Homily for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
(On Lk 10:38-42)
Fr. Francis Nguyen, O.P.
(July 21, 2013)
(On Lk 10:38-42)
Fr. Francis Nguyen, O.P.
(July 21, 2013)
Listen to audio: click here
Dear
Sisters and Brothers,
Very
often we ask ourselves this question: Which is the better service of God? Doing
something big enough, such as to build a church, to donate a large sum of money
to charity mission, or to go to the ends of the earth bringing the Good News of Christ to all people? Or to enter a convent and spend your life just praying
night and day?
Some
believe, as Martha does, that it is much more meaningful to serve the Lord with
more actions so as to make God’s great name known to people.
Active
people who are involved in social political and economic fields criticize those who commit themselves in religious life of being indifferent to offenses
against God’s glory in places where freedom of religion is violated, and of
being insensitive to suffering of the poor and the powerless.
Those
who choose prayerful life believe, as Mary does, that the better way to serve
God is just to stay with Him, listening to Him speak in the silence of your
heart.
By
so doing, you can bring peace of mind and true and lasting joy to people who
are victims of all forms of evil in today's society.
In
my opinion, your active life is the sign of how your prayerful life looks like.
When
you pray to God, you give your faith a heart, a soul, so it becomes alive and will
bear good fruit.
When
you do something either in the worship of God or in the service of people, you
give your faith a form, a shape, a body, visible to everyone, so they may know
how strong four faith may be.
As.Saint
James teaches: Faith without action is abready dead.
I
would say: our worship of God and our service of people become a lifeless body
if we are not interested in prayer and frequent contact with the Lord.
Martha
and Mary combine the full and complete christians way of life.
