2nd Ordinary Sunday Homily - Have to or Want to?

Have to or Want to? A Subtle difference, but an amazing difference when it comes to understand freedom.
How many “have to’s” are there in our lives? I have to do this or have to do that? How many of us like doing the “have to’s”? 

I once asked a young dad, a new dad, about having to clean diapers. I told him “I don’t know how you can do it, because I get ill just thinking of it.” He said that it was his babies doodoo, and that made all the difference.  He didn’t have to, he wanted to.

Way back in 1976, our Dad started us on a grand adventure. Our house, by the way was built during the civil war, so it was over 100 years old, had only a small basement underneath. With 7 kids and and other needs, we needed a bigger basement. So we ourselves, along with an uncle and a grandfather, during that summer dug by hand our basement. We kids helped to the best of our ability. We either dug or in a wheelbarrow, took to dirt to a dump site maybe 200 feet away. It was a lot of work. But, I enjoyed it. I did not have to do it, as an 11 year old, but I wanted to. I was helping the family, I was part of something.

Christmas day at Catholic Charities, there were so many people helping out with the Christmas meal. People who wanted to do what was good. People from this parish, people from other parishes, people from no parishes. What a difference it made.

God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: God, almighty and ever powerful; God the ultimate expression of Freedom.  Did God have to create the Universe? Did God have to create life? Did God have to create you and I?  Did the Son of God have to be born as a human; have to be baptized; have to live as he did; have to be crucified?

Notice John’s term for Jesus; the Lamb of God. We will use this in the Mass. This makes reference to the sacrifice at the Temple. The word “Sacrifice” gets a bad rep. To many of us think that it means to give up. Basically, we think it means I “have to”. This implies it is something we are told to do.

And we, especially in our Western Culture, do not like being told what we have to do. We like to think ourselves, “Free”, “independent”. 

What Goobly gook that is. 

 And this is why there can be so much anger in our world, in our lives, in our schools, in our homes. We resist “having to do…” Homework, chores, showing up for events, showing up for practice, showing up for mass; helping those in need, contributing to the common good.

What is the true meaning of Sacrifice? It means I give of myself for something. In other words, it is “I want to” I will tell you what, there is a heck of a lot of less resistance when someone “wants” to do something, rather than “have” to do something.

It is our faith that God wants to create. God wants to love us. God wants to save us. That Jesus wanted to do all that he did.  

The very nature of love is to want to do what is good, even if means “I” may have to endure a loss.  The young dad cleans the diaper and all the mess, because he loves his child.

Part of growing up is to make that transition from “having to” to “Wanting “to.” “Wanting to” is a sign of maturity. Parents rightfully so make kids do things because it is part of this growth. Yes, kids resist, they fight, they scream, they get all sullen, but…. Persistence pays off. Part of this process too is the explanation as to why. Why clean the room? Why wash the dishes?

Parents and Grandparents...why do you still come to mass? Have to or want to? I truly hope “want to”. Why do you follow the way of Jesus Christ? Have to or want to?  Do our young persons know why?

The very nature of God is to give of God’s self. The Father gives of himself to the Son completely. And the Son who loves the Father completely accepts this gift, and in return gives of himself fully and completely to the Father, who likewise receives it completely. This exchange of self, this sacrifice of love is the Holy Spirit. It binds Father, Son and Holy Spirit into one.

This love cannot be contained and is directed outward, so God creates.  God creates all so that all can be one with God. That includes us.  The Son of God gives of himself, the Son of God wants all of creation to be united with the divine so the Son of God sacrifices of himself to become human: Jesus Christ. Spiritual and Material as one; human and divine as one. Sending the Holy Spirit into all of us, to make us one.

Our Salvation is to be free. It is the freedom to choose to do good, to want to do what is good and just for all. It is the freedom to love.  So imagine what changes could happen in our lives as we mature spiritually, as we become more as God, and want to do want is good?

Maybe our children can learn there is more to life than me, myself and I?  Maybe in our community we can begin to make more of a difference to those in need?  Maybe in our city, our families, people can find healing?