HOMILY WEEK 30 06 – Year I
Participating in God’s Mysterious Plan:
Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo
(Rm 11:1-2,11-12,25-29; Ps 94; Lk 14:1,7-11)
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“Has God rejected God’s people?”
The Word Among Us commentary for today begins with that rhetorical question by St. Paul, who is asking whether God has given up on God’s chosen people. This builds on Paul’s anguish in yesterday’s first reading regarding his fellow Israelites who were given the adoption, glory, covenants, law, worship, promises, patriarchs and finally, the Messiah. In spite of all these spiritual gifts they ultimately rejected Jesus when he came, as evidenced by the resistance of the Pharisees he faced in the gospel. Paul goes on to claim that he would accept being accursed and even cut off from Christ if that would change their hearts.
Paul answers his own question – “Of course not!” God’s plan is still unfolding. One day all of Israel will be saved (Romans 11:26). The reflection unfolds with a three-fold response to that question that we can adopt: trust in God’s mysterious ways, pray for those who don’t believe, and humbly do what we can to share our faith, hope and joy with them.
Perhaps we pose the same question to the Lord for our loved ones who have strayed away and are still distant from him. “Have you rejected him or her, Lord? Why are you not intervening in his or her life? Why are you allowing them to stray from you and their spiritual roots?”
We can’t see into the future. We don’t know how each person’s story will end. So, while we may not be able to see what God is doing in the life of the ones we are most concerned about, we can hold onto this truth: God is still at work. God hasn’t given up, indeed never gives up on, or stops loving, any of us! We may not perceive God’s grand design, but God urges us to keep on trusting, interceding, reaching out in creative ways, and never give up either. God wants all to be saved, and our prayers can make a difference.
But we need to do more than pray – we need to do what we can to be the answer to our own prayers. We can ask, “Lord, is there anything you would like me to do for this person today?” So not only do our prayers help bring others to Christ, but so do our efforts to reach out to them in love.
If our invitation, especially to our own children, to church related events have fallen on deaf ears, maybe we need to take a different tack. Perhaps we will be inspired to make a phone call, invite that person to some other interesting event, mention a good book, drop off a DVD, go for coffee with them. Or maybe we can write a note of encouragement for someone who is going through a difficult time. One of the best responses may be just to listen to them, to get their story, to learn more about their life and present situation.
What we do may be the next stitch in the tapestry that God is weaving, that we only view from behind. We may never see the results of God’s work in a person’s life, but we can trust that God is still working. But however much or little we can see, we can be sure of this: God delights in making us part of God’s grand plan. We only have to trust that at the perfect time, the tapestry will be a masterpiece that includes our loved ones in God’s kingdom.
Travelling home years ago on a cold November night, I felt compelled to pick up a hitchhiker who was Indigenous. Our conversation quickly revealed that he had just picked up some heavy drugs in the city, and was on his way to East Hastings in Vancouver to end his life there. As Donald (not his real name) shared his hurt at the hands of the staff at an Indian Residential School, I softly suggested that he should speak to a priest. When he did not respond negatively to that comment, I revealed that I was actually a bishop, and we settled in for a heart-to-heart conversation about that soul pain in his life. As we were passing by his home community, I offered to drive him home. Once there, we sat in the car for another hour of profound conversation. Having done much addictions awareness ministry, I encouraged him to reach out for help and go for treatment. I gave him my card and contact information.
About a year later, at 11:30 pm when I was in bed, I received a phone call. It was Donald. After our conversation, he had decided to go for treatment instead of Vancouver, had sobered up and was now an addictions counselor on his home community. That phone call moved me to the depths of my being, as I realized that I had indeed gone to the periphery, reached out to the marginalized, taken on the smell of the sheep, was a participant in God’ grand tapestry, and even granted a glimpse of it from the front.
St. Charles Borromeo, whom we honor today, lived during the Catholic Reformation. He was born in 1538 into an aristocratic family and, as second son, was expected to serve the Church. When his uncle became Pope Pius IV, Charles, only 22 years old, was created Cardinal Archbishop of Milan and Papal Secretary of State. Charles resided in Milan until his death in 1584. As archbishop, he chose to live an ascetic life, imposing severe discipline on both clergy and laity, thus provoking much opposition. His dedicated life entailed great personal sacrifice. He is a patron of catechist and catechumens.
The Eucharist is not only our greatest prayer and act of faithful trust, it includes intercessions for the world, and mandates us to go out and strive to be the answer to our own prayer, reaching out to all those especially in need.
May our celebration today deepen our trust in God’s love and care for all humanity, help us be open to the mysterious way that God works in our world, often through us, and empower us to reach out and share that unconditional love to the world.
