The first
reading today from the Prophet Baruch clearly tells us that we are God’s
crowning achievement. “Jerusalem, take
off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God
forever: wrapped in the cloak of justice from God, bear on your head the mitre that
displays the glory of the eternal name. For
God will show all the earth your splendor:
you will be named by God forever the peace of justice, the glory of
God's worship.” (Bar 1:5…)
Many times in our faith we are
challenged to do the good and to avoid evil, and homilies will take on that
challenge, but every so often we need to be reminded of our goodness. Any good coach, teacher, or mentor will
challenge those he or she has been given charge of, they will also set the bar
high – if they desire to achieve excellence, but every so often they will
affirm their students, their players, and their protégés. This is done so that those committed to the
class, the team, the club, the cause, will not lose heart, that they will be
made to feel a sense of worth and a sense of goodness. This is no different than with God. He challenges us for the most part but also
reaffirms us and that is what is being done today in our readings.
God did take on human flesh in Jesus
Christ to come and save us, yes we are wounded and only Jesus can heal that
wound, but we are also good, not just good, “but very good” c.f. Gen. 1:31, we
are also fearfully and wonderfully made, (c.f. Ps. 139:14) and we are also as
St. Irenaeus so beautifully puts, “Man fully alive is the glory of God.”
What is good about us one may ask,
since it seems that wars never end, sin goes from bad to worse, and every day
the attendance at Church diminishes?
There is a lot of good; for starters, it is good that you are here. But I also see goodness all around me. Many of you give so much of yourselves, to
your families, to your friends, your community – especially the family you have
here at our Parish. So many of you give
of not just your money but your time as well and that has been humbling to me
and also has served as a motivation for me to give back more, so I thank you.
We also see a lot of good in this
world. Think of all the people who work
and operate St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Catholic Charities, Red Cross,
Peace Corps, Volunteer Fire Fighters, Soup Kitchen Volunteers, CCD teachers,
volunteer coaches, mentors, First Aid Respond Volunteers, UNICEF, and the list
can go on and on. So many give of
themselves in concern for others and even people they do not know. Think of the countless parents who take care
of a gravely ill child, sometimes for years or decades – giving up everything
for just moments of relief for their child!
We see the best of humanity in these trials. Think of hurricane Sandy how many folks came
together to help those in need, people from California spearheading projects
that would send resources across the coast to aid us here.
There is a goodness to humanity and
it is clearly from the Divine spark that is found in the very core of our
being, “made in the image and likeness of God.”
God says he will show the earth our glory and splendor, for we are truly
good, of great value, and endless, fearless, and persevering in our love for
each other. Our worth is beyond measure,
it is of such great value that God Himself became a man and showed us love
personified and perfected in the greatest sacrifice of all, His Passion. AMEN
FJ
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