Dec 23rd

Post date: Dec 24, 2018 6:43:40 PM

December 23, 2018 Homily by Fr. Karl Schray

How many of you try to be physically fit?

How many of you exercise your mind to be mentally fit?

How many of you listen to your conscience to be morally fit?

How many of you think God wants you to be spiritually fit?

When the angel of God promised Zechariah and Elizabeth a child, he said the child would be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. This child who will be called John will go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward their children. i.e. John will prepare a people fit for the Lord.

How can you and I become fit for the Lord? As Matthew Kelly says, ‘When it comes to our Faith life, we must not just “try”, rather we must “train”. Families understand the need for training in many things: learning to read and write, sports, music, cooking, learning to drive, a new job, and a myriad of other skills. When you want to be your best in those areas, you train—you don’t just try. But everyone of us needs to ask ourselves, how much training must I devote to my spiritual life to become fit for the Lord, especially since it’s the only thing in life that lasts forever?

We just heard in today’s second reading, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Behold, I come to do your will, O God.” Notice he did not say I will try to do your will. But he trained and committed himself to do his Father’s will. With God’s grace, John the Baptist, Mary and Joseph did the same. You and I can, too.

A modern parable of Jesus is Superman. The first Superman comic book appeared over 60 years ago. It started something like this: Before the planet Krypton exploded, a scientist placed his tiny son in a rocket and aimed it toward the planet Earth. His son arrived safely and was found by an elderly couple. They named the boy Clark and brought him up as their own son.

Appropriately, the elderly couple was named Mary and Joseph. When they became aware of Clark’s superhuman strength, they taught him that it was a gift and should be used to make this world a better place in which to live.

The story concluded with the deaths of Mary and Joseph. Clark stands at their graves, pledging to devote his strength to help people, especially those in need.

This allegory reminds us of what being a follower of Jesus in all about. It’s about showing love and concern for everyone, especially the poor and needy, the lonely, the confused and the sad.

In the Scripture before today’s Gospel, Mary responds to the angel Gabriel’s request from God to be the mother of Jesus by saying, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word.” Soon after she leaves on the long journey to help her cousin, Elizabeth, have her baby.

Fitness is important and spiritual fitness the most important.

We want to be fit for the Lord.

I will do more than try. I will train myself.

Let us close with this suggestion from former TV celebrity, Art Linkletter:

Do a little more than you need to;

Give a little more than you have to;

Try a little harder than you want to;

Aim a little higher than you think possible.