2/19/17 Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - Deacon Ron

Wednesday  |  February 22, 2017  |  07:57 AM

Homily Summary for 7th Sunday in OT ~ Deacon Landry

• Although I struggled with Mathematics, my professor assured me that with work, persistence and extra help I would succeed.
• Math has always been a matter of fear and failure for me.
• He did not tell me that this would result in an 'A', but that I would succeed.
• I got a 'C' on a test that I was certain I would fail. So I did succeed.
• One of the foundational principles of teaching is, "Never set your students up for failure."
• Had my professor assured me of an 'A' if I applied myself, the 'C' would have represented failure. However, for me it represented success.
• In today's gospel, Jesus Christ says, "So, be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."
• By our very nature, human beings cannot be "perfect". Has our Savior set us up for failure?
• For the purposes of this passage in Sacred Scripture, the meaning of "perfect" is easily misconstrued. It comes from the Greek telos, which can indeed be translated into "perfect".
•  However, in the context of our gospel message, the true spirit is "completion, intended goal, determined end".
• Each one of us has a goal expected of us by Almighty God. As with a struggling student work, persistence and extra help will bring us toward this goal.
• Christianity is challenging. We can avail ourselves of extra help through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which not only absolves of our sins when we fail, but gives us the grace needed to overcome those failures.
• The Sacrament of Holy Eucharist provides us with the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ to nourish us and give us the strength to persevere.
• The Liturgy of the Word provides guidance from sacred Scripture, and the encouragement through the reflection to further help us toward our goal.