Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest Yrs 1 and 2 2025
Ordinary Time Homilies • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 3 viewsOur sense of security often depends on projections of the future, but in scripture we are called to depend on trust in God. Sometimes, as in Zechariah the mystery or revelation is something too wonderful to be believable. God as a wall around his people, God living in their midst. Well, it has happened and will happen. Trust him. Sometimes is something so dark and foreboding that we can’t comprehend the horror, as in Luke ch 9. The disciples are afraid to ask for they did not trust him. Thus when we encounter mysteries, too good or too hard or just beyond understanding admit “I do not understand, but I will go forward with you, for I trust you.”
Notes
Transcript
Title
Title
God’s Plan is a Mystery
Outline
Outline
We love to make projections for it gives us security
We love to make projections for it gives us security
We project the weather because we need know we need an umbrella or a warm jacket or a hat. We also make economic projection and political projections, even calling elections before the votes are counted. It gives us a sense of control. We also project climate change and the results of wars, for even with that foreboding we get a sense of control. But God calls us to live by trust rather than by a sense of control. That is why he leads us into mystery.
Zechariah speaks of an unbelievably good mystery
Zechariah speaks of an unbelievably good mystery
The prophet sees someone measuring the rebuilt Jerusalem to get a sense of its size and likely the strength of its fortifications. God says, “No, it will be unwalled, too many people and animals; I will be the wall.” The implication is “Trust me.” You say, “I have never heard of such a city in my life.” “Ah, well what about this: rather than nations coming up against Jerusalem, think of many nations binding themselves to the Lord. I will live in the midst of my people.” “Can such a thing be?” It is already and it will be, for God already dwells in the midst of his people and in Revelation we hear of the city being built on and of people, a huge Holy of Holies, with God and the Lamb in the midst.
The Gospel speaks of another mystery, a sad and dark one
The Gospel speaks of another mystery, a sad and dark one
Even while the people are wondering at Jesus’ mighty works he says, “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” This was so contrary to their expectations that Jesus’ disciples cannot understand what it means. This is in Luke’s travel narrative, the long central section in which they walk from Galilee to Jerusalem. Surely the trip would end in triumph in Jerusalem? Yes, there would be a triumph. Surely then there cannot be this “handing over?” Yes, there will be. So dark and contradictory is this saying that the disciples are afraid to ask Jesus. Perhaps they are secretly afraid of the answer. They did not trust him.
So Sisters, when we encounter mysteries, trust him.
So Sisters, when we encounter mysteries, trust him.
Say to yourself, or others, I do not understand how this can be, but I trust him. Say to him, I cannot see how this can be true, but I trust you. And when something happens that seems contradictory to the revelation admit, “I really do not understand, but I will go forward with you, for I trust you.”
And God be with you.
