Homily: Fourth Friday of Ordinary time
Fourth Friday of Ordinary time (Mk. 6:14-29) “David, Religious Leader”
We are used to the idea of the separation of Church and State. It is hard for us to imagine the missing of religion and government, but this was the reality of many societies throughout history. The leaders of government were also the leaders of religion. This was the way it was in Israel. Religion was a way of controlling the minds and hearts of people.
We have read through the story of David the last few weeks. The passage we read at Mass from Sirach today is a summation of all his deeds. We have the events we might expect like the time he spent as a shepherd when he killed lion and bear. We hear of his slaying of Goliath. How much of this is legend and how much of it is true? We don’t know if everything is factual, but it still reveals things about David. We must keep in mind that the people writing about David were individuals who wanted to portray a positive story regarding Israel’s history.
One of the interesting things that we read that we might not expect is that David did much to formulate the Jewish religion that Jesus practiced. We read how David did everything from writing liturgical music to formulate a liturgical calendar for Jews to follow.
David considered religion as a glue that held society together. The Romans, Greeks, Egyptians and every other civilization believed the same thing. It was thought that religious belief motivated people to live a moral life and consequently a healthy life.
When we reflect on all this, we must wonder about what direction our society is headed. People are less religious than they have been in decades in our country. Why? Perhaps we could say it is a matter of sloth or maybe we can speculate that the failures of religious leaders have caused the ambivalence of many toward faith and prayer.
We should probably consider that religion is a tool that we can use in our spiritual life to help us grow in our relationship with God. The tool is important, but it is not what we worship. God and our neighbors are who we are supposed to love.
Reflection Questions:
- Have I had friends who have fallen away from the Church? How does that affect me?
- What do I value about my religion? Do religious people do good things in our world?
Dear Parishioners,
Today we sent in several documents to the Diocese of Peoria in regarding our church addition. There was a financial proposal and cost estimate along with some building plans. We hope that our plans are approved, and we can move forward. We would like to break ground as soon as we can so we can keep costs to a minimum. No one needs to tell us how volatile things are now in the building industry.
Our hope is to put the building out for bid as soon as we can. But this depends on whether we get the green light from the diocese. Let’s all pray that things will go smoothly, and we can move ahead.
May Our Lady and All the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark