Homily Notes 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time
33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time/ “A Christian Who Made Use of his Talent”
During this weekend there is a special event that is happening in Detroit at Ford Field. 60,000 people will be there for a religious celebration. We do not think of religious ceremonies like this taking place in the United States.
Solanus Casey is being beatified. Beatification is his second ritual step on the way to being declared a saint of the church. The Gospel we have just read seems appropriate as the Church in the United States remembers this Capuchin Friar. He was a man who did not seem destined for sainthood. He shows what anyone can do if they take initiative in their life with Christ.
Barney Casey was born on a farm in Pierce County Wisconsin in 1870. His family was like many Irish farm families. He was the six of sixteen children. He was a sickly child who had diphtheria as a youngster. His family moved often in his childhood. As a youth he left home to make his own way in the world. He worked as a lumberjack in Minnesota, a hospital orderly, a prison guard and a street care conductor. One day he saw a woman stabbed to death in the street. His experience caused him to question the direction his life was taking. He asked to be a diocesan priest. He did not have much formal education, so he struggled with the Latin that he had to learn as well as other parts of his schooling. The seminary recommended that he become a religious priest. He could be ordained “simplex” which mean that he would not preach, he would not hear confessions.
He felt a call to go to Detroit where he joined the Capuchin order which is one of the Franciscan religious orders. He continued to struggle, but eventually he was ordained simplex. He was given the name Solanus. He worked in New York for a while. He was then sent back to Detroit where he was given the job of doorman at the religious order’s main church. He would greet visitors, lock and unlock the church as well as do other simple tasks. People quickly recognized his closeness to God. Many came to him for counsel. He was known to be a faith healer. He also co-founded a soup kitchen to feed the poor. His reputation grew and grew and many of the most troubled citizens of Detroit would come to see him. When he died in 1957 20,000 people paid their respects. He was considered a saint before he ever died. He brought many to deeper faith because of his example.
In today’s gospel, we hear the story of the talents. As we remember, three different servants were given varying amounts of money by their Master to take care of. The amount that each man was given is not the important thing, but it was what they did with the talents that mattered. The man who sat on his talent because he was unwilling to do anything was the one who got rebuked by his master.
The talents represent religious knowledge. So many people in the world, no matter what their religious affiliation feel that the key to pleasing God is to just take care of their own soul. People sense that if they keep the rules and they are moral then they have done enough. Jesus wants us to take risks for him. He wants us to ask, “What more can I do with what I have been given?” We do not have to have great intellect. We do not have to have great material wealth. We simply take the gifts we have and use them to profit the most people we can. Jesus will not ask, when we come to the end of our life, “How successful were you in inspiring others to believe.” He will ask in what ways did you try to apply my teaching. Making the effort is everything.
Another story about Solanus Casey says it all. He loved to play the violin. He also loved to sing. He had a terrible voice though because of his childhood illnesses. He also did not play the violin very well. The other friars said some insulting things to him. So, he packed up his violin, went into the church, and he sang and played in front of the Tabernacle. Solanus Casey realized it was not world that he was called to please. He sang to his master, Jesus. He sought to please him in all things. Are we trying to please the one who is most important? If so, we need not worry about what anyone else thinks.
Solanus Casey said once:
“Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger people. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks.”