CYCLE A 3RD ORDINARY (2011)
Isaiah 8:23, 1 Cor. 1: 10-14, 17, Matt. 4: 12-23
1. The sin of Adam and Eve was in a nut shell, a sin of disobedience. The etymology of ‘disobedience’ tells us they DID NOT LISTEN to God. That’s why in a number of scripture verses we have the words: “HEAR O Israel” or “This is my Son…LISTEN to Him”; to bring us back from that sin, where mankind was plunged into ‘DARKNESS’. While not totally devoid of God, it made harder to SEE or HEAR Him. But the true God, has always been about bringing us back to his Wonderful LIGHT.
2. We strive to be happy. But far to often, we don’t think past our noses and physical needs are placed above our spiritual needs. That happens because the world tends to live in ‘DARKNESS’, rather than in ‘LIGHT’. One of the great Gospel verses comes to us from the Sermon on the Mount. Mt. 6: “Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we EAT?’ or “What shall we DRINK?’ or “What shall we WEAR?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ” Pretty much my life’s work has been in the agriculture field. Few industries offer such insight and demonstrate so well, God’s care for us. The main goal of Agriculture is to deal with the problem of a burgeoning Population on earth. We must answer the questions of how will mankind ever Feed, Cloth and House everyone in the future. Matt. 6 pops up again and again as a reminder to me; that we MUST learn to Listen and Trust in God. Why, because God is always ready to do his part to work with mankind to UNLOCK knowledge, to overcome any of our problems. For instance, do you know that in the 1920-30’s, a Dairy Cow would produce about 5000# of milk a year. But do you realize that in today’s agriculture setting, with the advancements in Genetics, Feeding and health care, the milk cow of today on the average produces 25,000 pounds of milk a year. A top end cow 70,000#…WOW! 20 years ago, in pork production, a Sow would only produce 10-13 pigs per year. Thru Genetics and management, now she will produce 30 pigs per year. Did you know that from cattle we get 140 different foods, medicines, & incidentals and we start raising on 140 million acres of land that is not suitable for crop production. Crop Production yields of Corn, Soy Beans, Wheat, and Rice, the world over continue to rise and LISTENING to God, will continue to rise as God allows mankind to understand His creation more and more. In the context of Respect for LIFE month, we as Producers and Christians, must believe and raise the awareness of our Faith, that God can take care of us all …with out a doubt. We must not give in to ill fated thinking of modern societies, that continue to muddle around in ‘DARKNESS’ and refuse to look for the truth: the LIGHT of God. So societies that call for population reduction measures: like Abortion or 1 child policies, or Condoms, pills, surgeries and devices; Societies that throw up their hands in despair, thinking there are no agricultural answers; are wallowing in DARKNESS. Believe first God will take care of His People…WE must realize we ARE HIS INSTRUMENTS.
3. Now what does all of this have to do with the Readings of today? Well one of the Key phrases in that sermon on the Mount verse tells us To ‘SEEK ye the Kingdom of God First’. And that is exactly what the Isaiah and Matthew were all about…He seeks us, we seek Him. If God has always worked through mankind to help Him Feed a HUNGRY world or nurture a SICK world; we must realize, that His FIRST priority has been to seek our help to build His CHOSEN people or His CHURCH on earth, to model His care and concern; BUT also to help Him accomplish His SPIRITUAL work on earth as well.
4. In that ‘LIGHT’, did you get the connection between the 1st reading and the Gospel? The reading from Isaiah, describes the fallen moral condition of the people of northern Israel in 800 BC, as being ‘…a people who were living in darkness”. Then at the same time this Prophetic reading from Isaiah lays a foundation for the future restoration OR revelation of ‘LIGHT’ to that people and nation. So then in the Gospel, we see Jesus starting his ministry amongst that people who STILL share that same MORAL CONDITION and that same LAND as that of those that Isaiah addressed 800 years earlier. But the VERY INTERESTING point of our Gospel is: Matthew is telling us that fulfillment of that “Promise of restoration” is now beginning with the ministry of Jesus to that people of that region. They who have lived in DARKNESS for a long time; NOW are seeing a great LIGHT”.
5. But what was he doing in that region to Bring about His Light? In general Jesus was forming disciples, but more specifically, He was working on forming Apostles. Calling Peter and Andrew or James and John, the future leaders, who had to give up earthly work, to work in His church to help Him care for the Spiritual FOODS and CURES of mankind.
6.So now, what is one of our biggest problems in the world today? It’s not OVER population….but UNDER population of a holy laity and men called to Holy Orders, especially the Priesthood. While many say the physical world is exhibiting hunger pains, by Listening carefully to God, He is calling for help to care for a spiritual world that is exhibiting signs of SPIRITUAL STARVATION. Maybe the greatest help we can give the world, is to pray for and bring about the ‘Kingdom of God or the LIGHT of God’. And as everyone begins to LISTEN to God, the world will be given, firstly, not just Spiritual Care; but added to that will be Food, Drink and Clothes to care for it’s physical needs as well.
So now, HEAR O SIOUX CITY DIOCESE: Put God first in all we do and PRAY for more laborers in the Church…the needs are many and the harvest is great.
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