{"id":1285,"date":"2014-01-26T13:33:25","date_gmt":"2014-01-26T18:33:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=1285"},"modified":"2014-01-26T13:33:25","modified_gmt":"2014-01-26T18:33:25","slug":"homily-third-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/homily-third-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-a\/","title":{"rendered":"Homily – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A"},"content":{"rendered":"

3rd<\/sup> Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A<\/a>
\nIsaiah 8:23-9:3
\n1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17
\nMatthew 4:12-23
\nJanuary 26, 2014<\/p>\n

Why did Jesus come into our human world?\u00a0 Why would Jesus who is consubstantial with the Father be willing to give up being in Heaven to become one like us?<\/p>\n

Hopefully, we all immediately think of Jesus\u2019 death on the Cross for us.\u00a0 Jesus\u2019 mission is ultimately fulfilled in his Crucifixion (and Resurrection) but it didn\u2019t begin there.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s gospel is from the fourth chapter of Matthew\u2019s Gospel but it is really the kickoff off point as the first time Jesus ministers to others.\u00a0 Chapters one and two speak of his birth.\u00a0 Chapter three moves us into his baptism but it is today\u2019s passage that tells us of Jesus\u2019 first ministry.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s only eleven verses but hits the key elements of Jesus\u2019 ministry.\u00a0 We hear that he cures people but before that he first begins to gather disciples.\u00a0 Even before that he preaches.<\/p>\n

Jesus comes to reveal God\u2019s truth to us.\u00a0 What Jesus says is important.<\/p>\n

How do we receive his preaching?\u00a0 It isn\u2019t enough just to hear Jesus\u2019 words to the multitudes.\u00a0 It isn\u2019t enough to come to church and listen to the words.<\/p>\n

Think of it like a doctor\u2019s visit.\u00a0 When we are not feeling well we go to the doctor.\u00a0 If we have a specific illness, the doctor might prescribe a medicine and we get better.<\/p>\n

Sometimes our complaints to the doctor may not be so simple.\u00a0 In my case, my doctor keeps telling me to lose weight (like I need the doctor to tell me that).\u00a0 He tells me the reasons I should lose weight and gives me ideas on to do it.<\/p>\n

Then I go home and I don\u2019t lose much weight.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Because I didn\u2019t change anything!\u00a0 I keep eating the same and walking the same amount.<\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t enough for me just to listen to the doctor say<\/i> words of advice.\u00a0 I need to put them into action if I expect anything to get better.\u00a0 Sometimes we make conscious choices about this stuff like when my doctor suggested a meatless diet and my immediate choice was no!\u00a0 Other times, we know the advice is good but we just don\u2019t put into action.\u00a0 With diet, will power with desserts and candy comes to mind here.<\/p>\n

The same is true with Jesus\u2019 preaching.\u00a0 Without a doubt, everything Jesus teaches us in his preaching is good.\u00a0 But it isn\u2019t enough just to hear the words.\u00a0 We need to make changes in our lives to live in accord with Jesus’ words.<\/p>\n

Sometimes we don\u2019t do what Jesus says because we make a choice for an immediate earthly pleasure over the eternal joy of Heaven because we want an immediate result.<\/p>\n

Sometimes what Jesus says may not seem reasonable.\u00a0 He speaks of the commandment not to kill and tells us not to even get angry.\u00a0 We understand not killing, well in general, people want to argue about what is and isn\u2019t life, but we might think to not get angry is impossible.\u00a0 It seems so natural.<\/p>\n

So, since it seems impossible, we might figure why bother or we might make excuses that Jesus must have meant something else.<\/p>\n

After all, we only get angry because somebody else<\/i> did something wrong, right?\u00a0 If they had just do it right, we won\u2019t have gotten angry so it\u2019s their fault.<\/p>\n

Sometimes it\u2019s not that someone always does something wrong.\u00a0 Sometimes we get angry because someone doesn\u2019t do what we want<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Besides, as long as we don\u2019t hurt someone what is wrong with being angry?<\/p>\n

Anger is always bad because it stands in the way of love.\u00a0 Anger takes over.<\/p>\n

Anger is just one example of how Jesus calls us to live.\u00a0 We can \u201cignore\u201d Jesus\u2019 teaching on other things today.\u00a0 Some people debate what in the Bible applies today.<\/p>\n

We can end up divided in groups.\u00a0 This is nothing new.\u00a0 Paul writes to the Corinthians to instruct them to stop dividing into factions.\u00a0 Paul instructs them to be united in the same mind and the same purpose.<\/p>\n

But whose mind?\u00a0 When we are trying to decide right and wrong, who makes the determination?\u00a0 Psychologists can explain why a person steals, gets angry, drinks, or commits bad sexual acts.\u00a0 The fact that the psychologist can explain it doesn\u2019t make it right.<\/p>\n

Logical arguments can be made for the death penalty.\u00a0 That doesn\u2019t make it right.<\/p>\n

People make arguments about life in the womb and at the end of life.\u00a0 Majority rule doesn\u2019t make it right or wrong.<\/p>\n

God defines what is good.\u00a0 Jesus reveals to us in his preaching what is good.\u00a0 How well do we listen and do we put it into action in our lives?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Isaiah 8:23-9:3 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17 Matthew 4:12-23 January 26, 2014 Why did Jesus come into our human world?\u00a0 Why would Jesus who is consubstantial with the Father be willing to give up being in Heaven to become one like us? Hopefully, we all immediately think of Jesus\u2019 …<\/p>\n

Continue reading ‘Homily – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A’ »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[82],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pMTPk-kJ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1285"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1285"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1285\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1286,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1285\/revisions\/1286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}