HOMILY FOR TWENTIETH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (C)

Fr Billy Swan

Dear friends. I love Jesus’ passion in the Gospel today. He is a man on fire and in a hurry with a clear understanding of what he is about and why he has been sent – to bring fire, life, love and justice into a world: ‘I have come to bring fire to the earth and how I wish it were blazing already!’ As his friends and followers, Jesus wants us to have this fire and passion too. But how?

First by praying and loving holiness. If Christ is ablaze with love and passion to set things right then by drawing close to him, we catch that fire too. This is precisely what happened at Pentecost – the Spirit came as tongues of fire as they were praying. Likewise, it is no coincidence that the symbol of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is shown to be on fire with love for humanity. So, draw close to the fire of private prayer, weekly Eucharist and daily meditation on the Scriptures. Also, regular reception of his mercy in the confessional where, in the words of the second reading to the Hebrews, we ‘throw off everything that hinders us, especially the sin that clings so easily’. When we pray, we allow the holy fire of Christ and his friendship to burn within us.

Second, become who God created you to be. St Catherine of Siena once said: ‘Become who God created you to be and you will set the whole world on fire!’ Only in friendship with the Lord can we reach our full potential and experience deep joy. Look at Moses at the burning bush. The bush was on fire but was not being destroyed. So too with us. God’s grace lifts us up beyond our own fears and desires to live a beautiful life that is lived in love for others and not just ourselves. Don’t be lukewarm Catholic Christians. Give everything or nothing. Do not be afraid that you might lose something and, so to speak, emerge empty handed at the end. Have the courage to apply your talents and gifts for God’s kingdom and to give yourselves to Him so that the Lord can light up the darkness through you. Dare to be glowing saints, in whose eyes and hearts the love of Christ beams and who thus bring light to the world.

Third, have a passion for what is true and what is right. Look at the fire in Jesus. It created a mess and a storm. Omelettes cannot be made without breaking eggs. The same is true for Christ’s mission that continues through us. The prophet is a person who has a passion for what is right, not who is right. The prophetic Christian has a passion, a fire in their belly for what is true as opposed to what is false, for what is right as opposed to what is wrong and for what is everlasting as opposed to what is temporary. Jesus message to us was not ‘be nice people’ or ‘make sure you get along with everyone’. Without doubt there will be times when our faith requires us to take a principled stand that may distance ourselves from others and bring us suffering – just look what happened to Jeremiah at the bottom of the well or Jesus’ passion that led him to the cross. We have been baptised into the Lord’s passionate desire to make this world a better and more just place. We share in God’s passion to set things right.

Finally, that we have a fire in our bellies for charity. The opposite of this is apathy which comes from the Greek word a-pathos which means without passion. It also means indifference. Lord, save us from the apathy and indifference all around us. Help us not to harden our hearts against the wounds of humanity that we know of and see. Pope Francis spoke about the globalisation of indifference and called it ‘an ugly disease’ and ‘a virus that is dangerously contagious’. When the fire of God’s love dims in our lives, we become desensitised to suffering and injustice, choosing to ignore or remain detached from the struggles of others. But when the fire of Christ’s passion re-ignites, it burns away the indifference that leads to a better life for us and those we care for.

I conclude this homily with a memory of my grand-mother’s open turf fire in her kitchen many years ago. In the evenings, she would light the fire and in the morning she would stoke the hearth to remove what she called the ‘Gríosach’ - the hot ashes or embers in a way that would re-ignite the fire again.

Friends, now is the time to shake away the embers and fan into a flame the gift of our faith. We are living in an extraordinary time of change, challenge and opportunity for the Irish Church. We must embrace this time for what it is – a new Apostolic age that calls us back to the basics of the Christian faith and to re-propose the Gospel with the conviction of the disciples after Pentecost and with the missionary zeal of St Patrick and the early Irish saints.

We can share in Jesus’ passionate love through prayer, becoming who God created us to be and through hearts that burn with justice, mercy and compassion for our fellow human beings.

‘Come Holy Spirit, renew your wonders in this our day as by a New Pentecost in Ireland; that being one in mind and in heart and steadfast in faith with Mary the Mother of Jesus, we may advance your divine Kingdom of justice and peace, of truth and of love. Amen.’