June 10, 2018: 10th Sunday B
June 10, 2018 10th Sunday B
Click to hear Audio Homily
Have you ever said to someone, “You must be out of your mind”? Do you remember why you said that to the person? A wealthy father was distraught with his 25-year old son. When his son was 19-years old, the father gave a lot of cash to support his son’s lavish and indulgent lifestyle. His son was a good looking young man, loved parties, loved to instigate evil deeds, and lived it up with life’s luxuries. At the age of 25, the son did a 180 degree turn-around in his life, becoming very pious and religious. He took merchandise from his father’s warehouse, sold it, and donated the proceeds toward church renovations. His father was beside himself when he discovered that his son was taking his goods without consent. The father complained to the local religious leader that his son was out of his mind, and demanded that his son be imprisoned.
Have you ever said to someone, “You must be out of your mind”? Do you remember why you said that to the person? A wealthy father was distraught with his 25-year old son. When his son was 19-years old, the father gave a lot of cash to support his son’s lavish and indulgent lifestyle. His son was a good looking young man, loved parties, loved to instigate evil deeds, and lived it up with life’s luxuries. At the age of 25, the son did a 180 degree turn-around in his life, becoming very pious and religious. He took merchandise from his father’s warehouse, sold it, and donated the proceeds toward church renovations. His father was beside himself when he discovered that his son was taking his goods without consent. The father complained to the local religious leader that his son was out of his mind, and demanded that his son be imprisoned.
Jesus’ friends and relatives also thought that Jesus was beside himself because of his daily actions and lifestyle. What other explanation could there be for Jesus to abandon his quiet and secure life in Nazareth to become an itinerant preacher, supposedly performing miracles--healing people, driving out demons? Surely this was not the hometown Nazareth boy who grew up learning simple carpentry work from Joseph. Some even accused Jesus of being possessed by demons, for they surmised that such a man of humble background could be giving the appearance of performing exorcisms only by the help of demons themselves. Yet in the face of such opposition, Our Lord was determined to obey and fulfill his Father’s will. Where did he get such courage and resolve? His confidence came from the Holy Spirit who is infinitely more powerful than the devil who has a temporary authority over the earthly kingdom. The Holy Spirit was the power behind Jesus who received authority to release individuals from Satan’s influence and control. With the casting out of demons, Jesus demonstrated that the reign of God has come.
As baptized Christians are we aware that we too can call on the power of the Holy Spirit to fulfill Father’s will? If we have the Holy Spirit with us, why is it that at times we are timid and afraid? Satan, the father of lies, devises a myriad of ways to take away our faith and confidence in God and our obedience to follow God’s commandments. When we ardently desire to please God in all things by prayer, reading the Word of God, regularly going to Confession, and receiving the Holy Eucharist, we are filled with wisdom and light that envelop us with the peace and love of Our Lord Jesus. We become bold in our love for our neighbors--we are ready to overlook faults, forgive, and will the good of the other.
Now back to the 25-year old man I mentioned at the beginning: one day he was filled with such light and confidence that when he encountered a man with a terrible and contagious skin disease that most would find repulsive. Yet filled with confidence and trust in the Holy Spirit, the young man approached the diseased man and kissed his hand with great compassion. The diseased man returned the favor by kissing the young man’s hand. That encounter filled the young man with both great joy and sadness. He was joyful in discovering that he could be an instrument of compassion; at the same time he felt remorseful about the dissolute life he had led thus far in which he wasted his time and energy on trivial and transitory things. He began to spend time visiting the sick in the hospitals and emptying his rich wallet to the beggars on the streets. One day when the young man was in a humble church kneeling in prayer, he felt the eyes of Christ on crucifix gazing at him and heard a voice saying three times, “Francis, go and repair My house, which you see is falling down.” Seeing how the church building in which he was praying needed much repair, he took a horse load of clothes out of his father’s warehouse, sold them, and brought the money to the priest of the church in need of much repair. When Francis’ father found out, he dragged his son to the Bishop of Assisi for justice, demanding that his son return the money. Francis not only gave back the money but also gave up his inheritance and the clothing he was wearing by saying, “Up to now, I have called Peter Bernadone my father...From now on I say only, ‘Our Father, who art in Heaven.” Francis was the talk of the town! He was called crazy by many for renouncing his wealthy family and embracing a beggar-like lifestyle, preaching the gospel in the streets.
We may not be called to embrace such radical poverty and evangelical lifestyle as did St. Francis of Assisi, but all of us are called to demonstrate by our lives the merciful and compassionate love of Christ. We are to implore the Holy Spirit daily to give us the grace necessary to desire the good of our neighbor and their conversion. The world thirsts for the love of Christ, and we are to be his ambassadors and emissaries, knowing that Our Lord is alive in us in the Eucharist we receive. In what ways can we bring Our Lord’s living Word to others? In what ways can we demonstrate our trust, affection, commitment, and loyalty to Our Lord and show kindness, thoughtfulness, mercy, and encouragement for our neighbors?
