August 11th

Post date: Aug 13, 2019 4:53:13 PM

August 11, 2019 Homily by Fr. Karl Schray

A reflection by Sr. Melanie Svoboda based on today’s Gospel:

If you knew when the thief was coming…What a curious metaphor. Why would Jesus compare himself to a thief?

For one thing, thieves rely on the element of surprise. They break in when we least expect it. Thieves do not always look like thieves. That well-dressed woman on the subway might be the one to steal your wallet. Successful thieves are not deterred by barricades we install either—locked doors, security cameras, alarm systems. They know how to work around them or worse yet how to disarm them.

How does this apply to Jesus? Two thousand years ago, Jesus broke into our world in a totally surprising way: as a simple carpenter-turned-itinerant preacher, walking the dusty roads of a Podunk place called Galilee. He came not employing force or violence but modeling tender service and forgiveness.

Even today, Jesus is a master of disguises. He breaks into our lives in the guise of a fidgety baby or a cheerful octogenarian, in a call for volunteers, in someone we’ve written off, in the face of a refugee. He disarms the barricades we put up to keep him out: our compulsive busyness, our mindless routine, our endless clutter. Jesus, the Thief, is so good at what he does that he can break in anywhere and anytime. Thank God.

And what does Jesus steal? Our hearts, yes. And – if we let him—our very identity.