Lord, If You Wish (Will)

[Theologian in Training]

The following is today's homily, it clearly bothered one woman, but she has been having a hard time when it comes to discerning God's will. Enjoy! God Bless
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A leper approaches Jesus, kneels before Him, and asks to be healed and, he does so with a seemingly simple phrase: “Lord, if you wish (or as it has been better translated, if you will) you can make me clean.” A phrase that can teach us a lot, because it shows us the proper way of not just understanding the Will of God, but also how to be obedient to that Will as well, because the leper does not say, “Lord, heal me,” thereby forcing Him nor does he say, “I hope you will,” or “maybe you will,” no, he says: “if you will.” In other words, there is no doubt in this lepers mind that Jesus can indeed heal him, and he knows not to ask in the typical manner, because he knows in the end, it all falls on what God wants, on God’s Will. This leper then is actually approaching Jesus in the utmost humility and in the greatest of faith. He recognizes Christ’s power, knows what He is capable of, and then leaves it at that.

And, Jesus, we are told, moved with pity says: “I do will it. Be made clean.”

This is probably one of the most beautiful and yet, at the same time, one of the most difficult Gospels to listen to, because it teaches us not only how we should approach God in prayer, but how to form our requests as well. And that is difficult, because sometimes in our greatest suffering, in our greatest difficulties we don’t say that, we don’t put it in God’s hands, as it were, we tell Him what He must do, and why He must do it. We say I know you can do it, so do it already because I don’t want it anymore.

And yet, that same Jesus to whom this leper comes, to whom he asks for healing is the same who in the Garden of Gethsemane spoke these same words to His Father: “Not my will, but yours be done.” And both teach us and show us that true abandonment to the Will of God does not just take humility and faith, but it takes every part of our being, a laying down of your life, as it were, and it takes us falling upon our knees, coming before Him, empty, broken, and completely abandoned, and saying in confidence and humility those same words of the leper: “Lord, if you will you can make me clean, you can heal me,” and then bowing our heads, and waiting for a response.

[IcePrincessKRS]

This is something I have to remind myself of ALL the time.

[Theologian in Training]

me too...

[cmotherofpirl]

I'm glad you continue to post homilies.

[Sojourner]

That is really good to be reminded of, Fr. Brian. I have been struggling in this area A LOT lately. Thanks.

[Theologian in Training]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' post='1161573' date='Jan 11 2007, 03:07 PM']
I'm glad you continue to post homilies.
[/quote]

Although, they do get lost quite quickly, I do post most of my Sunday homilies. I think I should just start a thread specifically for homilies, and not just my own, every priest or deacon who would like to post there as well. I just have no idea where I will start...maybe this weekend's homily, when I have prepared it

And, btw, thank you all for your comments.

Edited January 11, 2007 by Theologian in Training

[cappie]

When Jesus cured the leper in today's Gospel reading, the healed man shared his faith story freely and widely. His testimony was an encouragement to others, and he simply could not keep it to himself even though Jesus had asked him to. His enthusiasm was not sinful; Jesus was only trying to prevent an onslaught of miracle-seekers. Now that he's got all of us representing him here on earth, such an onslaught should not be a problem.

I strongly encourage all to spread the Good News of Christ's healing love and comforting embrace to all those around you by being an encourager. You ARE gifted in this!



They don't get lost if you post here...[url="http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showforum=10"]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showforum=10[/url] I know not too many people visit and it's not too popular but I have been posting for some time there and it links with the sunday readings

Edited January 11, 2007 by cappie

[Theologian in Training]

[quote name='cappie' post='1161629' date='Jan 11 2007, 03:56 PM']
When Jesus cured the leper in today's Gospel reading, the healed man shared his faith story freely and widely. His testimony was an encouragement to others, and he simply could not keep it to himself even though Jesus had asked him to. His enthusiasm was not sinful; Jesus was only trying to prevent an onslaught of miracle-seekers. Now that he's got all of us representing him here on earth, such an onslaught should not be a problem.

I strongly encourage all to spread the Good News of Christ's healing love and comforting embrace to all those around you by being an encourager. You ARE gifted in this!
They don't get lost if you post here...[url="http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showforum=10"]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showforum=10[/url] I know not too many people visit and it's not too popular but I have been posting for some time there and it links with the sunday readings
[/quote]

Do you post your homilies there?

[cappie]

yep sundays and major feasts

Edited January 11, 2007 by cappie

[Theologian in Training]

[quote name='cappie' post='1161712' date='Jan 11 2007, 05:01 PM']
yep sundays and major feasts
[/quote]

Good to know...ok

[Theologian in Training]

Just to let you know, since cappie recommended my posting my homilies under the Word section, I will be doing that from now on. Enjoy! and God Bless

[Anastasia13]

That was really good.

