{"id":2547,"date":"2018-06-10T12:11:46","date_gmt":"2018-06-10T16:11:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=2547"},"modified":"2018-06-10T12:11:46","modified_gmt":"2018-06-10T16:11:46","slug":"10th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-b-homily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/10th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-b-homily\/","title":{"rendered":"10th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily"},"content":{"rendered":"

10th<\/sup> Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B<\/a>
\nGenesis 3:9-15
\nPsalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 (7bc)
\n2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1
\nMark 3:20-25
\nJune 10, 2018<\/p>\n

As Jesus came home, a crowd once again gathered.\u00a0 How we long to see great crowds come to church!\u00a0 We see large crowds at Christmas and Easter.\u00a0 If something terrible happens in the world, we might see more people here but, if it\u2019s just an ordinary Sunday, our churches are not very full anymore.\u00a0 Why?<\/p>\n

Some people have abandoned any notion of faith and God.\u00a0 They think we might be out of our minds for believing.\u00a0 Sometimes they say it doesn\u2019t make any sense to them to believe.\u00a0 I would ask if they have ever really opened themselves to believe.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the \u201cserpent tricked<\/em>\u201d them just as with Adam and Eve.\u00a0 I think today the serpent likes to spread confusion by telling us that no one believes everything that our faith teaches us.\u00a0 So, the serpent says it\u2019s okay for us to pick and choose what we believe.<\/p>\n

This leads to relativism where people think it is okay to believe whatever one wants as long as you don\u2019t hurt anyone.\u00a0 They say this but then if we want to speak up for what our faith teaches, they tell us to be quiet.\u00a0 They promote tolerance but they don\u2019t tolerate what our faith teaches.\u00a0 Thinking of what Jesus says in the gospel, Satan tries to tie us up so he can plunder our house.<\/p>\n

I might point out here that if the relativists and atheists are so sure that we are not right, what reason do they have to not let us speak?\u00a0 Do they know they cannot prove us wrong?\u00a0 Do they know what our faith teaches is true?<\/p>\n

What are some other ways that the serpent tries to trick us to not come to church?<\/p>\n

Satan can use shame to make us feel unworthy to come to church just as Adam hid himself from God after the Original Sin<\/a>.\u00a0 Yet, it is exactly when we are discouraged and shamed by our sins that we need to cry out to God for forgiveness.\u00a0 Knowing that Jesus laid down his life for us on the Cross gives us the perfect reason to trust that God will forgive us.<\/p>\n

On other hand, Satan at times tries to mask our sins so we don\u2019t see them.\u00a0 This way we think we are good and that we don\u2019t need to come to church every week.\u00a0 Satan wants us to think it doesn\u2019t matter if we miss church once in a while.<\/p>\n

Next, while Satan likes to mask our sins so we don\u2019t see our own sins, he likes us to the see the sins of those who do promote the faith to make them look like hypocrites.\u00a0 The sex abuse scandal comes to mind.\u00a0 Nothing<\/em><\/strong> excuses these past sins but we are all sinners in need of redemption who need to admit our need for God\u2019s help.<\/p>\n

Along with this, Satan likes to make sure we are busy with other things and that we think those other things are more important than getting to church every week.\u00a0 Satan says who needs to go every week.<\/p>\n

Then missing one week becomes two weeks.\u00a0 Two weeks becomes three.\u00a0 Then, it becomes I\u2019ll go once this other stuff is done.\u00a0 Then, we think we are doing okay (that\u2019s what the serpent says anyway) and we find it has been a while since we have even acknowledged God.<\/p>\n

Then, something bad happens and we have troubling finding God because we don\u2019t have a relationship with Jesus.\u00a0 We become distant from God.<\/p>\n

This is why the serpent wants us to think it is okay not to go to church on a regular basis.\u00a0 He knows the best way to lead us from God can be in little steps so we don\u2019t even notice.<\/p>\n

Satan knows that if we come to church every week to hear God\u2019s Word, to be strengthened by receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus, and pray throughout the week, that we will develop a relationship with Jesus.\u00a0 Satan wants to make sure that doesn\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n

Jesus laid down his life to save us.\u00a0 Satan leads us astray not for our good but to win souls for himself.<\/p>\n

We need to come to church to help build our relationship with God.\u00a0 Choosing to come to church over other things says we put God first in our lives.<\/p>\n

Are there reasons to miss Mass?\u00a0 The Church says we can miss for serious illness of ourselves (or something we provide<\/strong> care for).\u00a0 If there is three feet of fresh snow, that can keep us from getting to church.\u00a0 If we can\u2019t drive or walk to church or get a ride, God understands.\u00a0 Otherwise, we need to come to know Jesus.<\/p>\n

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

10th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Genesis 3:9-15 Psalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 (7bc) 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 Mark 3:20-25 June 10, 2018 As Jesus came home, a crowd once again gathered.\u00a0 How we long to see great crowds come to church!\u00a0 We see large crowds at Christmas and Easter.\u00a0 If something terrible happens in …<\/p>\n

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