_{Holy Spirit Catholic Church}

_{Homilies
Archive}

_{14th Sunday of Ordinary Time
July 5, 2009} 

        Who does this sound like?  I want to call the shots.  I want the upper hand in relationships.  I always choose what TV we watch or what movie we go to.  I try to win every argument.  I demand special treatment in restaurants and stores.  I always feel I’m right.  I'm convinced that every illness can be overcome by sheer force of the will.  I hate faults in other people and deny them in myself.  I like manipulating and intimidating others to get my way.

        Who does that sound like? Us!  Unfortunately, many of us can see ourselves in at least one of those statements.  And the reason is simple...Many of us love power!  Even those of us who say we don't often seem to contradict our words by our actions.  Yes, many of us love power.  And there’s really nothing wrong with that.  Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), the world’s idea of power and God’s idea of power are nearly polar opposites.

        Listen to St. Paul in today's Second Reading:  "For when I am weak, then I am strong."  Here we go again...the last shall be first...the humble shall be exalted...and now, "For when I am weak, then I am strong."  Some things in Christianity just don’t make any sense.  Or do they? 

        Many of us go through life trying to force our way through every obstacle and every person.  However, in faith, we believe life is not something to be conquered or overcome.  It’s not something in our way.  It’s not simply a task to be mastered, nor is it a problem to be solved.  Life is something to be embraced, something to be entered into, something to be cherished!

        "For when I am weak, then I am strong."  You’d think we'd learn, but we don't.  From experience, we know that worldly power gets us nowhere.  In relationships it beats people down.  In the workplace it lowers morale. 

In the world of money and finance it can make us gain wealth at the expense of others as we have recently seen with the greed of the Bernie Madeoff scandal.  In social situations it can make it harder to make true friends.  And on the world stage it can even lead to war or oppression or even genocide.  Worldly power is ultimately an illusion...one which can leave the world broken and our souls empty.

        But power in God’s world is something completely different.  The power God wants us to wield is nothing short of God Himself…the Holy Spirit dwelling in each of us.  And nothing can stop it.  Think of Gandhi for a minute.  Here was a man who preached truth and non-violence, even in the face of his own personal safety.  He held no public office, and yet he changed his country and many hearts across the world forever.  This tiny, frail man achieved much, simply by embracing that which is good and true and just and holy (and weak in the eyes of many).

        Now, I know that the use of someone like Gandhi in an argument can be somewhat of a cliché.  People use Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mother Teresa in the same way.  People often claim that they are the exception and not the rule.  I won't argue.  However, they are the exception for one and only one reason, and it is this:  Very few of us have the courage to live out our convictions in such a complete and total way.  That's the truth!  We can talk a good game, but these people (Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mother Teresa) actually lived it...not perfectly, but passionately!

        If only more of us, myself included, could really buy into the idea that when we are weak we are strong, when we give we receive, when we love others we experience love, and when we die to ourselves we will live forever.  If only we could realize that the greatest power the world has ever seen came about when a man courageously allowed himself to be led up a hill called Calvary.  In God's eyes, this is real power, the kind of power that can change the world, the kind of power not available to the few, but to all of us!

        And so we have some soul-searching to do.  How do we experience life?  How do we go about trying to serve the Lord?  Are we always trying to be in charge and in control?  Life is a gift, a gift to be treasured.  And the way to appreciate the gift is to celebrate it fully, to dive right in and let God lead us on an incredible ride.  But it will never happen if we have to call all the shots.  Let go and let God!

        Life is sort of like a rollercoaster.  The thrill is in knowing that we are safe even in the face of the unpredictable ups, downs, and curves ahead.  And the result is pure joy, excitement, liberation and maybe a tiny bit of trepidation just to keep things interesting.

        That's what God wants for us...to unleash the power of His Holy Spirit by living lives of generosity, mercy, and love.  But let's not try to force our way through it.  God will be our strength and our guide.  So, relax...and keep your head down in true humility.  And be sure to listen to whatever other tips God is sending your way.  Then watch the difference just a couple of small things can make. 

Maybe we can't live our lives perfectly, but we can live them with great passion.  Remember "For when I am weak, then I am strong!"