24rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sept. 16, 2012
Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de M.
(Full text of sermon) One of the biggest issues in our country today is the national debt. Our debt has become so big that it would take many years and great sacrifice to pay it off. The national debt, however, is a reflection of a greater societal problem of debt. Debt issues strike all of us today whether it is through student loans, personal debt, etc. The old economic cliché holds true today — “There is no such thing as a free lunch.”
Try to watch this video and not chuckleOK, a vocation is a serious matter, but sometimes there are things to laugh about. Watch our video, “Hearing God’s Call – Two Mercedarian Friars” on the of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy. You’ll see Br. Matthew and Fr. Scott share some chuckles as they talk about their vocations.
Visit the Mercedarians’
Everything costs something in the economic world. We all have to learn this lesson the hard way. Economic Justice says that in order to get something we must pay something. The same is true of the supernatural life. Humanity has incurred a debt because of our sins both communal (Original Sin) and personal.
A lack of love
Sin is simply a lack of love and it is directly opposed to God, who is love. In a supernatural way, we have all incurred a debt to God and creation for our sins. For centuries it was the tradition of Judaism and other ancient religions to offer sacrifices of food and especially animals in payment of the debt incurred by the sins of the community. Of course, these sacrifices were never enough, since they didn’t have an effect on the fallen nature of man.
Into this broken world the Father sends His Son, Jesus Christ. St. John the Baptist declares that the savior has come by saying, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” Jesus Christ is destined to offer up himself as the Paschal Sacrifice for the sins of the world. He came to be the Merced, or ransom; the “price paid” for our sins. Peter does not understand this and wants to prevent Christ from suffering. In response, we hear a harsh and shockingly powerful rebuke from the Lord. Peter’s compassion is misguided, because he is thinking from a purely worldly perspective. Peter is standing in the way of the freedom from the bondage of sin that Christ wants to bring to the world. Only the devil would want to stop Jesus from paying the price for all our sins.
Receiving true forgiveness
Jesus is the “suffering servant” who will offer Himself up freely. The first reading foreshadows that the Messiah will “not shield” himself from “buffets and spitting.” Even though Jesus, as God, could have easily avoided all the pain but instead He sets His “face like flint” and would not let anything or anyone stop Him from offering the supreme sacrifice for sin. By faith we believe that the Passion of our Lord has opened up for us the opportunity to receive true forgiveness and eternal life. We who are baptized realize that we have been offered new life and a share in the Resurrection of Christ.
But, let us also remember that in baptism we are called to share in the suffering and death of Christ. New life is promised to the one who, as Jesus says, “deny(s) himself, take(s) up his cross, and follow(s) me.” Our Lord does not just free us from sin, but offers us an opportunity to take part in the great mystery of the redemption.
Offer it up
As baptized Catholics, we are a priestly people who are called to offer sacrifices for ourselves and others. Each Mass is in reality the one sacrifice of Calvary. We say “yes” to our common priesthood by attending Mass each Sunday and offering up our lives, our sufferings, and our struggles with the One Sacrifice of Christ. The sacrifices of all the faithful are united with the Eucharistic Sacrifice offered up by the priest. Jesus gives Himself to us totally in the Eucharist. We take that Divine nourishment out into the world. Each baptized Christian, as members of the Body of Christ, become Christ in the world bringing life and offering up their sacrifices. As the old phrase goes, “Offer it up!” We must not waste any suffering, discomfort, or difficulty. Every suffering that cannot be avoided has great spiritual value when united with the Cross of Christ. We take each of these sacrifices with us into Mass to be spiritually laid upon the altar.
There is no way to totally avoid suffering in this world, because it is the result of sin. Yet, for the believer there is an invisible reality that exists, which brings meaning to all life’s crosses. Jesus too suffered and carried the cross in payment of our debt to sin. Everything has meaning for those who have faith. Let us realize that even in our struggles, Jesus is there calling us to greater virtue and holiness. In His mercy, Christ allows us to share in this one sacrifice by uniting our sufferings to his for the salvation of the world.