The Opening Act

Homily for Thursday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time

When musicians or comedians provide entertainment for their fans, they are usually preceded by an opening act, perhaps a lesser known musician or comedian. Even though they come first, they are really second.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends out disciples to go ahead of him to every town and place he intended to visit. These disciples will be his opening act. They are to trust Jesus and his mission completely. They have nothing for security except knowing that they are obeying the one who sends them.

These disciples are not the main act; they are the opening act. They don’t provide salvation; rather, they are ones serving the Savior. They are not responsible for results or even the understanding of how results might occur; rather, all results are up to God.

Today we celebrate a great saint who models for us what it is to give one’s life to God. Therese of Lisieux, known as the Little Flower, died at the age of 24, but in that short time she surrendered the entirety of her life to Christ. In her autobiography she writes of fearing only one thing – that she will not wholly surrender to God. She knows that she is more like an opening act than the main event. As such, she allows God to do great things through her complete act of abandonment. She does not want to do this by “halves,” but wholly, completely, entirely.

May we, too, allow God to do great things through our trust and our complete dependence upon him.

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator