Homily for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Msgr. Jameson

On the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 28, 2020, Msgr. Jameson delivered the following homily at the 10am Mass. Watch the video of the Massthat was livestreamed from the Cathedral, and open to the public.

During Lent a few years ago, a priest friend of mine employed a rather creative approach to get a message across. He and the parish staff had put together an ambitious program for the season. A three-evening Lenten message with a nationally known speaker, a weekly adult education series focused on the Scriptures, stations of the cross every Wednesday, and a Tuesday “Lenten Lunch” series that featured local speakers. But there was one catch: people were not coming.

About halfway through Lent, there appeared in the Sunday bulletin and on their website a series a pictures, each with a brief caption. For example, below the picture of a child were the words, “Too young.” There was a picture of a young couple  holding hands with the caption, “Too much in love.”  Beneath a four-part photo of men and women at their jobs or at home was the line.“Too busy with work and family.” There was an image of an elderly person with the words, “Too old and feeble.” Finally there was a photo of a cemetery with row after row of tombstones. The caption read, “Too late.”

This pastor had grown frustrated with hearing people’s excuses for not taking advantage of these opportunities for growth in faith. Now the pastor was not insensitive to the practical demands of life.  He realized there are many valid reasons why one could not attend. He also had to ask whether these programs really met the needs of his people in the 21st century. He nevertheless wanted to challenge his parishioners to examine their priorities and to see how they lined up in the practice of their faith. He wanted  them to make a stronger commitment to their faith and to see how they could best do that.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus raises the stakes dramatically, suggesting that faith in him requires much more than just rearranging one’s priorities.

Jesus demands of his followers a complete, unwavering commitment. In one of the thousands of books out there today about “time management,” Elaine St. James says, “No one can maintain more than three priorities. If you have a job you care about, that’s a priority. If you have a family, that’s a priority. Which leaves one more.” She goes on to suggest what the “other” priority might be: staying in shape, exploring your creative side, or perhaps even getting involved in the parish social justice ministry.

Now Jesus makes it clear that faith in him is not one priority among many that needs to be somehow “squeezed in.” Jesus seems to say, “No excuses.” He seems very much out of step with our “to-do” lists and “multi-tasking.” Jesus says, in effect, “There is only ONE truly important task.” 

This commitment to Jesus is not something that can remain in the abstract. In his presentation of the teaching of Jesus, Matthew is almost always concerned to point out the tangible, practical and even painful consequences of making this faith commitment. It is never enough just to SAY, “I’m with Jesus” or “Yes, I’m a Christian.” Matthew has Jesus insisting that “a tree is known by the kind of fruit it bears,” and in his famous “judgment scene” in Matthew 25, he makes looking out for the needs of our brothers and sisters, especially of those who are most vulnerable, the true way to attain eternal life.

Though much needs to be given up to meet the demands of Jesus, there is also much to be gained. For those who dismiss these demands of Jesus as overly idealistic there is a paradox to be considered. Yes, it strikes us as quite unreasonable, impractical and maybe downright wrong to set aside our obligations to family, employer and friends. To do this LITERALLY might amount, in some cases, to criminal negligence  But that represents a MISREADING, of this teaching. Jesus doesn’t present this as a sequence of events -- first give up your family and every other priority and then think about following me. Rather, he suggests that if we commit wholeheartedly to him, the other things that are pressing and legitimate concerns in our lives will fall into place. Once we commit to Jesus, we will know the “rewards” of a  better family life, better relationships, more fulfillment at work and genuine peace of mind. In other words, Jesus now permeates all that we do.  We are now the “persona Christi,” the very life of Jesus himself in who we are and all that we do. When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, he becomes a very part of our being and we become more like him. It is now Jesus who influences ALL of what we do.

Our Gospel today presses on us the sometimes painful truth that Jesus doesn’t want part-time disciples, people whose  faith is one thing among several important items on the “to-do” list of life. Jesus wants to be all we do. He wants us to make that choice before it’s too late. 

It is in this Eucharist that we focus most dramatically on our faith commitment. It is here that we remember to put Jesus first.  We prepare now to consume the Body and blood of Christ so that we might truly fulfill our Life’s purpose – to BECOME Christ to a world in need