Remain Stable and Grounded in the Gospel

Homily for Saturday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

One of the earliest documents published by Pope Francis was entitled: “The Joy of the Gospel” in which the Holy Father urged us to find joy in the Gospel. At the same time, we must admit that there is much in our daily news that tempts us to despair in the triumph of goodness and holiness. Every day, we are greeted in our news programs or newspapers with horrifying events. This coming Monday, September 11, we will find many people remembering the horror of the terrorist attack that killed so many in New York.

In his Letter to the Colossians, St. Paul urges this community to remain “firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you heard…” His exhortation could readily be delivered in our own day. St. Paul is warning this community that there are others who are preaching a different Gospel, the Gospel that insists that one must be Jewish if one wishes to be a Christian. While the circumstances in which we live are completely different, there are many in our society that have given up on the Gospel and have adapted their lives to the secular values that surround us. Pope Francis is very much aware of the toll that these values have taken on our way of life.

St. Paul urges us to persevere in the faith. It is obvious that those who join us in worship this morning have persevered. You would not be here if this were not the case. At the same time, it must be said that we need to hear these words and take them to heart. We must constantly strengthen our resolve to remain faithful.

As is written in the eleventh chapter of the Letter to the Hebrews, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, people who have maintain their faith and have gone to their reward. Today we remember St. Peter Claver, known as the slave of the slaves. He spent his life serving the needs of the African slaves in the kingdom of New Spain, Granada, known today as the country of Columbia, South America. He is one of thousands who surround us and urge us to persevere in the faith.

As we receive the Eucharist today, we remember once again that Jesus has given us his body and blood as food for the journey of life.