Monday, November 16, 2015

Homily for 17 Nov 2015

17 Nov 2015
Memorial of St Elizabeth of Hungary

With Autumn the winds get stronger; they sting a little more as they turn colder.  And we might have to turn our heads down and fight against those winds in order to make our way.  When the winds turn against us, we get our heavier coats out, and our gloves and hats.  We want to keep the warmth in, and the cold out.

And this happens, too, when the winds of the human family turn.  Maybe someone says a strong comment against our God; and somebody else stings us with an overly harsh criticism.  And we might have to turn our heads down to fight against those voices in order to make our way in the world.  When people around us turn cold-of-heart, we clothe ourselves even more with our faith—we want to keep God close, and hatred out.

When Eleazar’s companions criticized him, he clung even more strongly to God.  When Zacchaeus heard the murmurings of others against him, he ignored them and turned to face Jesus, who desired to share a meal with him.  Today, we remember St Elizabeth of Hungary who, in spite of what others wanted her to do, remained true to the spirit of charity, almsgiving and prayer; she remained faithful to God above all else.

Our ancestors in the faith show us what it’s like to face the sting of personal criticism, the coldness of unjust and unloving rejection of their life and faith.  In spite of the turn-of-the-winds against them, they stayed true to God . . . and were deeply joyful in that.  They kept God close to their hearts and minds.  And when all was said and done, God drew them close to him.

When life around us turns harsh, we need only remember to keep God close.  When life gets colder, fidelity to God will keep us warm and secure.  

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