Homily for 21 st Sunday of OT, Year C (Is 66:18-21; Lk 13:22-30) When I emerged from the sacristy in St. Peter s Basilica for the very

Transcription

1 Homily for 21 st Sunday of OT, Year C (Is 66:18-21; Lk 13:22-30) When I emerged from the sacristy in St. Peter s Basilica for the very first time back in 2013, I stood in awe and gratitude, realizing that in a few moments, I would be celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the most iconic Catholic Church in the entire world. Now it took me about 15 minutes to eventual find an altar to celebrate Mass upon, having been told by a number of security guards that I was not permitted to celebrate Mass in certain chapels and altars within St. Peter s. I was privileged to offer the Holy Mass on 5 occasions in St. Peter s during that pilgrimage to Rome, and as walked out the basilica s doors for the final time, I made a resolution to return and celebrate Mass upon the altar that most inspired me in that grandiose House of God. The altar was the one that contained the body of Pope St. Pius X, whose liturgical feast is celebrated in the Catholic Church on August 21 st, though since this day falls on a Sunday this year, it will not be celebrated liturgically. Because Our Lord prompts us to ask so that we might receive, I asked that I one day be given that wonderful privilege of celebrating the

2 Holy Mass above the body of St. Pius X. And Jesus did not fail in making my request a reality! On July 12, 2016, a few minutes after 8:00am, I ascended the three steps leading up to the altar of St. Pius X to begin offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the intentions of our parish, with 10 young adults from our WYD pilgrimage group and a few pilgrims from the Philippines uniting themselves in prayer to the sacrifice that had begun. Needless to say this Mass ranks among the most remarkable of my priesthood! What made it so special was the great saint who rested in the sleep of peace beneath the altar, whom I believe interceded on my behalf to offer a fitting sacrifice that day. His life and vocation are a testimony to the words we heard today from both the Prophet Isaiah and Our Lord in the Gospel of St. Luke. The prophet Isaiah spoke to the People of Israel during their time of exile in Babylon. He looked forward to the day when they would return to the Holy City Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. He then prophesized how all the nations of the world would one day worship

3 God on Mt. Zion and how The Lord would provide a new generation of priests and Levites to serve at the Lord s Holy Altar. While it is true that the words of the Prophet speak of the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple in the 5 th century BC, they also speak of how Jesus Christ, who created the new and eternal temple from His Holy Body after His death and resurrection, would create a New People from ever tribe, tongue, people and nation, to forevermore worship the Most Holy Trinity. We know this New People of God to be Our Holy Catholic Church, which at every hour of day has some parish community, somewhere in the world, gathering together to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We also know that in order for the Holy Mass to take place, God will generously provide His Church with priests to serve at His Holy Altar. In addition, Our Lord speaks today of those who are willing to walk the narrow path of holiness and in doing so show themselves to be authentic disciples of Jesus Christ. Above all else, Our Lord reminds us that is it the humble who will walk this path onwards to eternal life, those who seek to be last and fade into the background so that God can make them first and exalt them now and in His kingdom of light.

4 Pope St. Pius X is a wonderful example of a man whom God choose to be among His Holy Priesthood and who strived to serve the Lord in the spirit of humility and detachment, never seeking to be a man of power or prestige, certainly not the Pope of Rome, but whom God choose to nonetheless exalt in this life and as a saint in heaven. Few would have thought that Giuseppe Sarto would become the Successor of St. Peter. He was not born into the aristocracy of Europe or numbered among the nobility of Rome. He was the son of a parish clerk and a seamstress and became fatherless at the age of 16. His mother encouraged him to follow his vocational calling to become a priest despite the financial burdens this would incur on their family. Ordained at 23, Fr. Giuseppe would spent nearly 20 years as a parish priest before he was named a bishop in 1884, a Cardinal in 1892 and the Pope in Having become the Vicar of Christ here on earth, the man chosen by the Holy Spirit to lead God s people, St. Pius X did not forget that it is those who humbly choose to be last, even if they wear robes of fine silk and wield the power of the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, that will be exalted; for he must have remembered how too

5 many of his successors had chosen a life of power and luxury behind the walls of St. Peter, instead of being the humble fisherman whom God had chosen to care for and feed His flock. Many are misinformed in thinking that the our current Holy Father, Pope Francis, is the first Pope in history to have sought to be among God s people and have the smell of his sheep. St. Pius X would spend his Sunday afternoons inviting a specific parish in the city of Rome to join him at St. Peter s, where he would spend the day teaching them about the faith and listening to their trials and concerns. He was fearless in writing against the errors of his times and the voices within the Church who were leading people away from the truth of Jesus Christ. Like The Good Shepherd who does not abandon His flock, St. Pius X was not afraid to confront the wolves that surrounded him and to protect the flock entrusted to his care. He was also the Pope who desired to see Catholics more frequently receive the Most Holy Eucharist. He encouraged people to make the Sacrament of Reconciliation a regular part of their lives so that they

6 would be ready and able to receive the Holy Eucharist at Sunday Mass and if possible, on a daily basis. There are also many charming stories about St. Pius subtle and humble sense of humour. One night he was awoken by the loud footsteps of a Swiss Guard who was on patrol in St. Peter s square. He went to the window of his apartment and asked the solider what he was doing. After the guard explained what his patrol duty entailed, the Pope remarked, Better yet, why don t you go and get some rest, that way both of us can get some sleep tonight! Our Lord will not fail in continuing to provide priests for His Church, asking them to accept the joys and sacrifices that come from this sacred ministry, and admonishing them to seek to be last and humble of heart so as to be first and exalted as saints in heaven. Let us ask the Lord to rise up such priests in the Church, men like St. Pius X, who wanted nothing more than to live as a humble pastor but whom God choose to exalt, permitting him to now rest in a magnificent altar in St. Peter s Basilica and forever reign as a saint in heaven!