Homily Eighteenth Friday of Ordinary Time (Matt. 16:24-28) “If I Were a Martyr What Kind Would I Be.”
Homily Eighteenth Friday of Ordinary Time (Matt. 16:24-28) “If I Were a Martyr What Kind Would I Be.”
In the times in which we live, we do not have to worry much about a martyrdom that means physically dying for our faith. If we dismiss that idea does this mean that this gospel loses its power?
This is still a meaningful gospel even if we are not going to have a bloody martyrdom. When the times of persecution passed in the early church Christians were free to practice their faith. Many went out into the desert where they lived in monasteries or as hermits.
The hermits engaged in stringent penances. The idea that they had was that they wanted to be like the angels. The goal was to cultivate the spiritual and not to worry about taking care of the physical. There was a great desire to achieve a deep connection with the spiritual world in order to achieve great virtue. Often these monks and nuns were looked upon as “white martyrs.”
Later on in church history a new type of holiness was recognized. People like St. Francis served the poor in very heroic ways. Holy people did not separate themselves from the world, but they lived among the masses trying to be of service in any way they could, especially serving those on the margins of society. The Christians who sought to the poorest of the poor were known as “martyrs of charity.”
The lives of the desert fathers and mothers and the mendicants remind us that martyrs come in a variety of flavors. The question we wrestle with is whether we are satisfied with being mediocre Christians or whether we want to take up our cross and follow Jesus in a more committed fashion.
Reflection questions:
- Is the cross of Jesus something that happens to us because of a twist of fate or does it involve deliberate choices I make in life?
- Which type of martyrdom do I think is most admirable; a martyrdom by blood, a white martyr or a martyr of charity?
Could I see myself trying to imitate one of these types of martyrs?
Dear Parishioners,
We have been keeping the COVID 19 protocols for a number of weeks now. I explained why we were taking certain actions when we began these protocols, but some people did not hear my explanations so I will try to review the method our madness as I write my pastors comment the next few days.
One question people ask is why we are having people sign in and give a phone number at Mass. The reason for this is that at some point we may need to do contact tracing. If someone calls us and says they have tested positive for the Corona Virus and have been at Mass we are obligated to notify people. If we know which people have attended which Masses, we can call people and let them know they have been exposed. We do not have to call the whole parish.
I have recently heard of parishes where this situation has developed and there was no sign in. Everyone in the parish had to be called. This is very difficult. Rest assured we have reasons for everything we do.
We are having the third Friday of our Sacred Heart Novena today. I would ask everyone to fast and pray for the well being of our country and the world.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you.
Fr. Mark