(Sermon from the 3rd Sunday of Easter – 8 May 2011)
Readings – Acts 2:14, 36-31; Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35
In the name of the One, Living and True God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
I am no longer hungry – thank you, Lord. How many of us remember a time were we said grace or a prayer after a meal? It seems as though it should be second nature for us to give thanks after receiving the Blessed Sacrament. Though we absolutely said grace prior to last night’s pot luck feast at the end of our 30 hours of fasting, I was definitely giving thanks after eating for no longer being hungry. This is a luxury that over a billion people in the world simply do not have.
The St. Michael’s Servants of OUr Lord Youth Group and the Young Adult Ministry participated in World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine this weekend. The youth raised money to help fight world hunger, fasted for 30 hours, performed a service project with Brother Benno’s, and participated in activities that help paint a picture of poverty in the world. After 30 hours, the fast is broken with the Blessed Sacrament, and a pot luck feast is thoroughly enjoyed. In a single act of devotion and holiness, we raised nearly $2,000 which will feed 7 children for an entire year.
We are all called to be holy. Just before our Epistle reading today, St. Peter states, “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.””
John Paul II, the former Holy Father of Rome, who was recently beatified, spoke of a Universal Call to Holiness in his millennium address. He clarified that the program for the faith moving into the 3rd millennium was not to invent a new program, but to charge all believers to take part in the plan set forth in the Gospel and the living Tradition of the church. At the plan’s center, is Christ himself, who is to be known, loved and imitated, so that we may live in a newness of life in the Trinity, and with Christ transform history until its fulfillment in the heavenly Jerusalem. The charge for Holiness transcends time and culture, but adequately uses time and culture for effective communication in true dialogue. We are called to be holy in our intentional and devotional acts such as prayer, attending mass, and participating in the Body of Christ. St. Matthew recounts the words of Christ in telling us that we will be known by the fruit of our works in the faith, “A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
In our Gospel today, on the road to Emmaus, we plainly see that Cleopas believes in Christas the Savior, but as with all of the disciples, does not yet believe the words that Christ embodied. Fr. Kraft and Fr. Doran reminded us recently during this Lenten and Easter season that there was no doubt that the disciples believed in Christ Jesus, but they did notbelieve him – they did not initially believe until he had manifested Himself multiple times post resurrection. For when Jesus spoke of being raised on the 3rd day, they did not understand and they did not proceed to question him – they did believe in the resurrection of the dead, but not in the resurrection of one man before the end of the age. It is mentioned that Christ spoke in parables to the masses, but in private explained everything to his disciples – however, the disciples could never bring themselves to question Jesus about the resurrection which he spoke of. We finally see their faith and belief come to fruition, especially with Doubting Thomas in St. John’s Gospel, who would not believe until such time as he had seen and physically touched the wounds of the resurrected Christ. Jesus concludes his exchange with Thomas by saying, “”Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Christ did not condemn the Truth seeking Thomas, but rather clarified the intention of God for us to receive the Word made Flesh. And Yes, Fr. Doran, in your post-modern-west-coast-surfing-priest lingo, that does mean Thomas was just “Keepin’ it real.” And I know I have tried to “keep it real” throughout my own testimony – even sometimes to my own detriment.
“As obedient children…be holy in all your conduct” says St. Peter’s Epistle. Similar to being obedient and dressing up and putting a smile on your face for the morning and afternoon while attending church and brunch with your mother. Though we may not perceive our children as obedient at all times, I can testify for our SOUL Youth Group as their Youth Minister, our Youth are very intentional with their faith – and, at times, they totally “keep it real.”
In St. Luke’s Gospel, we hear the words of Christ, “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Thankfully, unlike the disciples, though they had Christ in the flesh with them, we have the works of God throughout two millenia, the Scriptures we know as Holy for a foundation, and the instituted sacraments through which we witness and intentionally profess and demonstrate our faith and devotion – especially during Baptism and the Holy Eucharist.
As parents and adults, we confirm and profess our own faith within the baptismal covenant that we make to raise our children in the faith so that the children may witness God’s glory around them – and believe. All children have to perceive, hear, and witness, is the truth and the light, and they simply believe. We can hope that our devotion bears witness and the outward and visible sign of the inward and spiritual grace of Baptism and the Eucharist creates an intentional and devotional environment where our youth become membersincorporate in the Body of Christ. And in our children and our youth, we are reminded of how we are to receive the kingdom of God.
For those who observe Lent with a covenant, we bear witness to the intentional devotion of our personal testimony in the faith, and without fail, see God’s glory be made manifest within us and in the church. In the story of the blind man in St. John’s Gospel, we learn that it is not the sin of the father, the blind man himself, or by any other reason that the man is blind, but he is blind so that God’s Will made be made manifest in him. We observe and experience hunger, fear, injustice and oppression ever so much in this fallen world, and God’s will is to save us. In the devotion of the Youth this past weekend, God’s will was witnessed not only by the money raised to help fight hunger, but also by the intentional and devotional act of the youth taking part in the faith – and bearing good fruit.
We as the church, and demonstrated by the youth, do not need to see to believe, we feel the presence of God through the Holy Spirit as we gather together, profess, and take part in the faith week after week. Some of us may be naturally “holy in our conduct” (or unnatrually) and some of us may just need to “keep it real.” But we are all called to be holy, just as our creator. And in the spirit of World Vision, sponsors of the 30 Hour Famine, and Brother Benno’s, we hear St. Matthew recount the words of Christ concerning our final judgement,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
Our holiness will be witnessed and manifested in our acts and works of prayer and devotion, which at it’s core, is the Word, and specifically the Word made flesh that dwelt among us.
St. Peter continues from our Epistle reading today to quote from the prophet Isaiah,
“for
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.”
In the name of the One, Living and True God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen