Making History this Week

Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Year B. September 6, 2009

With the Holiday Weekend upon us, it's fitting for us to call to mind some dates in our history this weekend. In fact, this week is a rather historic week, as we remember the events of September 11, 2001, 8 years ago. There are two other bits of history as well that come to mind at this time...

1)It was twenty years ago this Fall, that the Berlin Wall came crumbling down. That symbol and reality of separation and communism, finally came down, a memorable date indeed...20 years ago.

2) Another date of history was marked just yesterday. 12 years ago yesterday, September 5, 1997...Mother Teresa of Calcutta passed away.

Theese 2 particular bits of history came to mind as I read theese readings for this weekend. For our readings speak to us of openness, healing, of showing no partiality, no fear whatsoever. And it is clear from the Gospel that it is only our Lord who can do such opening, openning of our senses, openning of our minds allowing the walls come down from within us...straightening our sight, healing our speach impediments and bringing healing to us all.

The example of Mother Teresa and the words of St. Paul, who commands us today to show no partiality, certainly convict us of our need for healing, and we pray for such grace, such openness which is only found in Christ.

My friends, as we celebrate this Labor Day this weekend, we call to mind that it is the Labor of the Lord that we must be about as Christians. And as Mother Teresa said, it is His labor that we must allow for in our lives. Mother Teresa said, that the Christian is the one who gives Christ permission in his/her life. Gives God permission to do the work of God, to love, to take over, to straighten our thoughts out, to see thru our eyes to hear with our ears, to love. This love of God, which we give permission for, will indeed tear down walls in our hearts, it will indeed help us to see and to love and will transform our lives.

As schools open this week, let us pray that our hearts, minds, eyes and ears will be openned as well, by the power of God. Let's make some history of our own and know that history will be made as we allow the Lord to work in us.

To close out this homily, I'd like to leave you with some simple quotes/words of Mother Teresa....who lived the call of this Gospel...and whose witness can spur us on, to do the same.

Mother Teresa said...

"It is not how much you do but how much love you put into the doing and sharing with others that is important. Try not to judge people. If you judge others, then you are not giving love."

"We must grow in love and to do this we must go on loving and loving and giving and giving until it hurts ---the way Jesus did. You must give what will cost you something. Then your gift becomes a sacrifice, which will have value before God. Any sacrifice is useful if it is done out of love.

This giving until it hurts--this sacrifice--is also what I call love in action. Every day I see this love--in children, men and women."

Lord, may your Love be in action in me this week, AMEN.