[Theologian in Training]

[quote name='Light and Truth' post='1165910' date='Jan 15 2007, 03:42 PM']
That was really good.
[/quote]

Thank you. Which one are you referring to, this one or the Sunday homily?

[Sojourner]

[quote name='Theologian in Training' post='1164303' date='Jan 14 2007, 10:50 AM']
Just to let you know, since cappie recommended my posting my homilies under the Word section, I will be doing that from now on. Enjoy! and God Bless
[/quote]
Can you also post them here? I enjoy reading them but I hardly ever go in the Word section. I just think if they were only there that I would forget. Not that I don't love them, but that it's just not on my radar.

[Theologian in Training]

[quote name='Terra Firma' post='1165961' date='Jan 15 2007, 04:29 PM']
Can you also post them here? I enjoy reading them but I hardly ever go in the Word section. I just think if they were only there that I would forget. Not that I don't love them, but that it's just not on my radar.
[/quote]

Maybe I should dedicate this thread as a homily thread?

I will post this past Sunday's and this morning's. God Bless
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Today is the final Epiphany, the revelation or manifestation of Christ. Beginning with the magi, then with His baptism, and it now ends with His first miracle. Yet, truth be told, it seems that miracle was not meant to happen. In fact, everything points to this very fact, and Jesus Himself reminds Mary of this by stating that His hour has not yet come. Yet, despite this, Mary, almost ignoring Him, turns to the servers, and says: “Do whatever He tells you,” and just like that Jesus instructs the servers to fill up the jars with water, which are not even meant to drink from, and they turn from water to wine; Jesus performs His first miracle.

What is interesting though is the role that Mary plays in this miracle, for, as St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church and founder of the Redemptorists notes in one of his homilies: “Nobody asked the Blessed Virgin to intercede with her Son on the distressed couple’s behalf. Above all, Mary’s heart, which never fails to have pity on the unfortunate…impelled her to take upon herself the task of intercessor and beg her Son for the miracle, even though nobody had asked her to.” In other words, without any prompting at all, like a good mother, rather than allowing this newly married couple to be embarrassed and humiliated, she pleads with her Son to remedy the situation, which He does. Yet, as Liguori also notes: “If Our Lady acted thus without being asked, how would it have been if they had asked?”

And I think that is one of the points of our Gospel today, to not be afraid to come before her and to ask. For, we all know that this Mother of Jesus is also ours, but I think sometimes we fear coming before her because we don’t want to love her more than we do her Son. Yet, as another saint, St. Louis De Montfort once said, we can never love her too much because she is always bringing us to her Son. In fact, that simple phrase she speaks in the Gospel today is the same she speaks to every one of us, her children, “Do whatever He tells you.” She shows us that when we come to her, we will learn to trust in Him, and, sometimes whether we ask it or not, she will be there, ready to help us, to attend to our needs and bring them to her Son, and we see that even He, no matter how hard He tries, cannot deny her. In fact, by performing this miracle, we are told, He revealed His glory, something He was not ready to do. If this is the case, then why wouldn’t we want to go to His mother and ours?

I want to end with a quote from a homily by St. Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei, because I believe he summarizes, quite beautifully, what I am trying to say. “Many conversions,” he says “many decisions to give oneself to the service of God have been preceded by an encounter with Mary. Our Lady has encouraged us to look for God, to desire to change, to lead a new life. And so the “Do whatever he tells you” has turned into real self-giving, into a Christian vocation, which from then on enlightens all our personal life.”

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Fasting is a custom reserved for mourning and separation and Jesus is trying to convey to the people that right now this is not the case because the bridegroom is here, they are still together, as it were, it is not a time of mourning but of feasting. In fact, author Scott Hahn says: “The fasting and anticipation of the Old Covenant must give way to the feasting and celebration of the New Covenant that Jesus brings into the world.” This is what is meant to be understood by the old and the new wineskins. For, as someone once noted: “Jesus is saying, though not openly, just as you don't fast while the bridegroom hosts the wedding celebration, neither should my disciples fast while I am ushering in the Kingdom of God. It is a time for celebration, not for mourning. Then he adds, darkly, "But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast" (5:35).

And that is the point, the fasting precedes the celebration, which will be the case in Lent before Easter, but which is also the case even when we come to Mass, because we fast before receive communion. In other words, we have been separated from Christ, and we reserve a little time of mourning that separation, yet, when we receive the bridegroom has come back, He is here once again, and not just in this Church, but fully dwelling within us; the separation we experienced has now been replaced by full communion with Him. We come to the wedding feast of the lamb, the Sacrifice of the Mass, and though we begin in mourning we end in celebration and joy. Perhaps, we might remember that when receive communion in a little while, when the new wine of Christ will be poured into our renewed spirit.