Homily for 5th Sun OT, Year B
Fr. Albert
St. Peter’s, New Iberia
[N.B. Homily is shortened due to in-parish Bishop’s Services Appeal this weekend.]
Holiness is not an option. Everything in heaven must be holy. In order to go to Heaven, you have to accept the Gospel. In order to fully accept the Gospel, you have to share that Gospel with others. And in order to share the Gospel well, you will need the authority that comes from being holy. Holiness is not an option.
And holiness is not just being nice. It is not just doing some good things here and there. It is not just avoiding serious sins. More than just “being a good person,” holiness is following the will of God. Instead of asking “what is good and what is evil” we learn to ask “which good thing does God wants at this time?”
That’s what we see with Jesus. All these miracles and exorcisms have attracted large crowds. There are so many more to help right here. Why look any further? But Jesus does not settle. Even after a long day of preaching and miracle-working, he knows that he needs to speak with God, to listen for his will. He rises before dawn to pray.
And three weeks ago, we looked at the importance of paying attention to God’s presence, which is a kind of prayer. Today, we come back to prayer from a different angle. Today, I want us to see prayer as a source of courage and strength. In addition to helping us grow closer to Christ, prayer helps us to have the courage to not just do a good thing, but to do the right good thing at the right time.
Why does Jesus leave the crowd? Why go to that village? Why not somewhere else? Because it is God’s will, it is the best thing to do now. If you pray and listen to God regularly, you will sometimes recognize promptings: holy ideas and desires to do certain things. Sometimes they are faint and unclear, and sometimes they are strong and clear. Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it’s not.
Often enough, we disregard or cover over these promptings, especially if they make us uncomfortable. The nudge to pray with a stranger or reach out to a difficult family member… It’s easier to say, “Let me go pray alone, or read a good book, or help a friend.” Good things, but not the right good thing. We should always strive to do good and avoid evil. But, it’s worth asking ourselves, “do I do this for the Love of God? Or for myself? Not always, but sometimes the demand for holiness does come down to this: Will you sacrifice the good thing you want to do for the good thing God asks you to do?
