Homily for 11 Jan 2017

11 Jan 2017

We often times look at the Saints as people we can relate to.  And, of course, we should do that.  We look at St. Francis of Assisi, and we see how he turned his life around.  We look at St. Augustine, who made many mistakes in his earlier years before getting on a better path.  We can relate to the human failings of the Saints—they’re not that different from us. 

But Jesus is a little different.  I mean, he never sinned.  And so, it’s maybe hard to relate to someone who is perfect.  And yet, Jesus was tested just like we are.  He was tempted by the devil in the desert.  He was poked and prodded by his adversaries.  He suffered the loss of friends; he came face-to-face with the ailments that afflict us in body, mind, and spirit.  Jesus was tested just like we are.  And so, we can relate to Jesus whenever we’re tested.

As the Letter to the Hebrews puts it, “Because he himself was tested . . . he is able to help those who are being tested.”  And that’s good news for us.  Our God isn’t one who stands off at a distance from us; he became one of us, and he still comes to us in Flesh and Blood, to share in our humanness, in our trials and troubles. 

Because he himself was tested, he is able to help those who are being tested.  He’s able to help, and he does help—if we turn to him in faith and say, “Jesus, help me.”