8th Sunday Homily - Walking together in Christ


How will we be church? How will we express the Love the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit?

Last weekend it was my privilege to spend time with 30 couples preparing for the Sacrament of Matrimony.
30 couples who will make a commitment to each other, as wife and husband; a commitment to stay together which forms them as a family.

They will share their joys with one another and their sorrows. They will grow together by that sharing and learning from each other. Partners in the very truest sense of the word.


Mentors are also our partners.

They are those people who walk with us in life, probably not for the whole journey, but for a part of it, when we need it.

Mentors teach us through example. They walk by showing us how they have overcome and dealt with challenge; and they share that with us.

I think of a two in my life especially, who helped me see differently. They pushed me to grow, even when I resisted because it was scary to change.
They never got yelled at me, never criticized me for my mistakes.
Rather, they taught from their heart and minds.

I have a friend, retired, who gives of her time to Boys and Girls Club. She also mentors these young persons; helping with homework, watching over them. Hearing her speak, she encounters lots of different stories of children who probably would drive me crazy, but her loving presence affirms these kid’s humanity. It lets them know they are loved.


As the Catholic Christian Church, we claim the Truth.
We believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born as a human person.
He lived for a certain time, in a certain place.
He taught, healed, showed forgiveness.
He preached that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand.

And for all of this, he was executed by the State through the hands of certain religious leaders.

We believe that He Rose from the dead.

We believe that he fully revealed all that God the Father is, and sends to us the Holy Spirit to guide us in life, so that we can be open to this fullness of truth and that by being more and more open to this Truth, we make real that Kingdom of Heaven here on earth: “...your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”

Our mission is to spread the Truth, so that this Kingdom grows, and this world and all persons within it, who suffers so much, can be healed; healed through God’s compassion, God’s mercy, God’s love.

History shows us that we as Church have never perfectly grasped the Gospel of Jesus Christ, nor have we perfectly grasped our mission.

Because it is a process. It is a journey. We are a pilgrim church.
We make mistakes as church, from the Popes to us here in this parish.
We are not perfect.

Yet we persist, because somewhere within us, we believe in that Gospel of Jesus Christ, we believe God makes a difference.

People come to this parish seeking this Truth.

Our mission is to walk with them, as we walk together, in uncovering the Truth of Jesus Christ.
We are called to be mentors; to accompany each other.
This is our Gospel for today.

We are not called to demand people change their lives and be perfect before joining us; how hypocritical!

We are called to be at those doors, to welcome those who come.
We are called to share our faith with those who are searching for a deeper meaning.
This includes our young persons.

Our young persons seek Truth. Not facts, but Truth.
They need us, not to tell them how wrong they are, or to point out Good and Evil; but to walk with them, and share how we ourselves have grown in our Faith.

How God’s love frees us; if it has.

We do not need more people yelling about how we need to demand this or that of others; how they must past some litmus test to even get through these doors.

We do need Christians, Catholics, to look within; to recognize within themselves the working of the Spirit, and be open to sharing that.

We need, and our church I think demands we be mentors; we accompany each other.

Imagine the fruit born by a Parish, by a Church, a pilgrim church that lives this mission?

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