{"id":1140,"date":"2013-07-01T07:36:07","date_gmt":"2013-07-01T11:36:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=1140"},"modified":"2013-07-01T07:36:58","modified_gmt":"2013-07-01T11:36:58","slug":"13th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-c-homily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/13th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-c-homily\/","title":{"rendered":"13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C Homily"},"content":{"rendered":"

13th<\/sup> Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C<\/a>
\n1 Kings 19:16b: 19-21
\nGalatians 5:1, 13-18
\nLuke 9:51-62
\nJune 30, 2013<\/p>\n

Sr. Edna\u2019s Retirement<\/p>\n

Jesus demands an immediate<\/i><\/b> response of his disciples.\u00a0 When I say immediate, Jesus does not even grant time to go say farewell to their families.<\/p>\n

This seems tough.\u00a0 I think specifically here of my call to priesthood.\u00a0 From the time I first felt called to the priesthood to the time I entered seminary was almost 18 months.\u00a0 Most of that was deciding to go but then waiting for the start of a semester.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t a question of saying no at first.\u00a0 I like to think a lot of the time was me deciding it was really God calling me.\u00a0 Regardless, my \u201cyes\u201d response was not immediate.<\/p>\n

This \u201cdemand\u201d for an immediate response was not new with Jesus.\u00a0 We see it in our reading with Elijah and Elisha.\u00a0 Elijah was a great prophet and God had picked Elisha to be his successor.\u00a0 When God told Elijah this, he didn\u2019t argue.\u00a0 He did what God told him to do.<\/p>\n

He goes and puts his cloak on Elisha.\u00a0 This is a sign of Elisha\u2019s appointment as his successor.\u00a0 Elisha offers no objections but does ask for time to go say goodbye to his parents.\u00a0 Even this much can seem amazing to us but it is not enough.\u00a0 Elijah demands an immediate response.<\/p>\n

Elisha gives that response, burns the equipment and gives the meat from the livestock to others and follows Elijah.<\/p>\n

An immediate response.<\/i><\/p>\n

As I listen to the story of Elijah and Elisha, I can\u2019t help but think how it parallels Sr. Edna\u2019s call to be a religious.<\/p>\n

It was back in 1958 that she joined the Sisters of Mercy.\u00a0 She was having an ordinary day going about her business when the mother superior came to her, put a habit on her, and said come with me.<\/p>\n

Well, there was some difference.\u00a0 As she was plowing the fields, Sr. Edna didn\u2019t ask to go say goodbye to her parents.\u00a0 Her response was to tell \u2018mother superior\u2019 that she had a date that night to which \u2018mother\u2019 replied \u201cno more dating.\u201d\u00a0 Sr. Edna followed her and the rest is history.<\/p>\n

Of course, I am making this up.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know how Sr. Edna received her call to join the Sisters of Mercy (although I suspect she\u2019s going to tell me after this!).<\/p>\n

The point is she said yes and for the last 55 years she has continued to say yes.\u00a0 This Sunday is her last day of work as she retires.\u00a0 She is retiring from her job but she doesn\u2019t stop being a Sister of Mercy and she doesn\u2019t stop serving God.\u00a0 That will continue to the day she dies.<\/p>\n

These readings today and celebrating Sr. Edna\u2019s retirement should lead us all to think and pray about how we are responding to God\u2019s call.<\/p>\n

Now I hope there are males here today who are think about becoming a priest, deacon, or religious and I hope just as much that there are some females here who think about becoming a religious sister.\u00a0 It can be a rewarding life.\u00a0 It is a lot of work for me to be a priest and pastor but I can\u2019t imagine doing anything else.\u00a0 Sr. Edna over the years has put in a lot of hours as a sister.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure there were struggles along the way but in faith she preserved.<\/p>\n

If you are thinking about priesthood, talk to me.\u00a0 If you are thinking about religious life, talk to Sr. Edna or Sr. Elise.<\/p>\n

But also realize that if you aren\u2019t called to be a religious, deacon, or priest that doesn\u2019t mean that God isn\u2019t calling you to serve in some way.<\/p>\n

We are all called through our baptism to serve God.\u00a0 We can serve God in the way we are parents to our children.\u00a0 We serve God in the way we care for other people.\u00a0 We can serve God by helping our parish to fulfill its mission using the gifts we have been given as good stewards.\u00a0 We serve God by visibly living out our faith to help others come to faith.\u00a0 We can serve God by standing up for what we believe in.\u00a0 We can serve God by simply doing our best.<\/p>\n

God is calling you to do something.\u00a0 What is it and what are you waiting fo<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C 1 Kings 19:16b: 19-21 Galatians 5:1, 13-18 Luke 9:51-62 June 30, 2013 Sr. Edna\u2019s Retirement Jesus demands an immediate response of his disciples.\u00a0 When I say immediate, Jesus does not even grant time to go say farewell to their families. This seems tough.\u00a0 I think specifically here of …<\/p>\n

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