Homilies
Homily for 08/18/2008
Homily/ 19th Ordinary 2008
If you open a map of the continental United States, you will see that there are three main routes from the East to the West or vice versa depending on where you live. There is , Interstate 10 the Southern route, interstate 40 and then there is the straightest route of all, Interstate 80. People try different ways to get from east to west- And in a similar way, for many hundreds of years, people tried a lot of different highways to get to God. The Jews followed the laws of the Old Testament. The Greeks followed there mythology, and belief in many gods. Then Jesus came and gave us a new road to God, a direct and straight highway, like Interstate 80! And the Apostle Paul told us how to get to that highway by saying, “if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you WILL be saved!” I want to talk about a tentmaker who lived in Tarsus, who taught us so much about how to get to Jesus. Saint Paul !
First a little background on this most famous Saint- Paul was a tentmaker by trade- his Jewish name was Saul. He was educated in Jerusalem and he was probably a Pharisee- an expert on the Law. He was part of the religious “police” who told people to keep the Jewish law to the letter. His first contact with Christianity was his presence at the martyrdom of St. Stephen. This is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. Soon after that, he got his commission from the Jewish authorities to go to Damascus and help suppress the new movement called Christianity. As he approached Damascus he suddenly saw a blinding light and was thrown to the ground. He heard Jesus ask him “why do you persecute me?” Paul was temporarily blinded and he was lead to Damascus where he found a whole new life. On regaining his sight, he was baptized [no RCIA] and he immediately began preaching.
What we know about Paul comes from the Acts of the Apostles and from Paul’s letters, not all of which he actually wrote. Paul spent the next 13 years in ministry, spreading the Good News about Jesus. He had three major missionary journeys- and he didn’t go alone- he brought friends with him like Barnabas, Mark, Silas and Timothy. He was a prolific writer, and since many people did not read and write back then, it proves that he was highly intelligent. He founded churches in Antioch, Corinth, Ephesus, Galatia, Thessolonica. But his life wasn’t all roses- He was arrested for his preaching and imprisoned twice. He was shipwrecked three times. Some of his friends abandoned him, he went through emotional and spiritual traumas, yet he never gave up- he kept his eyes on Jesus- finally, in the year 67 AD, Paul was beheaded in Rome by the Emperor Nero.
What do we have to learn from St. Paul? Paul knew he was a sinner- and he came to believe that he would be saved by God’s grace alone- nothing he could do could earn his way to heaven. He knew he was a broken person in a broken world- so he wrote about faith communities based on harmony and unity, where there would be no distinction between Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female. Paul believed in a generous God who never gives up on us no matter what we do in life, a God that we have a direct highway to through Jesus! We can also see how honest Paul was about his human frailty and sinfulness- and of course we know that Paul was not perfect- Paul wrote some things that have caused enormous pain and suffering over the years- for example:
An African American could ask Paul “what did you mean by ‘slaves be obedient to your masters with fear and trembling?’” A woman could ask “what’s with this idea that ‘women should be silent in church?” And what about that “Wives be submissive to your husbands” stuff? A Jewish person could ask Paul to explain what he meant when he said “Jews demand a sign, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews..” Sometimes Paul alienated the very people that needed to hear the good news- slaves, women, Jews. He desperately wanted people to understand that “there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, slave and free- the same Lord is generous to all who call upon him,” but his own words and cultural condition of the time got in the way. But in a strange and wonderful way, Paul’s personal failings confirm the truth of his greatest theological insight, that a person can be saved only through faith, and not through human effort. Thanks to St. Paul, we can easily find the highway, the straightest route to God through our Lord, Jesus Christ. That was good news back in 55 AD and it is good news for us today.
Homily for 08/18/2008
Homily / 20th Sunday Ordinary 08
Like many large cities, New York is famous for its neighborhoods. There are the ethnic places like little Italy, with its wonderful aromas wafting through the streets; there is the diamond district with its Hasidic Jews walking around in their traditional garb- there is the upper East side where you will find glamour and fashion; China town where great food and decoration are well known. America is called a melting pot, a salad bowl filled with so many different nationalities. We are a country that is used to absorbing many ethnic groups that have come here to call the USA home.
