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Cycle A Twenty First Sunday Ordinary Time

by | Oct 14, 2011 | 2011, 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle A, Ordinary |

CYCLE A 21ST ORDINARY
Like the Disciples I think there are questions that God’s asks us to answer from our hearts. Three top questions might be:

  1. Does God Exist?
  2. Who do you say Jesus is (or is Jesus God)?
  3. And Did Jesus establish the Church?

As Catholics, every Sunday, we gather together and proclaim that we have the answers to those questions…we speak them in the CREED.

#1: Does God Exist? From the first words of the Creed, we state that ‘We believe in God’. We also proclaim we believe He is Almighty and created Heaven and Earth.
#2: Seconds later Faith helps to testify that “We believe in Jesus Christ”; That He is God from God, Light to the world from Light of the world and that He is True God from the True God.
#3: Did Jesus establish the church? While in the words of the Creed we don’t actually say Jesus established the church, we assert some basic beliefs that shape our tenet that Jesus established the church to help all mankind to Know God and Serve Him:

  1. I believe in the HOLY CATHOLIC Church.
  2. I believe in the COMMUNION of saints.
  3. I believe in the FORGIVENESS of sins.
  4. I believe in the RESURRECTION of the BODY
  5.  and LIFE EVERLASTING

The Creed makes statements of our beliefs, which are drawn from scripture like we heard today. Regarding God’s existence, St. Paul exclaims: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his way!”

St. Paul tells us that, belief in God, is far beyond human reason. Still, in that same letter to the Romans, he explains that it is reasonable to believe in God. In fact, Paul argues, what is unreasonable is to deny God’s existence. If we deny His existence, we cloud our own thinking process. Paul underscores that the gift of faith does not ultimately go against reason, Faith completes reason.

Regarding the ‘Establishment of a Church’ by Jesus, before we use the 1st reading and the Gospel, we must understand, God has always been actively building a “People of God”/ or Church. The first ‘DIVINE’ establishment came in the Election of the Israelites in the Old Testament, from among all other nations on earth, as His Chosen People. To them, and no other nation, He revealed Himself as the One True God and gave them the opportunity to serve Him. Then, under the promise of the New Testament, which proclaimed salvation for ALL NATIONS, through the forgiveness of sins, there was another ‘DIVINE’ established from a wider band of PEOPLE (ie CHURCH) to carry out the MISSION. This time it’s to all nations, to help them KNOW and SERVE God.

Yet, what we see from God in the first reading from Isaiah, and Jesus in Matthews Gospel, is that in each of these ‘DIVINE’ institutions, God clearly intended to DEPEND upon Human Leadership and Servitude to help carry out the plan to reach all mankind. The ‘GIVING of the KEYS’, was the symbolic way of passing on Divine ‘Authority’ and ‘Mission’. That person would then be responsible to give astute-faith filled service.

So what we KNOW is this: the Catholic Church has been entrusted with the Keys and that people (you and I) are called to be a part of it’s mission. What we need to DO is ‘sit back and relax’…right? NO!

If that were true, we could talk about the Pope and Bishops and what they need to do for the Church. But the Church is made up of all the Baptized members, which includes you and I. And the essence of the mission is for ALL to Evangelize and Serve. Each in our own capacity as Ordained Clergy, Religious or Laity. And the Church believing in God and Jesus, must work together in areas of concern:

  1. We work together to keep OUR Catholic Faith STRONG.
  2. To BRING BACK our In-active, Alienated or Hurt members.
  3. To restore UNITY with our non-catholic brothers and sisters.
  4. And we EVANGELIZE and serve all NON-BELIEVERS.

Each Diocese, each parish is a microcosm of the churches mission. Therefore, be involved where you live and you are doing the work of the church. At Blessed Sacrament, SAFE GUARD yourself and family by going to church weekly and receiving the sacraments often. SUPPORT and use our schools: The Bishop Heelan system or our Parish Religious Education program. BE ACTIVE in parish organizations like the Knights, Catholic Daughters, Right to Life and others that serve the needs of all people. Know your neighbor and what their needs are. EVANGELIZE for parish programs like RCIA, the process that brings people into the Catholic Faith.

If we say we believe in God, that we believe Jesus is True God from True God and we believe in the Church. Then we must put our EYES, EARS, HANDS, SHOULDERS and FEET where our heart is…at the service of the Lord.