 HOMILY:
THE WORD OF GOD IS HIS PLAN FOR ALL BASIC DIMENSIONS
OF HUMAN LIFE |
Weekday Homily 23 July 10
Jer 3:14-17 Ps Jer
31:10-13 Mt 13:18-23
Fr. Matthew Habiger OSB
THE WORD OF GOD IS HIS
PLAN FOR ALL BASIC DIMENSIONS OF HUMAN LIFE
Jesus explains the meaning
of the parable of the sower and the seed. The seed is the
Word of God, and that is the same as saying God’s plan for
the basic dimensions of human life. God has a plan for how
people are to live together in peace and harmony. God has a
plan for marriage, for spousal love and for family. He has
a plan for the single life, for religious life, and for the
priesthood.
Jesus came to teach us his
plan for living a good human life. Whether or not that plan
takes effect in our lives and succeeds, depends upon our
openness to that plan, our receptivity, and our willingness
to embrace that plan and commit ourselves to it.
This year is the 50th
anniversary of the Pill. The pharmaceuticals and radical
feminists extol the merits of the Pill to the heavens. The
Pill separates sex from fertility, and places a barrier
between love and life. It gives women greater control over
their fertility, and allows them to pursue a career.
But the Pill goes completely
contrary to God’s plan for marriage, spousal love and
family. Now we have a 50% divorce rate, and couples don’t
know what it means to make an irrevocable commitment, “until
death do us part.” Now we have couples who are afraid to
make the total gift of themselves to each other, which
includes their fertility. Now we have many children who
bear the scars of divorced parents, or live in single parent
families, or have two mommies or two daddies.
The Pill has affected the
priesthood and religious life. As I travel around this
country I discover that there are very small ordination
classes, and a small number of these men are native sons.
Our families and our parishes are not producing vocations.
They are sterile. Instead, we look to Africa, India and the
Philippines for priests to serve us. In religious
communities you find many retired members (I refer to them
as our three legged members), and very few full time
employed members. Communities cannot support themselves;
they must rely more and more upon donations and fundraisers.
What is the solution? May
the Lord find more “sowers of the Word,” men and women who
will boldly proclaim God’s plan for marriage, spousal love,
family, and how people are to order their lives together.
May the word of God, and the plan of God be proclaimed
clearly, and applied to our times.
In the first reading, God
speaks through his prophet Jeremiah thus: “Return, O
faithless children, says the Lord; for I am your master….
And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will
feed you with knowledge and understanding” (Jer 3: 14-15).
May the Lord embolden his
priests and religious, and all faithful Catholics today to
clearly proclaim his Word, his great plan for every
important dimension of human life. And may we hear God’s
word, God’s plan, and then commit ourselves to keeping it
alive and operative in our lives.
May we all become hearers of
the Word, doers of the Word, and confident proclaimers of
the Word.
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