Father Matthew's Sunday Homily

Sunday Mass | July 2, 2023 | Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__FmGETY6BQ&t=318s

I would like to give a quick announcement before I start. This week. This Tuesday is the FOurth of July, Independence Day. And as we do in tradition we will have our fourth of July mass. It will be on the Fourth of July, Tuesday, at 8:30 PM. It will be a live stream on our youtube channel.

Today we hear about God’s promise. God has made many promises throughout the bible. We hear this throughout the New and Old Testament. In fact Testament, Covenant, and Promise mean the same thing.

In the first reading we hear about Elisha who whenever passed by a woman and her husband would stay and dine. And she says to her husband. Elisha is a man of God, so let us make room for him. Wouldn't you make room for a man of God, around Christmas time this would make a thing for Christmas. We make room for people we know are Godly, but when Jesus came, there was no room! Later Elisha came and stayed in the room made by the woman. And Elisha seeing this favor from the woman, says to a servant, is there anything that he can do for her. And his servant replies, there is, her Husband is up in age, so he says to call her, and promises her in a year a baby son will come to you. Elisha, a man of God, promised this to her. We hear this promise a lot, especially the promise of a son. God promises to Abraham. But also when someone does something for someone, especially God, God will reward them, he will promise them something.

In the Second Reading Saint Paul reminds the Romans like in most of his letters how they were baptized in Christ. And that through Baptism we are buried with him, and just like Christ we too will rise to the newness of life. So if we die with Christ we shall live with him and die no more like Christ, and that he has promised this new life. And we hope in him, and most hope and think that we are dead to sin and live in Christ, believe in Christ.

In the gospel today Jesus talks in comparisons. Jesus uses comparisons, he uses parables to compare things that people in his times to mysteries we cannot comprehend and people in his times could not understand about God’s Kingdom. About things people in his times understanded, times have changed but Christ’s words never change. They are always the same and they always mean the same. In the beginning he hears Jesus says no one should love Mother and Father or Son and Daughter over him, or they are not worthy of him. And that if we believe in him we must take up a cross or we are not worthy of him. And if we find life we lose it, and who loses his life for the sake of Christ will for his sake find it. Who receives us receives Christ, that is in a way what we hear in the first reading, about how the woman received a man of God in her house Eliisha. WHo receives Christ will receive the one who sent me. Who receives a prophet receives the reward of a prophet. And whoever recieves aa righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And who gives a cup of water to a little one who is a little disciple will not lose his reward. That reward is heaven. For we see in his previous example who will receive the reward of that, so what we do for even the littlest of disciples, we will get the reward of the disciples.

What we promise and what we give. Jesus has promised us. But that promise does not just come, we still have to do work. We can't just sit back and wait living a life of sin. And when we do we have to repent, we have to do things. Heaven is not free. It comes with work. With promise. Jesus and God have made one end of a promise, we have to keep the other end of the promise. It's the same in life, nothing comes free, nothing comes without effort. YOu know it is kind of funny. I was watching TV while writing this and Tom and Jerry were playing.And Tom had died and gone to heaven and standing at the entrance he was given the opportunity to get forgiveness from Jerry for all the wrong he did. Heaven does not come free, it takes effort.

What we do now will get us to heaven. We always have the opportunity now to do good. Life will take sacrifice, heaven will take sacrifice. Jesus tells us that we have to sacrifice and give to get into heaven to follow him truthfully, to be a true apostle. We do not know who will get to heaven and it is not a game to guess. Rather we have to hope and try. It takes effort to get to heaven, sacrifice to follow Jesus, and being a Christain being a Catholic is willing to take that risk. To follow Jesus to keep our end of the promise of Christ. Christ will keep his promise, but we have to keep ours.