This makes us totally different from the Israelites of Jesus’ day, who wanted nothing to do with “outsiders.” Over and over again, the people of 1st century Israel were defined by what they were not: they did not worship other gods, they were not like those pagan religions, they did not eat certain foods- and so on. Israel were a people God called to be special- God loved them, according to the Israelites, above all other nations- now, when you think that God loves your country above every other nation, that breeds arrogance, elitism, superiority. In truth, God loves all people, all cultures, all countries- everybody has God on their side.. but the Jewish people didn’t know that-
With this in mind, we can only imagine how difficult it was for the Canaanite woman to speak to a Jewish Rabbi, Jesus- you know that cultural and religious laws prohibited women from speaking to men in public- enter loudly the Canaanite woman and her encounter with Jesus- Canaanites were enemies of the Jews- they hated one another- so what do you do with this unclean foreigner who, on top of that is a woman? When she asked Jesus to have pity on her daughter, he didn’t say a word- he kind of ignored her! This is one of the few moments when we can really feel Our Lord’s embarrassment, and his silence over what to do. And in fact, the disciples want to keep her away- they are like the secret service agents who protect the president and the presidential candidates- they keep people from getting too close- that is what the disciples did to this woman..they said to Jesus, “send her away..” exclude her from our company- in other words, we don’t deal with people like her!
But it is the woman’s faith that finally wins Jesus over- it is her faith, persistent and undefeated that triumphs over national boundaries. “oh woman, great is your faith!”
What do we learn from this gospel? Well, we often exclude people from our circle of friends, our neighborhoods, our churches- that is not what Jesus taught and lived. Jesus came to bring people together- do unite, and not divide. He came that we might have life and have it to the fullest. We all have to think outside the box- we have to think globally- beyond our own backyard- We must try to be more accepting of people who are not like us.. God’s arms are very large and embracing of all people, we must do the same.
Homily for 08/04/2008
HOMILY 18th Ordinary 2008
This is the time of year for huge family reunions. When you have a big family reunion, you have to choose a place that can hold everyone comfortably- Oneida shores or Marcellus Park or St. Augustine’s back yard- some large area that can accommodate lots of people. And it takes planning- how will you coordinate the food? The entertainment? The transportation? What about paper goods, charcoal, beverages? Can people bring a dish to pass? And the inevitable question, what about clean up?
If you were going to feed five thousand people, what would you serve? Right away you can hear people saying, I can’t handle that… way too much work.. where do I begin? Today’s Gospel is a lesson for us on how to satisfy the hunger of many people.
When Jesus saw this vast crowd of thousands of people, they came there looking for something- perhaps in a selfish way- what can I get out of this gathering? A free meal, a healing? A show? And as evening drew on, the disciples, who were concerned with detail, said, “this is a deserted place, and it is late- tell the crowds to go to the local MacDonalds or BK and get something to eat for themselves..disperse the crowd- let everyone be on their own to fend for themselves.. that is not Jesus’ style- he likes people together- he likes people to be fed, to converse, to be with one another. Jesus loves family reunions.
Perhaps some people brought food to the gathering, knowing that it would be a long day; but who would raise their hand in that situation and say oh, I have a turkey sandwich or a bag of potato chips.. no, there would be mass pandemonium! People would be grabbing and pushing and shoving.. but that didn’t happen at this gathering. One brave person came forward with five loaves of bread and a couple of fish. So little food for such a large need. If you were at your family reunion and this happened, you would panic! What follows is nothing short of a miracle of hospitality and a great lesson to be learned.
The people quietly sat down on the grass and they shared the loaves and the fish- all got their fill and there was food left over- Bible scholars tell us that the real miracle here is that selfish people were changed into generous people- the people there went from wanting only something for themselves to generous sharing of bread and fish with total strangers- those people were changed forever by that encounter with Christ and with others. It is the same with us here at this sacred gathering. We come here each week to be nourished and fed- by God’s Holy Word, by the Eucharist and by one another. We are changed because of this gathering of faith.
Oh, and there is a key phrase that Jesus uses on his disciples- when they asked Jesus to dismiss the crowds to the local towns and villages, he shot back “Give them something to eat yourselves!” Sometimes we doubt our own ability to help others- or to offer assistance in a difficult situation- don’t doubt your own abilities- We all have gifts and talents to share with others- and Jesus needs our hands, our eyes, our voice to be a positive energy in our world- If Jesus wants something done here, if he wants a child taught, a sick person comforted, a hungry soul fed, he needs people through whom he can act and speak- that’s you and me! God can take whatever we have, whatever poor resources we can come up with and do great things with that! Little is always much in the hands of Christ. That is the lesson that the disciples learned that day-
How is Jesus sending you out to feed others today? How have you seen Jesus stretch your personal resources beyond what you could imagine? How are you changed by the food that Jesus gives to us today?
