Homily: Saturday, 21st Week in Ordianry Time, Year C

Today we had no morning Mass. Because of the impending Hurricane Dorian, the presiding priest, who lives near Orlando, was unable to buy gas for his car. All the local gas stations were out of fuel. 
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As the assigned deacon I conducted a Liturgy of the Word with Holy Communion. I have embedded a video, followed by the text of the homily.

Readings: 1 Thes 4:9-11; • Ps 98 • Mt 25:14-30

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I usually preach on the Gospel, but today the Spirit drew me to the words of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, words we might just gloss over if we don't take the time to think about them. They're right at the end of our first reading when Paul instructs us:

"...aspire to live a tranquil life, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you" [1 Thes 4:11].

I've probably read these words dozens of times, but rarely thought much about them. Isn't it interesting how that often happens with Sacred Scripture? So often the words just slide by, almost unnoticed, but then occasionally something happens. It's as if the Holy Spirit knows just when we'll be receptive to His Word and opens our minds and hearts to listen and accept.

What was Paul's first suggestion?

"...aspire to live a tranquil life..." or as some translations have it, "to live quietly."

Now, I can't speak for any of you, only for myself, but believe me, even in my so-called retirement, my life is far from tranquil. It just seems to "fill up" with all kinds of tasks, and commitments, and requests, and promises, and demands...all those things to which I rarely say, "No." As another deacon once said to me, "Pray? I don't have time to pray. I'm too busy with all these ministries."

Of course, we love the praise, don't we? 

"Oh, he's so busy, but still always willing to help. You can always count on him, so good."

Oh, yes, we love the praise, even when it comes from ourselves. And that should tell us something about our motives. 

We're all so busy, aren't we? Busy with work, with play, with games and hobbies, with good things, with bad things, and with silly things. And yet, as Paul reminds us, we need tranquility; we need peace in our lives. How often did Jesus bless His disciples by saying, "Peace be with you?"

Stopping to Pray the Angelus...Peace

Without it, all that busyness becomes meaningless.

Without it we have no prayer life; no time to think about and deepen our relationship with God; no time to understand exactly what God wants of us.

Without it we have no time for rejoicing, no time for thanksgiving, no time for learning to love God and each other.

Maybe at some point we need someone to tell us: "Stop. Don't just do something, stand there!" 

Or more profoundly, in the words of the psalmist: "Be still, and know that I am God" [Ps 46:10].

St. Paul continues and tells us "to mind your own affairs."

We are busybodies, aren't we? -- wanting to know everything about everyone -- lies, gossip, even the truth -- we don't care; we just want to know it all. And when we hear about the problems and challenges faced by others, it makes us feel so much better about our own less than perfect lives.

"You won't believe what I just heard..."

I've always loved that wonderful line from Jane Austen's  Pride and Prejudice, when Mr. Bennet says to his daughter, Lizzie:

"For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?"

Yes, indeed, we allow ourselves to be guided by our curiosity instead of our faith, instead of loving our neighbor, praying for him, helping her deal with the adversity and challenges of life. 

I suppose my eighth-grade teacher, Sister Francis Jane, was right when I tried to overhear what she was saying as she reprimanded another student: "Dana McCarthy, mind your own business."

Finally, Paul tells us "to work with your own hands."

I find it interesting that, when describing God's work, Sacred Scripture often depicts God working as a manual laborer would work. Listen again to the voice of the psalmist: 

"When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place" [Ps 8:4].

Yes, it's a metaphor, but one we encounter throughout all of Scripture, even in today's responsorial psalm:

"Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm" [Ps 98:1].

As for St. Paul, although he was a scholar, a student of the renowned Gamaliel, Luke also described him as a "tentmaker" [Acts 18:3], a trade Paul presumably learned to earn a living. In fact, the apostles, with the exception of Mathew, the tax-collector, were pretty much all blue-collar guys. And let's not forget that Jesus worked many years as a carpenter before starting His public ministry. 

Jesus of Nazareth, Carpenter and Son of God

Is Paul suggesting, then, that all white-collar Christians should quit their jobs and learn a trade? No, I don't think so. I think he's simply telling us that to work with one's hands is a very human and very honest activity, something that echoes our creation in God's image and likeness. 

"Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul" [Gn 2:7].

Creation of Man

Working with one's hands is often creative, usually productive, and offers opportunities to think about the important things, the permanent things.

In my former consulting business I found that the most successful senior executives had some hands-on, creative outlet such as cabinet making, painting, or some other similar activity. There seems to be a human need to accomplish things using the skills of our hands -- part reward, part accomplishment, part peace. 

And so today Paul gives us some sound advice, advice we should follow on our journey to holiness. Then, like the good servant, we too might hear those words:

"Well done, my good and faithful servant...Come share your master's joy" [Mt 25:23].