Blog Post 11/17/2023 – Homily Offered at OLPH School Mass

Homily Offered at the School Mass for OLPH

Readings for the Memorial 

Today we celebrate the Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, a woman of royalty, daughter of the King of Hungary.  She could have lived a life of luxury and leisure, but she chose a life of prayer and care.  She helped the poor and suffering in her land.  In our first we were taught to help those in need. 

Then, in our Gospel we were taught to “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”   At the beginning of this school year, we were challenged to “… give to God our Personal Best.”

How?

One of the best ways to do that is by looking for God’s image in each person we meet.  We are called to treat each person we meet as if they were the Lord.

The famous Russian author Leo Tolstoy who wrote, War & Peace, Anna Karenina among others.  He, also, wrote a powerful short story, variously translated as Shoemaker Martin, Martin the Cobbler, The Old Shoemaker.

The shoemaker had a dream, he heard a voice say, “Martin.  Martin.  Look tomorrow on the streets for I am coming.”  The next day Martin saw an old soldier shoveling snow and invited him in for a warm drink.  He saw a mother with, no coat, and a small child in her arms, he invited her into his home gave them some food, a warm drink and his coat.  Then, he saw a little boy take an apple for a woman who was selling them, Martin paid for the apple gave it to the boy who promised not to steal again.

As Martin got ready for bed later that day; he was disappointed that the Lord hadn’t visited.  Again, he heard the voice say,  Martin, Martin did you not recognize Me?  In the corner of his shop Martin saw the image of the old soldier, the mother and the child, and the little boy with the woman selling apples.  Martin lived today’s Gospel, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

  

Martin learned that helping someone is helping the Lord.  Martin gave to God his personal best, we are called to do the same.  Sometime tonight or over the weekend watch the video with your parents it is on YouTube: : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pifDZ1hu6gY

 

May God Be Praised & May we Do unto others as we would have them do unto us.