Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Deacon's Bench

Home
Catholic
Religion News
Homily for November 4, 2012: 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Homily for November 4, 2012: 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Last updated on: November 3, 2012 at 9:56 am by Deacon Greg Kandra

Homily for November 4, 2012: 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time 2012-11-03T09:56:39-04:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

[Click here for readings.]

By remarkable coincidence —or maybe divine planning —this gospel reading is as relevant and as urgent as this morning’s headlines.

In this passage from Mark’s gospel, a scribe asks Jesus to name the most important commandment. Jesus not only tells him that, but also tells him the second most important one, too.

And with good reason.

It’s because the two commandments are inseparable. Love of God, love of neighbor.

What Jesus is telling us here is that you cannot devote yourself fully to God —mind, heart, body, soul—and then neglect your neighbor.

You cannot spend all day gazing at the heavens in prayer, and then refuse to lower your eyes and look at your brothers and sisters around you.

Love your neighbor, Jesus says. Love him, in fact, as much as you love yourself.

Who are our neighbors? At this hour, our neighbors aren’t necessarily on Burns Street or Ascan Avenue. They may not even be in Forest Hills.

They are in Seaside Heights, and Rockaway. They live in places like Gerritsen Beach and Sheepshead Bay, Red Hook and Breezy Point.

They’re living on streets without names, in neighborhoods without signs, on blocks without buildings. They are keeping warm by lighting fires on patio grills, and collecting food and clothing and blankets from rescue workers.

These are our neighbors – these are our neighborhoods. This is New York City after the most devastating storm in modern memory.

You’ve heard the stories, seen the pictures. Father Passenant drove through some neighborhoods the other night and described it as “apocalyptic.” No power, no heat, no food, no fuel. Some people are living in darkness.

But for all that has been lost, some things remain.

People still have resilience. They have hope. Many continue to have faith.

And: they have us. They are not alone.

We cannot forget: we are a community of believers. And that, too, is part of Jesus’s message to the scribe. What Christ spent his life teaching and explaining—the parables he told and the example he set—wasn’t meant to be kept to ourselves.

It was meant to be shared. It was meant to be lived in the world.

It was meant to given away.

How can we do that? Especially now, how can we love our neighbors as ourselves?

At this weekend’s Masses, there is an opportunity. There will be a special collection for those who have been impacted by this storm. If you can’t give now, do it when you go home. When you get home, click on your computer and go to ccbq.org. Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens. There, you’ll find a special web page to donate, to find places to give, and learn how you can volunteer your time. Various charities are also collecting food, clothing, supplies — even baby clothes and formula.

Fundraisers are being planned around the country, benefits are being scheduled. That is just the beginning. You’ll be hearing more, I’m sure, in the days to come. A battered world now needs to be rebuilt. And the city will always need more hands – hands to build or to carry or to pray.

And as I mentioned on All Saints Day: if we do nothing else, all of us can pray.

One of the most powerful images of this storm was a photograph taken after the devastating fires in Breezy Point that destroyed over 100 homes. That picture showed a statue of the Blessed Mother, the last thing standing in a deserted block – a figure of sorrow and loneliness amid all that destruction. It really was a picture worth a thousand words.

This morning, the New York Daily News posted that picture again on its website. But this time, it was different. Someone had laid at Mary’s feet a bouquet of flowers. The neighborhood was demolished, and there wasn’t a sign of life anywhere. All was ruins. But in the middle of that, there was Mary and those flowers: a simple expression of faith, a sign of devotion and hope.

It was a beautiful and reassuring reminder: despite everything, faith survives.

The gospel today teaches us how important faith is—faith in God, and faith in one another.

Let us hold fast to that faith in the days to come, and pray that God will bring consolation and relief to those so desperately in need. We may not know their names. They may not live in the same zip code as we do.

But: they are our neighbors.

We can do no less than to pray for them, hope for them, reach out to them … and love them.

Homilies

Previous Post

November 2, 2012

"Pop-star" priest opens megachurch

Next Post

November 3, 2012 Illinois diocese to name new parish for St. Kateri

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism Education education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution politics Politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV Uncategorized uncategorized Vatican VATICAN vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did Eve eat in the Garden of Eden?

Select your answer to see how you score.

A vine branch Bread An unclean animal Fruit from the Tree of Knowledge

Books by This Author Books by Deacon Greg Kandra

See All Titles »