Homily for 15 Dec 2016

15 Dec 2016

(School Mass)

Jesus says that John the Baptist is the greatest human that ever lived.  And John certainly did a lot of good things.  He told people about the Messiah.  He got them ready so that when Jesus came, people could recognize him.  So, John did a lot of very good things.  Jesus is right: John is the greatest human that ever lived.

But, you know, we usually think of the Virgin Mary as the greatest human ever to live.  But that’s true too.  We have two people who are the best.  They’re the two greatest humans who ever lived—but they’re the greatest in two different ways.

Everything John did was good, it was excellent.  He used his own human strengths and abilities, and he depended on God.  Everything John did was excellent.  But everything that Mary did was just a little better, because everything she did depended on God alone.

So, when we’re living life, and using our gifts and our talents, that’s great; we should use them, just like John the Baptist used his strengths and abilities.  But it’s an even better thing to let God help us to use our gifts and talents.  And it’s the best of all to just say, “God, thy will be done,” and then just God’s will be done—whatever it is.