Homily for 07/14/2008
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2008
This is a holiday weekend for us- we who are citizens of the United States. And on a holiday weekend, we take a break! Most people had Friday off- so it is right that the Gospel this weekend should be about taking a break! “Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you.” Life can be so burdensome at times- there are all kinds of burdens- worry, responsibility, debt, disappointments, family trouble, guilt, unemployment, addictions, and on and on. And isn’t it true that we bring our troubles, our burdens to Mass with us to give them over to God and to have the community pray for us.
There are many people in our society that have jobs that carry a heavy burden. Today, those who do menial jobs are poorly paid and generally are taken for granted. They are valued, not for themselves, but only for the service that they provide. They are noticed only when they are missing from their work- like waiters and waitresses- I am often amazed when I go to the diner, at how hard these service people work and how tough some customers are on them. A word of appreciation would help to lift their burden- and a good tip would help also!
The scribes and Pharisees lived a privileged existence. They had no understanding of what life was like for the ordinary people. They multiplied rules and regulations so that there were 613 laws that they laid on the backs of ordinary people. They placed a heavy burden on their shoulders. During the years he spent at Nazareth, Jesus lived among the ordinary people. For many of those years, he lived the life of a working man. He knew first hand the struggles, difficulties and frustrations ordinary people had to endure. He was aware of the heavy burdens placed on their shoulders. So Jesus wanted to lighten their burdens. People came to him from all over with their burdens of sickness and misery. All of them had their burdens lightened- the mere presence of Jesus would bring peace to an anguished soul.
Some of the burdens that we carry today are baggage that we should let goof- there is a Zen story about an old monk going on a spiritual journey with a heavy bag on his back- on his deathbed, he passes on the bag to his disciple. When the disciple opens the bag, he finds it empty. Yet he wonders why it weighed so much… and the old man says to him “it is the weight of everything in my life that I did not need to carry.”
Religion should not make life more burdensome. If Christianity is a burden to you, then you are in the wrong faith. The love and forgiveness of Jesus lightens our load- his love and mercy are forever- the presence of Jesus here and in our lives each day brings us peace and helps to lighten our load-
So give it a rest! Let Jesus take on our burdens – his yoke is easy and his burden light.”
Homily for 07/14/2008
15th Sunday in Ordinary Times
Most of the people in this church are not farmers- I do know of one farmer in the parish, but most of us do not make our livings by farming- but perhaps many of us have planted seeds or flowers at one time or another- when you plant a seed you look for good soil- you use miracle grow- you water the plant and nourish it until it blooms and blossoms. Our limited experience with planting seeds and flowers helps us to understand this powerful gospel about the sower and the seed.
The people of Jesus’ day were agrarian- they didn’t have supermarkets to buy their food- they had to grow it from seed. They farmed the land. Jesus spoke to them in a way that they could understand- that is why this parable had such meaning for them back then- but there is so much in this parable for us. You know, the words of the Gospel and the other books of sacred scripture are so symbolic- you have to dig into the soil a little to get the full meaning of the text!
During our formative years there were many seeds planted in our minds and hearts. That was in the springtime of our lives when we were being shaped and formed by our parents and family members. During those years we heard words of encouragement and affirmation; words of advice and guidance, words of correction and chastisement; words of warning and caution; words of comfort and consolation. At the time, we may not have appreciated those words from our parents and grandparents, but we needed to hear them so that we could grow and be nourished. Only God knows how many of those words took root in our lives.
As adults, we still need the sowing of the word- we still need to hear words of encouragement and support- words of comfort and help from others. And most importantly, we need to hear the Word of God- how many times have you opened your bible when you felt lonely, depressed, hurting or forgotten? When bad news came about your health or trouble in your family, how many times have you opened the Word of God to give you help and support? The Word of God gives us guidance in times of doubt; reassurance in times of great difficulty; comfort in times of sorrow; correction in times of foolishness; hope in times of despair.
Jesus spoke about the seed that fell on rich soil and produced one hundredfold- each week there is good seed sown here in this church. And that seed is given to all of us. Some of us will take that seed and produce great fruit this week- some people can hear the Word of God and integrate to into their lives during the week. Some will come to church and hear God’s word but not put it into practice when they leave here- Some will ignore God’s seed- and their lives will be shallow and meaningless. We are all capable of producing good fruit with this seed.
