Tues 8th Week of OT Homily

1st Reading: 1 Pt 1:10-16

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 98:1-4

Gospel: Mk 10:28-31

"But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first." This quote from our Gospel would defiantly be hard to hear for any team that are heading towards a championship within their respective sport's organization. The NHL begins the Stanley Cup Finals tomorrow and the NBA is currently in its eastern and western finals and each of these teams are playing to be known as first. I don't think that Kobe Bryant would understand this verse after being eliminated from the last round of the playoffs because it is contrary to our desire to be first in all things that we do.

Each of us gathered here today have made sacrifices in our lives that follow after this verse. We do many things which place other people before us because we do so out of love. It is wonderful to bring food to those who are in need because this act is bringing Christ to other people. It is truly wonderful that people go to visit the elderly and the sick because through these acts we are bringing Christ into the lives of these people who are in need of a relationship with other people. It is truly a gift to this Church to take time out of the day to mow the grass of these Church grounds because this little act builds up the Kingdom of God for this parish community. It is also a blessing to us that people take care of watering flowers that can be found at this parish because this little act also shows how we are placing the needs of others before our own.

Saint Therese of Lisieux had her own way of bringing this verse alive within the world. Through what was known as the Little Way she would make various small acts of kindness to others which helped to build up the Kingdom of God. These sacrifices sometimes were so small that they went unnoticed, but they were still very profound in how they worked at the heart of the community. Each of the gifts that we place into this community help us to join in Saint Therese's Little Way because through them we are going against our culture's desire to always be first and are desiring to do what is necessary for God's Kingdom to be built up here on earth.