27th Sunday Homily What and Why do we have to offer?

What are we about as Christians, as Catholics? What do we have, as the Body of Christ to offer to the world, to Nevada, to Reno, to our children and families?  Or maybe another way to think about it...what does Jesus reveal the Father wants for all?

or better yet...Why?

Jesus clearly states in Jn 10:10, “I came so that they may have life in the full”. Elsewhere he will reveal that He came that “we may be one, just as the Father and Son are one.”

Think back to the second story of creation in Genesis, which is actually the older story. God creates a Garden and within it God places the Man and Woman to work in the Garden, to produce the harvest. Humanity worked for God for a common purpose; paradise existed. 

Trouble arose when the man and woman forgot God and made it about themselves.

We as Catholics have been gifted. There is a beauty, an elegance to our faith. Our faith in the goodness of all of creation. Our faith in the goodness of all human persons.  Our Faith that God so loved the world, that the son became human to save it; to reveal the depth of God’s love, the potential for humanity.  Our Faith that God still communicates God’s very self in the Spirit in our sacramental life.

This is the fruit of the vine that we work with.  

Over these millenia, based on this faith, we have produced some good works that have helped so many. We built schools, hospitals, cared for the rejected, we produced our social justice.  All for the building of the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth, or as the Jesuits would say, all for the greater glory of God.

Yet, there is that original temptation? There is this tendency, especially in our liberatarian, rugged individualistic culture to make it all about ourselves. We become self-referential, navel-gazing. We stop caring about the other, and only for ourselves.

Our Church, our people are all about mission.

Scripture and Jesus used parables of gardens and vineyards for a reason. It was a familiar concept to the people, especially the vineyard, which produced the wines.  In this parable, the vineyard belonged to someone else, not the workers. Their job, their mission was to grow the grapes so that others could benefit; others could enjoy.  They too lost the sense of their mission. They too gave into the temptation. It became about themselves. The violence ensued.  Jesus reminded the people of Israel of their covenant, of their own mission; reminding them of who they were.

I know many of us are hurting, blatantly and subtly, in this time of COVID.  What healing can we offer as church?

Some of our elderly are scared in this time of COVID.  How can we offer safety and community?

Young persons even before COVID seemed lost, looking for meaning. Too many were hurting themselves, and others.  What can we offer as church?

Young families look for community, Families look for food security.  Some of us want to experience Jesus in a different, deeper way.  What can we offer?

People search for hope in a world that can seem so dark What light can we bring?


We celebrate this Eucharist, this gathering of community in thanksgiving, to be fed; and to be strengthened to go and work with and and for the Father, in the garden that is Reno, Sparks, Nevada.