Readings:

Ezekiel 33:7-9
Psalm 95:1-2 / 6-7 / 8-9
Romans 13:8-10
Gospel Verse: II Cor 5:19
Matthew 18:15-20

Homily:

What jumps out of today’s readings is Christ’s instruction on how we are to correct our brothers and sisters. We like hearing that. It is a sort of permission to act. I can go to them privately and correct them —“ charitably of course. If they ignore me, I have recourse to witnesses and the Church.

This is a grant of power to us. It is a power to enforce the Christian way of life, and the proper order of the community. In the PNCC Constitution we have a right to bring grievances to a Parish level tribunal and if we are not satisfied we can go to the Diocese and the whole Church.

What we fail to recognize in the readings, or miss hearing, is the message that we are to love our neighbor, and the command to the Church to pray as a community.

This is the true power. Our power and strength as Catholic Christians lies in our actions toward our brothers and sisters. Paul tells us: —The commandments … are summed up in this saying, namely, —You shall love your neighbor as yourself.— Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.—

Our strength also lies in following Jesus’ command to pray as a community. Our Lord and God tells us:

—Again, amen, I say to you,if two of you agree on earthabout anything for which they are to pray,it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name,there am I in the midst of them.—

On some Wednesday evenings, when we hold Holy Mass, a Novena, and Benediction, there are only two or three here. People would ask, —Why continue?— As Catholics we must! We must pray and implore the Lord as a community. We must gather and receive the graces Jesus died to give us.

At this time of national tragedy, the message of love and worship is much clearer.

I urge you: pray and act with love toward your brothers and sisters. Come to Church, receive God’s strength and follow His will.

Readings:

Jeremiah 20:7-9
Psalm 63:2 / 3-4 / 5-6 / 8-9
Romans 12:1-2
Gospel Verse: See Eph 1:17-18
Matthew 16:21-27

Homily:

There is a saying that two things in life are certain, death and taxes. God is telling us in today’s readings and Gospel that there is more than that.

In our first reading the prophet Jeremiah tells us that, people laughed at him, and his message, to the point that he broke down and cried.

I think we have all had the experience of rejection. Perhaps it was in romance, in school, or in a social situation. However, we know that Jeremiah did not let up. He continued to spread God’s message even when he knew that the rulers and chief priests wanted him dead. He realized that he could not deny God’s call.

In the deepest part of us we know that we desire nothing more than to serve God. Of course we have free will. We can deny that call, we can cover it up with good things used badly, and we can run away. Jeremiah was stronger than that. He knew that he MUST proclaim God’s message and that he wanted nothing more than to please God.

In our Gospel, Jesus tells us that whoever wishes to come after Him must deny himself or herself, take up his or her cross, and follow him.

This is a tough message for Youth Sunday. You, our young people, are the promise of the future. You are hope and light for all of us. It is hard to imagine sorrow, pain, and the crosses that will come. It is hard to imagine giving up what you think you want for what God wants. By bringing you here to church and by teaching you the Catholic —“ Christian message we, your parents, grandparents, and me, are asking you to take the harder road and to do what God wants.

Being a true Christian today is very, very hard. Using your free will to choose Christ and to follow that inner call God put inside you is almost impossible.

Even though following Jesus’ way is hard, it is not impossible. The greatest part about it is that we will be happy forever because Jesus said so.

Remember that, and remember that we are here for you. This Church, this Parish is your refuge. It is where you are safe and where you receive the support and nourishment you need to do the right thing with your free will.

Let us pray for our youth and for ourselves. Let us pray that we use our free will to do the right thing, even though it may be harder. Let us pray that our SOCL students, their families, and our teachers are nourished this year. And, let us pray that this sanctuary, our Parish, be the starting point for our daily walk with Jesus. Amen.