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Deacon Gary – Homily 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The scripture readings today talk about faith. What is faith? Do you remember as a child being afraid of the dark? If we cannot see what’s in the room then how do we know what is or isn’t there? We found solace in the reassuring words of our parents that there is nothing to be afraid of. They are with you ensuring you are safe. You have faith in their assurances as you believe they love you and would not tell you something that was not true.

 

Are we really any different as adults? We may not be afraid of the dark in our own homes, but are we afraid of the unknown, the unfamiliar, things outside our life experiences? Of course we are. It’s called being human, it is called life, and it is filled with many unknowns. It can range from life changes going from grammar school to high school, high school to college, your first job in the working world, moving to a new state or country where you have no support network? It can be news of losing a job you were dependent on, facing an illness, or a failed relationship. Anything that disrupts the world around you can bring uncertainty.

 

What is the stabilizing source in your life like your parents were when you were a child? Who do you trust as an adult, no matter what, to share your deepest thoughts, fears and feelings? Who would follow you into the darkness that you believe would have your back? You might say your spouse, best friend, sibling, or parent. Of course this comes down to someone who loves you.

 

When challenges in life come that are outside any human control, who do we turn to? This is where the rubber meets the road as the saying goes. When there is no humanly way to ensure the outcome of something, no human being that can give you the comfort you need, the fear of the dark, the fear for the unknown like a child comes rushing back.

 

This is where our relationship with God is most profoundly tested. We are His children and He is our ultimate parent. The ultimate question in play here is: do you trust in God no matter the circumstances? If the answer is no, then the darkness of the unknown can be overwhelming. If the answer is yes, we can go through life with the confidence that God has our back no matter what.

 

For us to gain this confidence we must come to believe that God’s love for us has no limits or boundaries. The confusion comes in when a person feels that if God loves us that much, we would never suffer, that nothing bad would ever happen to us. Since suffering does exist, one might think that He must not love us the way we want Him to.

 

The truth is very much to the contrary. The suffering of Jesus on the cross is an act of redemptive suffering which provides salvation for all humanity, even the ones that were torturing him to death. He must love us beyond our understanding to do this. We as Christians are called to share in Christ’s suffering by accepting the sufferings in our own lives which lead to spiritual growth and a closer relationship with God.

 

We come to realize that only our creator can provide the assurances that no matter what happens in this life, total peace rests in Him. We are never alone. Christ walks with us all the way, protecting us from what we may fear in the darkness, even though we must still face the darkness.

 

This depth of relationship with Jesus is called faith. We walk in faith and not by sight into the valley of the unknown. There is nothing to fear for God is with us. This is how we as Christians are blessed throughout our lives. We walk boldly with God which means we have developed a close personal relationship with Jesus and therefore God. At least this should be our goal.

 

This call to faith gives us courage and brings us peace in the throes of life. The Second Reading states: “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” It comes down to a very basic question. Do you trust in God? Will you go wide eyed into the darkness with God? We have a tendency to close our eyes when we go into the unknown. What is holding us back? What are we actually afraid of?

 

I would venture to say that most of us fear the unknown when we feel as though we must face it alone. The First Reading talks about courage. We find courage when we walk with others. Courage is not being unafraid, it is moving forward to accomplish something in spite of our fears as Jesus did in approaching the Cross.

 

In the Gospel it states, “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” This means we are either storing up earthly treasures or those that have value in heaven. What do we place our reliance on? Do you feel safe in your house because you have a burglar alarm or a dog? I bet that when there are bad storms or a power failure you may feel uneasy. This is because we are trusting in worldly things that are not a 100% guarantee to stop all threats.

 

This is important because we as physical beings have a tendency to look for the physical presence of things or another person to feel protected in life. We are challenged to not be driven by this physical world but to find our strength and our courage beyond the physical, to place all our faith and trust in what we have come to believe is the only truth that will protect us from the evils of this world, a love that transcends all realities, both physical and spiritual, our Lord and God.

 

Are we in a spiritual place that we believe in God’s infinite love for us? That He is always with us, not just in the easy times of our lives, but in the darkest of times, the unknown, the times in life when things seem completely out of control. God is with us, we must rest in Him, and this is the faith that scripture is speaking about. We truly have nothing to fear for God is always with us. There is no darkness that He cannot illuminate, no fear in us the His love cannot overcome.

 

When we come to believe this deep down in our souls, we have come to know what faith truly is. Our eyes do not need to see God, only our souls. In John 20:29, when Jesus was speaking with Thomas, states: ‘Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”’ When we reach this depth of faith, we truly have nothing to fear.