Here is my homily from this morning. God bless all!
The last verse from today’s Gospel begs the question, “Do I hear God’s Word, the teachings of Jesus, as spoken with authority, or not?”
Indeed, it is easy for all of us who are here every day for early Mass to say we hear God’s Word and accept its authority, and perhaps you do. But what happens when the storms and difficulties of life hit and we are buffeted by wind and hail? Do we have that strong foundation that only faith can give to us? Do we remain in faith, or do we excuse ourselves and our situations.
A great question for our lives, especially our moral lives. How easily do we become faithless when influenced by the forces of the world?
Jesus is telling us that only by listening to his word in faith, and responding to what we have heard will we have that solid foundation upon which to build our lives. It is only our shared faith which will give us the ability to weather the storms of life. Yes, life can be difficult, and in those moments we need to be able to see the presence of God in the midst of the storm and it is only with faith can we see God’s presence. Faith marks the presence of God in our world. Faith casts a light on God’s ever-present love. Without faith, we are blind and darkness seems to overcome us.
Indeed, some listen to God’s Word without faith, without a response, and they recognize no authority in it. Others, in the listening, respond and build upon that Word, knowing its authority and call to obedience.
May we pray for one another this day, that we all grow in our shared faith, listen attentively to God’s authoritative Word, and assist each other in the difficulties of life.
