I welcome those men and women among us who serve or have served as first responders. Today we pray for each of you in a special way at this Holy Mass. Following our celebration of these Sacred Mysteries there will be a lite reception in our gathering hall to thank each of you for your service to our community. Ordinarily, the 29th of October serves as the Feast of the Archangels. One of the Archangels is Saint Michael who serves as the patron saint of police and paramedics. Therefore, this Blue Mass falls upon a very timely day.
Our readings this morning call us out of our complacency and into action. The Prophet Amos frames this together by giving us the image of those who live in great comfort. In our Epistle Saint Paul reminds us that we are called to something greater. He goes as far as to say “compete well for the faith.” He instructs us that we are to grow in the virtues of “righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.” By perfecting these virtues within ourself I can say that there will be nothing which is found complacent within us.
In our Gospel we encountered the rich man. He grew complacent in his wealth and through it he lived not only in the world, but of the world. Lazarus was a poor man and yet despite living in the world, he was not of the world. Lazarus was found to be far from complacent. Lazarus allowed himself to remain humble of heart and thus he came to compete well for the faith.
If we think for a moment about those who serve us as first responders we know that they have answered a call that has taken them out of the complacency of everyday life. Through their willingness to serve us they put their life on the line. If they are to serve with true justice then they must come to practice Saint Paul’s plea of growing in “righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.” These virtues make them true servants of the people whom they serve for they do so out of love for others and serving the common good.
So too, here all of us are called to live likewise. We are called to strive to compete well for the faith. This means that we are to strive to become saints. Saints who have taken up the Gospel message in order to follow after Christ. Saints who desire not to be complacent, but found active in our practice of faith. Saints who live in the world, but are not of the world. Saints who excel each day at virtue and grow in “righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.”
