Created By Love To Love

Homily for Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Through Jesus, let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise. These words from the first reading are both instructional and encouraging. In essence, they give clear directions on how to live the Christian life while assuring us that we can and will do so through reliance on Jesus.

God created us out of love – to know him and to love him, to be in relationship with him, and to live with him for eternity. I’m sure that most of us remember that from our days of learning the catechism. Our very existence, our very purpose, is ordered toward praise of God, and Jesus is the one in whom and through whom this is accomplished. We were, quite literally made for this. So, confess his name and do not neglect to do good and to share what you have. Let every word and deed that arises from us be in the pursuit of holiness according to our baptismal vocation. Love God and love one another.

The model for this, as in all things, is Jesus. In today’s Gospel text, his heart is moved with pity for the crowd; he puts aside his own plans and gives them what they need. He sacrifices himself for them, giving praise to God in his obedience to his command of love. He does not neglect to do good and share what he has. He loves the Father, and he loves each one of us.

In all things, Jesus teaches us that authentic servant leadership and the discipleship involved putting the needs of others first, often at personal cost, as an act of worship to and praise of God. We are fed here by his sacrifice that2 we ourselves might go forth and glorify God with our lives.