There are people who did not have good soil growing up- children who grew up in a home where they were neglected- or where there was a lot of fighting, arguing, drunkenness and so on- that gave the seed of their lives a rocky start- but those who came from such homes- we use the term dysfunctional families, can still produce much fruit- with the help and support of others, with the help of our church community, they can be nourished so that they can produce good fruit in their lives.
All of us have the opportunity of receiving that seed from God’s love and God’s Word. Now we must go out and produce much fruit with that seed by helping those in need and loving our neighbor this week.
Homily for 06/02/2008
Homily / 9th Ordinary 08
Several years ago while Russia was still ruled by the Communists, dissidents were often arrested and imprisoned. There was a story about a man who was arrested and searched thoroughly before he was sent to the gulag- during the search the authorities discovered a small ball of paper in his mouth- it contained a few pages from a book. The man knew that long years in a remote prison lay ahead for him, and he would probably never return home. The pages from the book that he was keeping was from conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, chapter 5 of St. Matthew’s gospel, the passage that we just heard. This man was probably not turning to the words of Christ at the last minute, as a last resort- Rather, he was keeping something that had already filled his life with meaning and hope- on the words of the Gospel he would build whatever hopes he still had for himself and for his life on earth.
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.” The kind of foundation that we build our lives upon will determine whether we can survive the storms that are sure to come our way. When a builder is laying a foundation for a house, he or she has to check the weather and soil conditions- you have to go deep enough to support the house- you have to make sure the foundation is thick and strong- the cement has to have metal reinforcement bars all through it. You have to let the cement cure so that it solidifies. If you build your house on sand, when the storms come, the house will be completely ruined. Strong foundations are so important in life- remember all those cliff houses in California that went crashing into the sea because they were built too close to the water? That’s what can happen when the foundation is not solid- The same is true in our lives-
The solid foundation in our lives is God and God’s love.., God will never leave us- God is our rock- our pillar of strength- God loves us all the time, always, no matter what we do. As you all know, there are a lot of people in our lives who come and go.. sometimes friendships die- our loved ones pass on.. we move to different localities and we change jobs.. people go in and out of our lives.. but God will never leave you- And if God is the foundation of your life then when the storms of life come at us, we will stand firm and we won’t be destroyed.
We all inevitably get storms in life- marriages fail- everyone in this church has had and will have storms [including myself] -we get sick and have to go to rehab- financial difficulties cause us stress and anxiety- we might loose our job – our children might get in trouble.. all kinds of things can go wrong in life- but if God is woven all through your life when those storms come you will not be alone.
We build the foundation of our lives on the Word of God.. Moses told his people to “take these words of mine into your heart and soul. Bind them to your wrists as a sigh, and let them be a pendant on your forehead” Maybe you’ve seen the orthodox Jews in Jerusalem with this small square box on their foreheads- those contain the words of the Torah- If God’s word is a part of us from childhood, we will always have God at our side- God’s presence will be with us. Perhaps we don’t bind the Word of God to our wrists like the Orthodox Jews do, but we may carry a small New Testament with us, or perhaps we have memorized favorite passages from the Bible that comfort us in times of trouble. In doing so, we are following what Moses said to his people back in Old Testament times.
But as we all know, words are cheap- actions speak louder than words- In today’s Gospel Jesus says “everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them” - It is not good enough to read God’s word or to hear God’s word on Sunday- we must act on them all during the week. So let us put God’s word into practice this week- let us bring our worship into our everyday lives by practicing what we believe.
Homily for 05/12/2008
HOMILY/ PENTECOST 2008
If you take a drive just north of Cazenovia New York, you will see a very interesting phenomenon.. a huge wind power farm. Wind power is on of the most promising forms of renewable energy. However, wind is notoriously difficult to catch. One of the problems is that the best winds don’t tend to move at ground level. You have to erect a huge tower to put the windmill on to catch the good breezes. If you want to catch the wind, you have to put your wind tower where the wind is blowing. The same applies to the church and Pentecost!
If the members of the church are going to tap the unlimited power of the Holy Spirit, then you have to be in a spirit filled environment. The Acts of the Apostles gives us a blueprint for building a church that can catch the wind- in order to catch the wind of the Holy Spirit, you have to have three ingredients in place: Community, Communication, and Courage.
