Homily

HOMILY NOTES

FR. TERRY RYAN, CSP

MATTHEW 3: `3-17

JANUARY 12, 2020

Some people believe that they become holy by spending a lot of time in church or doing novenas, devotional, prayer books and such.  But I think that does not do enough.  I think that holiness also needs some “breaking open.”  In my church we have bread, hosts, that are broken and then shared.  It signifies for me that our Jesus broke himself open and shared himself.  OK, so how does that work for the rest of those who believe in him?

It can start when you are a child.  You are asked to make your bed.  You don’t want to make your bed.  You want to do what you want to do when you want to do it.  It is all about you and your self-will, selfish as it can be.  But instead of being all about you, you break yourself open and make your bed for your parent who asked you.  You are of service to the will of another to do a good deed.  Part of you says, “NO!” But then part of you breaks off and says, “YES.”  Holiness is also called “growing up.”  Many people never grow up.  

Baptism is being dunked into the waters with all our selfishness and self-centeredness, all our “ME” world of self-implosion.  The coming up out of the water is the decision that we will no longer live only for ourselves, but rather be of service to others, as was Jesus.  We get the Holy Spirit, Power to live out this decision.  Baptism is into a religion of service, not private spirituality.  All private prayer, meditation, stillness and silence is in the service of accessing the Power, Spirit, to become more selfless.

An obstacle is that we think we are not enough to be of any real use to change the world for the better, or we think that whatever we do will not be enough.  This is like John the Baptist who thought he was not enough to baptize Jesus.  But Jesus says he is enough, with Jesus.  We are enough with God Power.  And why should we worry about the results of our actions, service?  We are not in charge of results.  Our transformation into holiness is not about results but about action on our part.  Leave the results up to God.  Keeps us humble too!