Homily for Ordinary Time 22 - August 30, 2020

 

Homily for August 30, 2020

Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time

Living Sacrifice

 

            A British World War II fighter pilot named Vivian Rosewarne, having successfully flown many missions, was still always amazed at the grandeur of the earth and sky as he would maneuver his plane – and also conscious that he could die at any moment on these dangerous missions. He was tragically shot down at the young age of 23, but as his commanders were going through his possessions, they came upon a letter that he wrote to his mother but never sent. One line from this letter has always stood out to me. This fighter pilot writes: “The universe is so vast and so ageless that the life of one man can only be justified by the measure of his sacrifice.”

            This echoes the powerful words of Pope John Paul II: “Man can only find himself in a sincere gift of himself.”

            Do you ever feel like your life is routine, mundane, boring? Do you feel like you’re just going through the motions? Getting up, going to work or school, watching TV…kind of an empty existence? What is the point of it all – to get another paycheck, get another “A” on a test, and then do it all over again the next day? Doesn’t it just seem hollow?

            When the first Lord of the Rings movie came out in theaters, my sister and I went to see it together. After the movie, we were driving home in silence, still drinking it all in. Looking off into the setting sun, my sister sighed and said, “I wish life could be like that! An epic quest, a thrilling battle, an adventure to live!” It is written deep in the human heart: a desire for our lives to have meaning in a story bigger than us and our mundane existence.

            And we can! We are part of an epic story – God is bringing about the healing and restoration of the human race, and we have an irreplaceable role to play in that mission! We are living in a battlefield between good and evil, between God and Satan - and souls are being lost and won because of our words and deeds!

So if we are living in something more than just a mundane, humdrum, ordinary world, then the measure of our lives and our existence is in what we are willing to sacrifice for. St. Paul tells us to “make of our bodies a living sacrifice.” Our everyday, commonplace life can be a living sacrifice of love for God. Nothing is wasted when it is given to Him – doing the dishes, walking the dog, working out – all of these things gain eternal consequences when we make ourselves a living sacrifice. The crosses we endure – whether they be small like a traffic jam or large like a cancer diagnosis – these sufferings, when made into a “living sacrifice”, become torrents of grace for our souls and for the healing of the world.

            One beautiful way to do that is to make a “Morning Offering”. This is a prayer that we pray at the beginning of the day to offer our day to God. A classic one goes like this: “O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my relatives and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father.” Thus, your whole day and everything in it becomes an act of love.

            The other way to make yourself a “living sacrifice” is to offer up everything to God. When you suffer, when you study, when you play sports, when you work, when you sleep – a ten-second prayer beforehand to say, “God, I give this to You, help me to do this for Your glory and in a way that pleases You” will elevate those actions from ordinary to momentous. They are no longer insignificant, because they are given over to the Lord, who uses our offering to sanctify ourselves and change the world.

            Too many people are miserable because their life is meaningless, because it is all about themselves. Your life only matters when you live it for something greater than you. Want to make a difference in this world and in eternity? Offer your life as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.