfilled. As you know today is Father’s Day a time in our secular life when our society, pauses to thank fathers. At their best fathers show us a glimpse of God Our Father: loving, kind, life-giving.
Listen to his story about a father who reflects God the Father: “A Father’s Love.” Philip Yancey in his book Disappointment with God, described a visit his widowed mother; they looked through a box of old photos. A picture of an eight-month-old baby caught his eye.
Tattered and bent, the picture looked too banged up to be worth keeping, so he asked her why, she had kept this one. “… she had kept the photo as a memento, because during my father’s illness it had been fastened to his iron lung.”
During the last four months of his life, Yancey’s father lay on his back, completely paralyzed by polio at the age of twenty-four, encased from the neck down in a huge, cylindrical breathing unit. He had asked his wife for pictures their two boys. The photos had to be jammed between metal knobs so that he could see them, and last four months of his life were spent looking at that photo. [Connections] An ordinary thing, done extraordinarily well.
In our 1st reading from Exodus, we heard, “I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself. Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession ….” We are special to God.
In Psalm [100], we learned “Know that the LORD is God; he made us, his we are his people, the flock he tends.” One of my favorite prophets is the prophet Micah [6:8] teaches us what the Lord expects of us, to do what is right, to love goodness, and walk humbly with our God.
These two stories may help us.
Simple . . .
It began five years ago when a retired computer technician met a young clerk at a 7-Eleven [store]. He complimented her on the way she deftly handled a complaining customer.
During their conversation, he learned that the young woman had dropped out of college because someone had stolen her laptop when she was taking online classes. Wanting to help her, he refurbished a laptop he had and gave it to her — for free. She was able to go on and complete her associate’s degree in business.
That was the beginning of his work as the “Tech Fairy.” He collects broken laptops and computers, repairs them and gives them to those in need. Over the last five years he’s given away more than 300 computers. These computers often changes the lives of those he helps, the 76-year-old retiree benefits, as well: “It keeps me busy, keeps me challenged . . . I’ve got the skill; I’ve got the time; I’ve got the resources. So, who wouldn’t do it?
Simple . . .
She runs a small restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch. The place is her life, and her regulars are like family. During the pandemic she struggled but was able to keep her restaurant going; she also saw many families struggle to put food on their tables.
So, an hour after closing each day, she gathers up leftover soup and fresh bread and drives it over to a local soup kitchen for the evening meal. Thanks to the community, she’s doing OK, so she’s happy to give back. [Connections, June 2023] Building the Kingdom of God as it unfolds is a privilege we receive at our Baptism.
It’s that simple and that hard to follow Jesus, to be His disciple.
In silence, reflect on how you are announcing The Kingdom of God?”
May God Be Praised.
Beautiful homily Dad 💙
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, Elizabeth.
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