(Seventeenth Sunday of the Year (A): This homily was given
on July 26, 2020 at St. Pius X Church, Westerly, R.I., by Fr. Raymond
Suriani. Read 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12; Psalm
119; Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-52.)
[For the audio version of this homily, click here: Seventeenth Sunday 2020]
The meditation I will share with you in my homily today I
received via email a number of years ago.
I share it this morning for two reasons.
First of all, it makes reference to a very important verse in today’s
second reading (which is taken from chapter 8 of St. Paul’s Letter to the
Romans). The verse I’m talking about is
verse 28, which is rendered as follows: “Brothers and sisters: We know that all
things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his
purpose.”
All things! Not some
things; not many things; not most things—but ALL things!
Notice he didn’t say that everything we experience in this
life is good. Paul would never have said
that. He was a realist. Rather, he said that in some mysterious way
all the experiences we have in this life—the good, the bad, the happy, the sad,
the exhilarating, the discouraging, the disappointing, the depressing—ALL OF
THEM—will work together for our spiritual benefit, if our love for God is genuine
and we’re striving to do the Lord’s will in our lives.
So that’s the first and primary reason I’m sharing this
meditation today: because it mentions Romans 8:28. But I’m also sharing it for another reason: because
I think it’s a powerful testimony to the importance of reading the Bible. If we read God's Word on a regular basis—and believe what we read—it will make a
monumental difference in our lives. As
this reflection indicates, the benefits will be physical and psychological, as
well as spiritual.
For lack of a better title, you might choose to call this
meditation “You say/God says”
You say, "It's impossible."
God says, "What's impossible for human beings is
possible for me." (That’s based on Luke
18:27)
You say, "I'm too tired."
God says, "I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
You say, "I can't do it."
God says, "You can do all things through
Christ." (Philippians 4:13)
You say, "I'm always worried and frustrated."
God says, "Cast all your cares on me." (1 Peter 5:7)
You say, "I feel all alone."
God says, "I will never forsake you or abandon
you." (Hebrews 13:5)
You say, "I'm not smart enough."
God says, "I . . . shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute." (Luke 21:15)
You say, "I'm afraid."
God says, "I have not given you a spirit of cowardice,
but rather a spirit of power and love and self-control."
(2 Timothy 1:7)
You say, "I can't figure things out."
God says, "I will direct your steps if you trust
me." (Proverbs 3:5-6)
You say, "I can't go on."
God says, "My grace is sufficient for you." (2 Corinthians 12:9)
You say, "Nobody loves me."
God says, "I have loved you with an everlasting
love." (Jeremiah 31:3)
You say, "I don't have enough faith."
God says, "If you have faith the size of a mustard
seed you can move mountains."
(Matthew 17:20)
You say, "I can't be forgiven."
God says, "Though your sins be like scarlet, they may
become white as snow; though they be crimson red, they may become white as
wool." (Isaiah 1:18)
And finally:
You say, "Nothing good can possibly come out of my
trials and sufferings and mistakes."
God says, "If you truly love me, everything in your life will work together for good, and that
includes your trials, your sufferings and your mistakes." (Romans 8:28)
I should add here that even our sins can work for our good in this life—if we repent of those sins,
and learn from those sins, and then strive to grow in holiness each and every
day.
To accent the importance of his message, Jesus often ended
his sermons by saying, "Whoever has
ears ought to hear." (Cf.
Matthew 13:9) Today I end my homily with
similar words: "Whoever has problems (and who doesn't?!) ought to read the
Bible every day, to find out what God says."
