Homily for January 15, 2023
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Extraordinary Time
So here
we are, back in Ordinary Time. But Ordinary Time is not called that because it
is boring or ordinary. Rather, the Sundays are “ordered” (aka, numbered). It’s
not “boring time” but a time of growth – hence the green vestments, a symbol of
growth.
What
kind of growth? Growth in holiness. The theme of Ordinary Time is a time to
grow in holiness. Our Scriptures bear that out – St. Paul writes in today’s
second reading, “I write to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus,
called to be holy.” Sometimes we think that holiness is just for priests and
nuns, but Mother Teresa said, “Holiness is not the luxury of a few, but the
simple duty of you and I.” And the Second Vatican Council taught that there is
a Universal Call to holiness – one of its documents states, “All of the
faithful of Christ, whatever rank or status, are called to the fulness of the
Christian Life and to perfection.” So we cannot excuse ourselves and think, “Oh,
I’m just not that ‘into’ my faith.”, or think, “I come to church, that’s
enough.” All of us – young and old, in every state of life - are called to the
heights of holiness.
Let’s
look at what holiness consists in, and then how to obtain it.
First of
all, holiness does NOT mean that a person prays all day. That is not possible –
and unless we are cloistered nuns, it’s not our calling. St. Francis de Sales,
a French priest from the 1600s, wrote the first book of spirituality for lay people,
wrote this: “When God created the world, he commanded each tree to bear
different fruit according to its kind, so He bids Christians to bring forth
fruits of holiness, each according to his vocation. A different form of
holiness is required of the nobleman, the artist, the servant, the prince, the
young person, and the wife.”
Holiness
also does NOT mean that we don’t have any fun in life. Some people think that
if we’re holy, we have to be serious and dour, and never enjoy ourselves. On
the contrary – St. Theresa of Avila once said, “A sad saint is a bad saint!”
Holiness is what we were made for, so when we pursue it, we find abundant joy.
In
addition, holiness does NOT mean that we have to do something extraordinary. We
don’t have to be missionaries or martyrs or move to a Catholic commune or live
on bread and water. We can be holy right here and now, in our everyday lives,
in whatever job or state of life we find ourselves.
What is
holiness, then? It is a life lived in union with Jesus Christ. It’s not
something we achieve on our own, as if we just grit our teeth and try hard and become
holy. No, He does the work in and through us. Our job is to remove obstacles to
His work within us – removing sin, surrendering control of our lives, letting
Him live and move within us. This is what makes holiness different from just
being “good” – we can be good by our own efforts – but holiness comes from His
grace alive in our souls.
So how
do we become holy? First, we need intimate union with Christ in daily prayer.
We have started a new year, and many people make New Year’s Resolutions – it’s
not too late to make a resolution to add daily prayer as an integral part of your
life. It doesn’t matter so much how we pray, as long as we do
pray – Scripture, Rosary, Christian music, devotions, just speaking to Christ from
our heart. Our connection with Him makes us holy.
Once we
have established that connection with Christ, we work to remove the obstacles
which prevent grace from transforming us in Christ. The first and foremost
obstacle is our sins. We heard John the Baptist’s proclamation of Jesus’
identity: “Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world!” We
will never be holy if we persist in sin, but if we acknowledge our sins in
Confession and turn from them, He will give us the grace to overcome them.
But in
addition to our sins, we also eliminate any habit of ours that prevents us from
living Christ’s life to the full. Perhaps we find ourselves lazy when we know
we should be doing something to help around the house. Maybe we spend too much
time with friends who lead us down a bad path. Maybe we read books that make us
question our faith. Maybe our job or our sports prevent us from Sunday worship.
Anything that prevents us from living virtuous lives is a stumbling block to
holiness, and should be removed so that He may live in us.
When it
comes down to it, holiness is an orientation. It’s a life seeking Jesus Christ,
living for Jesus Christ, being in union with Jesus Christ. As much as we may
stumble and struggle on the way, if our orientation is Jesus Christ and we
continue to persevere in seeking Him and growing into His likeness day by day,
then He will make holiness radiate within us.
I want
to share a story of two saints who became holy through very ordinary means: St.
Louis and Zelie Martin, a nineteenth-century French couple who were canonized
together. Louis had wanted to be a priest, but couldn’t learn Latin, so he
became a watchmaker. Zelie had a desire to give her life to God as a nun, but
her health prevented it, so she started making exquisite lace. The two of them
met, fell in love, and got married – dedicating their family to the service and
glory of God. They had five daughters, and their home became a place of joy and
prayer.
Louis
and Zelie took their daughters on several pilgrimages to holy sites throughout
Europe, planting the Catholic Faith deep within them. He took one of the rooms
in his home and turned it into a little chapel, so that the family could pray
together daily. The parents divided the family’s days into worship, work, and
recreation – a beautiful rhythm that set the tone for a happy, holy upbringing.
The parents’ goal was to make holiness so beautiful and attractive that their
daughters never wanted to sin. Their children did, indeed, fall in love with
God – all five of them became nuns, and the youngest became a saint: St.
Therese of Lisieux. When Louis became afflicted with dementia, he kept
uttering, “Everything for the greater glory of God!” Louis and Zelie became the
first married couple to be canonized together in the history of the Church.
Their normal,
unremarkable life shows us that holiness can be achieved everywhere, by
everyone: schoolchildren, parents, retirees, laborers, everyone.
Pursue
holiness, and turn Ordinary Time into an extraordinary time of grace.
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