Reflections on recent Sunday Homily

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This summer the heat has been affecting me greatly. So, rather than attend our ‘regular’ church with no air conditioning (and a brick building that holds the heat IN), we have been going to the main church for our parish the next town over. Aside from the ability to be in air conditioning with a less crowded church, we have also had several Masses with our associate pastor presiding. He’s a fantastic homilist and this month has given such a rich topic as the Gospel readings have all been on Jesus as the Bread of Life.

While he did have one homily talking about the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist (one doctrine that differentiates Catholics from other Christian faiths), he spent this past Sunday talking more about what is Christianity. The summary statement he shared (and had everyone repeat a few times to help sink it into our brains) was “Christianity is a community built on a relationship with God.” For me, this is a powerful statement. Below are some of my personal thoughts after digesting his words for a short while.

First, we can live as Christians if we live in a vacuum. While Christ will be present where even 2 or 3 of us are gathered in his name, he also calls us to go beyond our homes. As a Catholic, this seems like a scary things as evangelizing is often overlooked. The idea of sharing your faith outside of others you know already share the faith can be scary. Does Christ’s call mean we have to go door to door carrying our Bible and Catechism to spread the good news? No. While we could take this approach, I think it is even more effective to live your life well and be a shining example for others. About a year or so ago, I reconnected with friends from high school (between my 20 year class reunion and an online group for those of us in Naval Junior ROTC.) Reading posts from some of my former best friends, I discovered that a few had converted to Catholicism. I had no idea they had and sent a quick message to one. She shared that my bringing her to Mass one time when she had slept over (back in junior high, I think) had planted a seed that blossomed after we finished college. It wasn’t something I shared in a formal way, but rather the invitation to come and experience. Sometimes it is welcoming back someone who has fallen away from the church. Unfortunately, there are occasions when you have a priest or parish that acts un-Christianly that then portrays the Catholic faith in a negative way.

The second thing that strikes me from his ‘simple’ statement is that Christianity requires a relationship with God. Yes, there might be rules to guide our actions. But, ultimately, we have to have that personal relationship with God. But, rules and relationship are NOT independent. Thinking about our own family, there are expectations of behavior. Does mom or dad love their child less when they ‘break’ the rule? Well, maybe as human parents we are hurt and feel that break in our relationship. After all, we are not perfect. But, that doesn’t mean we stop loving our child. While we might sin, God will continue to love us and desire a relationship with us.

After that homily on Christianity as a Community built on a Relationship with God, my eldest son commented that in my own parenting I often fail in having rules that are clear and consistently enforced. Hearing that from a 12 year old really makes you pause and reflect on ways to improve the relationship in our immediate family. If I don’t make the effort to train the children up now, how can I expect them to thrive and blossom when they leave the nest?

Knowing that as a Catholic I am able to reconcile through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and then receive Christ through the Eucharist brings me such peace some days. While it might seem ‘easier’ to just have a direct conversation with God asking not only for forgiveness of my shortcomings and help in growing into the person He wants me to be, there is definitely something powerful when I do partake of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Also, I definitely feel blessed to have heard a few of our associate pastor’s homilies to help reinforce what I know in my head but sometimes need reinforced. He has his own website, Heavenwards!, for anyone interested in his reflections.