October 10, 2021 (28th Sunday in Ordinary Time)

by Fr. Dominic DeLay, O.P. and Sr. Gloria Marie Jones, O.P.

[This is the text composed by the homilists prior to delivering the homily.]

DD: Have you ever felt like the rich man, really trying to do the right thing, feeling a bit proud of your accomplishments, and then someone tells you you’re not good enough? Another version of this gospel identifies this man as young, but this man could easily be me. I try so hard to be a good boy.   

GM: Have you ever found yourself longing for wisdom…the wisdom to know how best to respond in a difficult situation or the wisdom to make the right decision…or to know the truth of where your heart is?... I know this feeling well. Could it be that what the rich man really wants from Jesus is wisdom?

DD:  This wealthy man asks Jesus what he can do to have everlasting life.  Does he feel proud  when Jesus tells him to follow the commandments? “I’ve been doing those all my life,” he says.

GM: That’s when Jesus looks at him with love...not because the man has done all these things but because he loves him for WHO he is...just as Jesus looks at each of us with Love, no matter what. Jesus realizes that who the man is, is being suffocated by his wealth and by his spiritual pride, by the way he puts so much stock in keeping the law...as if that will earn him everlasting life.  But Jesus tells him he’s lacking in one thing.

DD: [Waits for more…] And? What’s that one thing?

GM: That’s the question, isn’t it?

DD: Apparently. And what’s the answer?

GM: Yes, what is the answer?  What’s your answer?  Is there something you’re lacking?

DD: Well, I definitely relate to the wealthy man not wanting to give away all his stuff. And, even more, I think there’s a lot of anxiety and fear I hold on to. Actually, I think my anxiety and fear has a lot to do with trying to be a good boy for God and for others. And, like the wealthy man, all this stuff gets in the way of my following Jesus more fully.

GM: ...How true...How easy it is for my agendas, my desired accomplishments, my insecurities  to get in the way of following Jesus.  And of missing him standing right  before me in the other...The wealthy man asks what he can DO so he can have everlasting life.  The answer, much to his surprise, is not about doing more, but about BEING…it is an invitation to greater freedom…to let go of his ambitions, to look beyond himself to the needs of others… And ultimately it is an invitation to abandon all for Love… a gift we don’t earn...a gift waiting for each of us…no matter what.  It is God’s love that saves us, not ourselves and our accomplishments!

DD: I wonder what Jesus felt when he saw the man’s face fall, when he went away sad, not ready to let go of his wealth and all the ways he spends his energies trying to earn spiritual wealth. I wonder, too, what happened after. Was the man ever ready to let go and follow?  

Will I be able to let go more fully so that I can more freely and fully follow Jesus?  How will my BEING become more important than my HAVING or DOING?

GM: Those are  the questions that God’s Word invites each of us to be with this week.  What IS the path to greater Love awaiting each of us, the MORE God is longing to give us?  I suspect for me, it is an invitation to not let my work, my ideas, my agendas, my “doing” diminish the quality of my “being,” —the quality of presence and openness I bring to whatever the moment holds. That, the present moment, is where God meets me...and invites me to more! And how easily I can miss that invitation!

DD: That’s where Wisdom comes in, the wisdom prayed for in the first reading, the wisdom we all desire, especially when facing challenges, decisions, and the desire to support others. This wisdom takes us beyond what we know with our head. It invites us into a deeper knowing.  It enables us to see with God’s eyes what this journey of discipleship is all about in the here and now.

GM: We celebrate this gift at our confirmation.   And we have myriad supports to keep us growing in that gift of Wisdom. Let me name a few and see which are true for you...  God’s Word is a light for our path,  spiritual reading enlightens us, and the saints inspire us.  Our small groups provide the space to learn and grow.  Having a spiritual companion we meet with regularly helps us stay focused and can be a great support for discerning the Spirit’s movement in our lives. Wisdom also comes to us through more subtle means: through the messages our bodies, our dreams, our feelings, our experiences provide..  There is no limit to God’s efforts to wake us up, to speak to us and lead us forward.

DD: Yes! And this wisdom has nothing to do with how intelligent we are...the secret doesn’t come from thinking harder or  longer…

GM: Spiritual teachers tell us this wisdom comes from simply creating space to pause and  listen… open and attentive to what is stirring within. It is being faithful to the Scripture call:  Be still and know that I am God! What helps us do that?

DD: We can choose to make time each day to be present to God.  Last week Fr. Xavier challenged us to give 2% of our time to God: 15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes in the evening.  He’s doubling down on our community’s customary commitment: 1% or 15 minutes. But even if it’s five minutes, the main thing is simply to do it. Or rather, to not do it. It’s not about doing but simply being, letting God love us. If you wish, try with me now a traditional way: Perhaps with eyes closed, we direct our attention to our breath, connecting with this sacred gift of life pulsating within us. God’s breath and our breath are one… We listen now to whatever is stirring inside of us... It might be what our body is trying to say, what our heart might be holding, what concerns we may be carrying, or fears holding us back… We simply listen… This is time for our mind to rest, not to problem solve… Jesus meets us in whatever emerges...and his gift is peace, mercy… Amen. In this simple way, we listen attentively to God’s Word, the awareness God brings to our heart, to our mind.

GM:  This kind of listening, this openness and attentiveness helps us hear the MORE God/Jesus is asking of us, wanting to give us wherever we find ourselves… It opens us to the wisdom that is taking on the mind and heart of Jesus… That might seem an impossible task, but in truth it is God’s deepest desire for each of us... God’s gift waiting for us! Our first step is to desire and pray for this gift of wisdom… And then to create the space and openness to receive the gift…

This simple listening presence each day is a  powerful avenue for fuller Life, for spiritual growth!

Remember:  Our task is simply to show up…be open…be attentive (but not worried about the inevitable distractions)…and trust the Spirit to do the rest!

This is the path of discipleship… May it lead us to the Love, the Peace, the Joy awaiting us!

DD: Our faithful God will not disappoint us!