Untitled Homily

2nd Sunday Lent Yr. C

St. Francis and “Brother Donkey”

Francis would not accept any property. He called his body “Brother Donkey” because its role was to be burdened, beaten, and eat little. The monks worked for their daily bread in the fields, or begging (although they could accept food only, not money).

Brother Donkey, next to glory, not an ass, but servant true; Carries loads and finds in serving how to live the life made new. Next to glory, next to glory,Christ our Jesus the Most High. Next to glory, Christ our Jesus comes to live in public eye.

Shrek - Donkey - Stallion - love potion -  “For you and your true love, if one of you drink this you both will be fine, happiness, comfort and beauty divine…It says beauty divine, how bad could it be?

Materialist - body is all I am, Spiritualism - I’m soul alone, what I do with my body doesn’t really matter.

Abortion - “This is my body!” - the Eucharist “This is my body!” - Kind of like reverse Sacraments.

I’m spiritual, not religious - so is Satan

Moses, the giver of God’s law, and the great prophet Elijah, were the only Old Testament figures to hear the voice and see the glory of God atop a mountain (see Exodus 24:15–18; 1 Kings 19:8–18). - Scott Hahn.

Trinitarian Theophany

A sleeping takes place. The light goes between two things. God makes a promise.

Christ is the fulfillment

Promised Land

“I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates”

“I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the Land of the Living” -

“Their minds are occupied with earthly things, but our citizenship is in heaven.

Jesus invites us up the mountain, and then what? we come down, and we wish we hadn’t.  We wish we could’ve just stayed on the mountain with Christ.  “Lord, let me build you a tent, wait no a chapel, wait no, a basilica, I’ll spend all my life doing that!” “No, come down with me.  First, listen, and then follow me through whatever happens next.

Mention Ukraine connection

What happens when we get down in the muck of life.  When it seems like God doesn’t care, and I have to listen to this first reading about Abram cutting up a bunch of animals and walking through them.

Well, God walks through those animals and says to Abram, let what happened to these animals happen to me if I break my Covenant with you! He knew we would break it, but He pursues us!

Fr. Colm Cahill gave our revival this week, rad stories and encouragement in the faith, you can still listen to his talks, at least the evening ones.

He pointed out St. Martha who said this to Christ in Ch. 11 of John’s Gospel:

20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’

He then told a story of how one of his best friends died during the COVID, “The cold that just never went away” and how this father of two and a husband just slowly faded, with the rosary in his hand. Super Catholic dude. Now, Fr Colm doesn’t have his best friend. What is he left with? He’s left with hope, a hope that is anchored in heaven. That same hope that St Paul had in todays second reading:

But our citizenship is in heaven,  and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body   to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters,  whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,  in this way stand firm in the Lord.

When all seems lost, when our bodies are failing, this is what we believe, when our best friend is dead and we’re taking his ashes to the cemetery for burial, this is our hope, that even Peter and James, when they were being martyred knew that it wasn’t in vain, that this Jesus, who manifested his glory on the mountain would remake their bodies as well.

That like St John, we wait and die slowly, on our little island, doing the work that the Lord has given to us:

“I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD

in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD with courage;

be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.”

“Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.” -MLK