29th Sunday of OT Year A Homily

The Pharisees and Herodians were attempting to catch Jesus in a calculated trap. If He responded “yes” He would look like a traitor to the Jewish people and if He responded “no” He would Have been immediately arrested for sedition against Rome.

He turns their question around by asking a question of His own: “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” This coin bore the face of Caesar and would have read an inscription declaring him to be of divine origin (Tiberius Caesar, Son of the Divine Augustus).

To “repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar” points towards the coin and the image of Caesar that is stamped upon it. Returning a coin to him is reasonable in the confines of secular order. “And to God what belongs to God” which points towards the fact that God claims our entire soul, heart, mind, and body.

As is stated in the Book of Genesis: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” God’s authority is radical because it extends to the very essence of who we are as one who has been created in the image and likeness of God. What do we allow to control us in this life which pulls us away from such a reality?

As Peter and the apostles would answer in the Book of Acts, “We must obey God rather than men.” Such a profession of faith makes it known that the state does not own our human dignity, conscience, or salvation. When civil law contradicts moral law or human rights God must be obeyed over man.

We must guard ourselves against moral relativism that seeps in, causing us to falsely claim that what’s true for you is true for you, instead of morality being informed by truth. At the same time we fail to form our consciences in such truth and are so willing to be kept morality divided by political parties or other ideologies which become our basis for truth. If the Church, in her teachings, says something we disagree with we would rather hide behind cultural norms, biased opinions, and political parties rather than truth.

On moral issues—such as abortion, the nature of marriage, human sexuality, the protection of the poor and vulnerable, care for the environment, and even capital punishment, which has been highlighted recently here in Tennessee—we are willing to trade objective divine truth for political reasons or social comfort. Rather than standing firm on the sacred dignity of every human life, which has been stamped with the image of God from conception to natural death, we selectively embrace only those moral teachings which align with our preference, be it political or social.

Caesar can claim his coins, but it is God who claims our very soul. Let our hearts, consciences, and identities be turned toward God and not the powers of this world which attempt to consume us. “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

28th Sunday of OT Year A Homily

Elevating the host for the people to see, the priest invites, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.” In this simple statement attention is being placed upon the importance of the Eucharist and thus what lies in wait for us at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

In our gospel we were told about a wedding feast which took place where a multitude of people were invited. Despite such a wondrous invitation there were those who never made the effort to be present for they were caught up not in heinous crimes, but their worldly affairs: “Some took no notice and went off, one to his farm, another to his business.”

We must remain on guard against losing focus upon the importance of what takes place for us here. Without such a perspective it becomes easy to put ourself with our fears, anxieties, and busyness before the Lord. Through such a mindset, we treat Holy Mass as something to attend only when convenient, convincing ourselves that there is nothing wrong with putting other things first.

Blessed Fulton Sheen sums up what is taking place for us here and thus why this celebration is so important, “The Mass is the greatest love story ever told, because it is the story of a God who loved us so much that He died for us, and who continues to offer that same love to us every single day.”

This is the greatest love story ever told for it is here that we dwell with Christ as He lays down His life for us at Calvary. Time stands still as we are joined to this one central point in time through these Sacred Mysteries. Missing Mass isn’t just missing a church obligation, but is also turning down the opportunity for intimate union with God.

Our week ought to be influenced by what we encounter here for from this place we are sent forth to take what we have received with us out into the world in order that it may be lived. In other words, we must turn away from sin and move towards God, not allowing our baptismal garment to become stained.

The Holy Mass should influence our whole life- not just while we are here, but beyond these walls. This is not an hour given if convenient or an hour given because I have to, but is time devoted to God where we direct our sight unto Him and receive the strength of His grace that we may endure to the end in order that we may not be cast out.

Work, homework, catching up on sleep, sports may all seem to be important, but they are nothing when compared to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We come here not to be entertained, but to be transformed. Let us direct our sight unto God and respond, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

27th Sunday of OT Year A Homily

The original stewards of the vineyard were the chief priests, scribes, and Sanhedrin. They sat upon the seat of Moses and taught with authority. They were entrusted with God’s Law, the temple, liturgical sacrifices, and the spiritual upbringing of the people of Israel. 

Nevertheless, they did not own the vineyard for their role was to tend to it on behalf of the landowner. They forfeited their authority for they used it as their own personal property and proceeded to refuse to heed the warning of the prophets and even put the Son of God to death.

In stating that the Kingdom will be “taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit” the Lord is referring to a transfer of sacred office. Leadership was given to the twelve Apostles with Peter as chief steward to watch over the Church.

The Old Covenant had a priesthood with a visible hierarchy and sacrificial worship. The New Covenant establishes a visible Church with bishops who are successors to the Apostles who act as the new stewards of the mysteries of God. As the people of God who make up this vineyard we must remain united to them.

St. Ignatius of Antioch professed this, “Let no one do anything that pertains to the Church without the bishop. Let that Eucharist be considered valid which is celebrated by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop appears, there let the people be, just as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."

Bishops and priests are now the tenants of this vineyard. They must remain on guard against clericalism where the faith becomes self-serving and true faith fails to be taught. To act in such a manner is to bring judgment upon self just like those original stewards had done.

The authority of the Church is to bring forth “fruit.” Such “fruit” is that of holiness, charity, and the truth of Christ being made manifest for He is the true owner of this vineyard. If such is not being made manifest in the life of the faithful this is not the failure of the Church, but the tenants who have been tasked with watching over it.

The vineyard is the people of God. It was the purpose of religious authority in the Old Covenant as well as the Church today to cultivate the people in order that they may pursue holiness and love for God.

The Church is made up of the entire body of believers who are bound together in Christ. Every member of the Church shares the responsibility to bear “good fruit.” This is not limited to clergy alone, but is for all the baptized.

In order to pursue such holiness, we have been given the sacraments which act as channels of grace. We can never bear “good fruit” if it does not come from Christ as its origin. We are not to be self-serving with everything done for our own benefit, but for the glory of God from whom all grace flows.

Let us remain in communion with the unity of faith and thus produce a rich harvest of charity and truth.