Homily for Lent 3 - March 20, 2022

 

Homily for Lent 3

March 20, 2022

Friendship with the Almighty

 

            What kind of a name is “I Am”? That’s an interesting way for God to introduce Himself – “Hello Moses, I am I Am.” What does it mean? Three things. First, it means that God is the only God. Moses was coming from Egypt, where dozens of gods competed for worship, and he’s wondering if this is just another one of the many gods. But the Lord says, “No, Moses…I Am” – the other gods are not. So God speaks of His uniqueness to Moses.

            Second, the name I Am means that He is the source of all existence in the universe. Everything that is, is because He is. You see, God is not just the greatest of all beings as if He were a mega-version of humans. Actually, Aquinas says that God is Being Itself – Pure Existence. Hence, the name “I Am”.

            It also means that He is outside of time. He’s not “I Was” or “I Will Be” – He is “I Am” – all time is present to Him. He was there at the creation of the universe; He is the same God when the universe dissolves into nothingness. So God is saying a whole lot by introducing Himself as “I Am” – He is the source of all existence, and all time exists in Him. These truths can make us tremble with fear before the greatness of God!

            But…He is also doing something else profound here. By introducing Himself to Moses, He is establishing an intimate relationship with Him. Think of it – what is the first thing we do when we want to get to know someone? We share our names. Moses wants to know who this “God” is, and God wants to be known, trusted, and loved. So He shares His Name.

            Both of these realities are true – God is way above us…and He wants to be our closest friend. He is the all-powerful, all-holy…and He wants to share our mundane lives and our worries. What a gift!

            Let’s apply this to our lives, here and now.

            Because God is holy, He desires us to be holy. That’s the whole point of the Gospel parable. Jesus speaks of this fig tree that doesn’t bear fruit. The fig tree is us – you and I – and the fruit that Christ looks for is holiness in our lives. He has planted the tree (gave us faith), watered it (given us graces), fertilized it (taught us)…but will He find holiness?

            A great definition of holiness comes from that recent Christian song…“Holiness is Christ in me.” Once during the 1800s, an unbeliever from Paris had heard about the reputation of St. John Vianney, who was serving as a parish priest in a small town in southern France. The unbeliever was curious if this man was as holy as everyone said he was, so he traveled down to meet with him and hear him preach. When he returned, his friends asked him, “What did you think? How was Fr. Vianney?” The man responded, “I have seen God in a man.” That’s holiness!

            And this holiness is the calling of every Christian, not just priests and nuns and grandmothers, who are always the holiest people we know. All of us are called to that holiness, living with Christ in us. But holiness is not something that we achieve on our own efforts…it’s the fruit of an intimate personal relationship with God. Let’s go back to that fig tree image – a tree grows because it is exposed to the sunlight (as God the Father is the source of all Light). It needs water to flourish – and Jesus calls Himself the Living Water. It needs air to breathe, and in Hebrew the same word is used for both “breath” and “Holy Spirit”. Only when the tree is surrounded by light, sun, and wind – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, can it bear fruit. And what beautiful fruit it is: virtues, good works, and inner peace that comes from our friendship with Jesus.

            How do we develop this friendship with Jesus? Prayer. I’m not talking about “saying prayers” or pre-written prayers, although those are fine. But real, authentic prayer is a relationship where we invite Jesus into life. A woman was once in a laundromat with a friend. After putting her laundry in, she sat down next to the friend who was reading out of a notebook. “Whatcha reading?” she asked. The other woman said, “I’m not reading. I’m praying.” “Here? In a laundromat?” “Why not? God is here too.” The notebook was where she kept important Bible passages, lines from her favorite Christian songs, and prayer requests.

            I knew a woman who would pray a decade of the Rosary on the ski lift. I pray in the dentist’s chair…yeah, that’s some intense prayer time! St. John Bosco, when he would run out of time for his daily hour of prayer, would offer the Lord what he called “scraps of time” – a minute here, a minute there. A quick and beautiful way to pray is called “Aspirations” where we shoot a one-sentence prayer to Heaven like an arrow: My Jesus, Mercy. Lord, I love You. Mother Mary, be my guide. If we don’t know what to say in prayer, don’t say anything at all – just sit in silence. Read the Bible, which is how God speaks to us.

            This week, don’t just say prayers…and don’t just save it for two minutes before bedtime. Live a life of prayer. Speak to the Lord throughout the day, and carve out a significant amount of time to listen to Him through Scripture reading and silence. We have the privilege of having a living relationship with the Almighty Creator, the Great I Am – Who desires a friendship with you so that you become holy, like Him. Do you desire it as well? If so, will you take the time to pursue Him in prayer?