With these four points operating in the church, we can catch the rush of a “strong driving wind.” Acts tells us that on the day of Pentecost, the Apostles were all gathered in one place. So they were all there, they were all together and they were in one place. They were gathered together in community for prayer. They were on the same page, reading from the same piece of music. Community is very important- you can’t be a Christian alone with no support- without the help and support of people who believe in the Holy Spirit, you can’t be a Christian, let alone a Catholic. The spirit came to the community when the Apostles were all together- the Spirit comes to us each week when we are gathered here, all together around this altar. There is always strength in numbers. If Peter had been in Capernum, John in Nazareth, James on the Sea of Galilee, Andrew in Cana and the other eight scattered across the country, they would not have been able to catch the wind of the Holy Spirit. Timing is everything in life! It was only because they were all together in that room that they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages.
Gathering together is a challenge for us today because our lives are so busy- and we have become so individualistic about our faith.
Second point is communication- The Apostles in Jerusalem “began to speak other languages as the Spirit gave them ability.” That meant that they could communicate the message of Jesus in a way that people could understand. We need to do that today also- communicate the love of Jesus in ways that are meaningful to people. You can fall asleep if the homily is boring! But if it entices you and keeps you thinking, then the message was communicated effectively. We also need to make use of websites, and other means of communication in the church- and let’s not forget good old fashion talking to one another- you know, especially with our linkage with St. Mary’s good communication will be essential.
The third ingredient is courage- when the Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit they became courageous in preaching and living their faith. We have received the Holy Spirit and so God has given us the courage we need to live our faith in a secular world. That means standing up for what we believe in- it means not contributing to the negativity in the world- it means defending the rights of the unborn, the marginalized, the handicapped and so on. We need the courage that the Holy Spirit gives us to tell people about our church and how much it nourishes us. Everyone in this church is an evangelizer, just like the first Apostles.. you all have the great commission to go out and teach all nations.. but begin in Baldwinsville, or Liverpool, or wherever you may be and use the Courage that the Holy Spirit gives you to spread our faith. The disciples of Jesus were known to be Christian by their love.. we must also be known by our love- our love for humanity, for one another.
With these ingredients in our church and in our lives, we will catch the wind of the Holy Spirit. I would like to end with the prayer for the Holy Spirit that the bishop uses at Confirmation: All powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by water and the Holy Spirit you freed your sons and daughters from sin and gave them new life. Send you Holy Spirit upon us to be our helper and guide. Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgement and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Homily for 03/04/2008
Homily/ Transfiguration 2 Lent 08
How is your Lent going??
Each year on December 31st, the news media always looks back on the past year to review what happened- the positive things that were in the news, the negative events that happened last year. They also speculate on what will happen in the new year- how the economy will improve or decline; what will happen in the world of politics; how will our lives be different in the new year. The changing of the year gives us a chance to look back and to look ahead.
Today’s gospel is called the Transfiguration- it gave the Apostles Peter, James and John a chance to look back and to look ahead. When Jesus took Peter, James and John up to that mountain, he appeared to be changed- the meaning for transfiguration is to change form or shape. The face of Jesus dazzled like the sun; his clothes became radiant with light. And with Jesus were Moses and Elijah. Moses led his people out of slavery, he received the Torah on Mt. Sinai, and he brought God’s people to the edge of the promised land. Elijah was the great prophet who performed healings and other miracles and he stood up to Israel’s enemies. So Jesus gave these chosen disciples a chance to look back and to look ahead- It reminded them that our salvation started long ago with Abraham, Moses, Elijah and others- God spoke to them in a very direct way. The transfiguration gave Peter James and John a chance to look ahead-at the glorified Jesus of Easter. So it gave them hope – it showed them that the time line is all connected the past, the present and the future- God has broken into human history all through the ages, and in the end, good will triumph, we will be raised up to be with Jesus and his saints. God has been involved in your history, from the time you were conceived right up until 4PM today! God has been inviting you, pursuing you, enjoying your company.
The transfiguration also gives us a chance to look back and look ahead- you see God has the big picture of our lives- God doesn’t judge us on one incident, one good work or one sin. No, God has the big picture, the overall direction that our lives are taking. He sees the past, the present and the future- and the future looks very, very good! This gospel story occurs at the beginning of Lent to remind us that Lent moves us to Easter, that the way of the cross leads to resurrection.
