Homily for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Listen to the Homily
This is my first Sunday homily at St. Mary’s Parish in Malta, MT.

  • Isaiah promises great prosperity for Jerusalem
    • Not merely earthly Jerusalem
    • Jerusalem symbolic of God’s Kingdom (see Revelation)
      • Prosperity and wealth symbols of the glory and joy of the Heavenly Kingdom of God
  • Everything in our daily lives should be oriented to the Kingdom of God
    • It has come with the Death and Resurrection of Christ
    • It is not fully here
      • Will manifest at His second coming
      • We need to prepare ourselves for that day
    • Every Christian is called in his or her daily life to emulate St. Paul by “never boast[ing] except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”
      • Need to allow how we live as Christians to show our faith in Christ and love for Him
      • Christianity is not a “one hour a week” religion, but must influence every aspect of our lives
      • People are hungering for God
        • See in popularity of
          • New-age spiritualities
          • Cults
          • Seekers of paranormal
  • Jesus says: “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few”
    • Commonly used for priestly vocations
      • We need to pray for and encourage vocations to the priesthood and religious life
    • Also need to “ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for His harvest” among those who proclaim the Gospel by how they live their daily lives
      • Will include each individual
      • We can’t bring people to Christ by preaching at them or condemning them