This Week's Homily

14^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Burdened?  Jesus Calls

Msgr. Thomas Gervasio

As a young priest, I received two great pieces of advice: The first was, “Father, you give a good homily but try to save a few ideas for the rest of your career.” The second was “Never underestimate the burdens your people bring to Mass. Often, we have little idea of the problems and pains carried by the people who are seated before us on Sunday.
 
Today Our Lord speaks to us about burdens. We all carry burdens—some resulting from our own sins and mistakes, some caused by the choices of others, and some that are no one’s fault but are simply part of the human life on this earth. When we find life burdensome, often our first inclination is to despair, to turn into ourselves, to brood over how unfair life is, how ungrateful others are, or how mean the world is.
 
But this attitude only leads to gloom—and this impacts our spiritual life to the point that we abandon our prayer thinking that the Lord is unconcerned, oblivious to our plight. Pope Francis said, “Jesus wants to pull us out of this ‘quicksand’ and says, “Come to me!”  
 
The very time we are inclined to turn away from God, is the very time we should turn toward God. It is the very time the Lord would have us open ourselves to him and entrust our burdens to him.  
 
Whatever our story is, today Our Lord says to each one of us: “Come to me! Take courage; do not give in to life’s burdens; do not close yourself off in the face of fears and struggles. The Lord waits for us patiently, not to magically remove our problems, but to strengthen us amid our problems.
 
He does not take away our cross but carries it with us.
 This is what Jesus means when he speaks of taking on his yoke. A yoke is a wooden truss that makes it easier to carry a heavy load by distributing the weight along a wider part of the body, or by allowing the weight to be shared by two or more people or animals. Yokes were sort of “custom made” to be fitted to join two animals and help them work together in pulling a load.
 
As a carpenter, Jesus could have made many ox-yokes. A tradition tells us that Jesus had a sign over his carpenter shop ‘My yokes fit well.”
 
What is weighing us down today…this week? What burden do I bring to Mass today?  
 
Perhaps we can make this prayer our own:
 
Dear Lord, there are many times I feel weary and find life burdensome and it seems as if you are absent and have left me alone. But you invite me: “Come to me and I will refresh you.”  
 
So, I will not run away, not give up, not stop praying, even when it may seem useless and a waste of time. Speak gently to my heart that is weighed down. When the loud noises of my surroundings and the loud inner noises of my fears keep pulling me away from you, help me trust that you are still there even when I am unable to hear you.  

Give me ears to listen to you saying, “Come to me, you who are overburdened, and I will give you rest…for I am gentle and humble of heart. May that loving voice always be my guide.
[adapted: H. Nouwen: With Open Hands.]

July 4: 250^th Anniversary of the USA

A Moment of Grace

Msgr Thomas Gervasio

 
I was a 20 year old seminary college student when our country celebrated its Bicentennial. I can still recall the excitement, joy, and pride of that July 4—a powerful sense of patriotism swept the country. I could be missing something, but 50 years later, the mood is different. Our country is in a different place, divided, cynical—our political discourse less respectful and even polarizing.  
 
All of this makes this Independence Day all the more important. The 250^th birthday of our nation is a symbol of the many great values that have shaped our nation. Whatever divisions there are, however, controversial certain issues are in our society, today is a remarkable moment of grace to come together to reflect on what it means to be a part of this complex and vast community which is the United States of America.  
 
We are a nation that has carried forward the ideals of liberty, equality, the pursuit of happiness, justice, and democratic self-government. This has been done through sacrifice, service, and innovation, and civic participation.  
 
How can we forget those who gave their lives to preserve these ideals not only for our own country but even for other countries. Nor can we fail to recall the generosity of our people rebuilding cities devastated by war and natural disasters. How can we not be grateful for the positive contributions made by so many immigrants welcomed to our shores seeking to share in the American dream. The United States is not a perfect country but it is a good and extraordinary country of which we should always be proud.  
 
In today’s Gospel Jesus says: “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what belongs to God.” Our Lord teaches us that we have a “dual citizenship.” We should be “Pro Deo et Patria” [For God and Country] 
 
As citizens we have responsibilities: to support the State in its pursuit of the common good, of justice, security, and peace. We must pay taxes, vote, and defend our nation. St. Paul enjoins us to pray for all civil authorities. For their part, civil authorities should be servants of the people and not seek personal gain.
 
We also have religious duties: observance of the Commandments, prayer, and worship, practicing the virtues and the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. This also includes having the courage to challenge those proposals and laws that are contrary to God’s law.  
 
Daniel O’Connell, Mayor of Dublin in the 19th century warned “Nothing is politically right which is morally wrong.” We should then be informed on what our leaders are deliberating, what they propose. and then make our voice heard.  
 
Pope St. Paul VI liked to speak of building a “civilization of love.” Love is what moves us to fulfill our duties toward God and one another. Love makes us a voice for those have no voice in society, a voice for the most vulnerable and downtrodden. 
 
A Catholic should always be, ‘Pro Deo et Patria,” a position that is motivated by love. I like the way Stephen White expresses it: “I can’t be a good citizen if I don’t love my country. That doesn’t mean ignoring the country’s flaws and failings. That doesn’t mean making excuses for it. It does mean that I strive to do what’s best for my country: to make her better, to heal her wounds, to strive against her vices and work to promote her virtues. All of that is work best accomplished in love.”
 
Let this be our program to celebrate our anniversary. God bless and preserve these States United and may our patroness, Mary Immaculate be our constant teacher in the ways of love.