Oh, if only we could have a crystal ball to tell us how long we are going to live- what our lives will be like in 10 years, what it will be like in heaven- well, we do have something that will answer those questions- the gospel and our relationship with Jesus. No matter how long we are going to live here in this life, we have all been promised eternal life with God- and heaven will be very, very peaceful. The gospel story today gives us that hope- put yourself in the place of Peter, James and John. The same hope that Jesus gave to them, he also gives to us. When they were up on that mountain they heard a voice that said “this is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased, listen to him.”
We are God’s beloved sons and daughters. That is what God thinks of us. We may not have the privilege of going up on a mountain and seeing Jesus transfigured- but we see Jesus each day in the faces of our loved ones, in the faces of the poor and the suffering, in the faces of great people in our lives. God speaks to us through them. God sends his love and his care through them. The people in our lives that love us and care about us point us to God.
So when has God spoken to you lately? When have you heard the voice of God saying “you are my beloved son, daughter in whom I am well pleased?” How has God been involved in your life today?
Open your heart this week to listen to the voice of God speaking to you- take time to sit quietly and appreciate the good people in your lives. You are God’s beloved sons and daughters.
Homily for 03/04/2008
Homily for 03/04/2008
Homily for the Feast of St. John (12/27/2007)
Homily for the Feast of St. John (12/27/2007)
Homily for Tuesday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time (10/16/2007)
Homily for the Seventh Sunday of Easter (05/20/2007)
It has been said that this was the first church fish fry! Oh that fish must have been so fresh that Jesus was cooking up on the beach that day- now let’s pull this Gospel apart... the disciples went out to fish- that is what they knew best- you know they were returning to their old business, or maybe they just wanted to get away from it all... the events of the past several days were rather overwhelming.. and you still have to eat, even though you have seen the risen Lord, so they go out to fish, all night long, and they have caught nothing. Then the Lord calls out from shore, "have you caught anything yet? And then Jesus with his digitally operated fish finder and GPS says to throw your nets off to the right side of the boat. And of course James and John have their fish counters and they count out 153 fish! Jesus uses fishing to catch their attention and tune them back into himself. Jesus spoke to them while they were doing what they do best. And they caught a huge catch, and Peter realizes that it is Jesus who called to them... but they were out there all night, probably talking about the recent events and how their lives have now changed... and what the future would bring... where do you go to get away from it all, to think about things? How does God meet you there? What does God use to get your attention and get through to you? So many times we are so busy we don’t think about the things that are really important.
Now Peter wants to get on shore so he puts clothes on and jumps into the water... normally you take clothes off when you jump in the water... but you have to remember that we are dealing with Peter here... and he does some strange things!
So then there is this great breakfast on the beach and Jesus uses the occasion to question Peter three times- Simon, do you love me? Can you believe it, Jesus didn’t write peter off... after what he did- maybe Jesus asked Peter if he loved him three times because he denied Jesus three times.
This gospel has been called the "reinstatement of Peter" it has great meaning for each one of us:
I am sure that Peter never forgot the fact that he denied Jesus. But Peter learned from his mistake, he learned that he wasn’t as brave as he thought he was- we can learn from our mistakes as well... the great news is: God DOES NOT WRITE US OFF- God NEVER GIVES UP ON US! Jesus loved Peter in spite of his weaknesses- even though God knows everything about us, God still has an overwhelming love for us... isn’t that great, that someone can love you and know all of your weaknesses? Jesus knew that there was a better side of Peter- he also knew that strength and weakness can coexist in the same person.
Peter is a great consolation to us. The truth is, we are all mortals, weak humans who make mistakes, and God does not write us off. And we know this because of the way Jesus raised up Peter.
How do you think God can help you overcome failures in your life? Can we learn from this Gospel that God helps us in our weaknesses? Can we understand that God never, ever writes any of us off?
The other message in this gospel is this: Jesus asked Peter if he loved him and then Jesus said "Feed my sheep." What Jesus says to people in the Gospels, he says to all of us... If you love me, feed my sheep... nourish one another, serve one another in love, reach out to those in need- feed my sheep, feed my people. Everyone in this church has been commissioned by God to feed God’s people... we are all called to put our faith into practice each day- and when we fail, we are to ask for forgiveness, and let God pick us up once again... God always sees the big picture. So let us leave here this morning knowing that God never writes us off, that Jesus has commissioned us to feed God’s people, and let us once again put our faith into practice this coming week.