iPadre: Fr. Cooper's Homilies

As a follower of Jesus Christ, what is one of the worst sins you can commit? The answer is to do nothing. Doing nothing, or in the case of today's parable, not bearing fruit, is the quickest way to disqualify you from the kingdom of God. Bearing fruit is something that all of us can do. We don’t have to have a university degree. We don’t have to be gifted in terms of leadership or technical abilities or gifted as speakers. All we need is Christ’s heart giving us compassion for the needs of others and the willingness to serve.

Temptation is very real in our lives--as it was real in the life of Jesus. We need to heed Christ’s teachings. Thoughts are connected to deeds. It is in our best interest, and in the interest of those we love, to pray that we shall not even be tempted. We need to recognize the destructiveness of sin in our lives and confront our susceptibility. Finally, we need to learn to rely on God, whose power is greater than the power of the tempter and can give us victory over every evil. 

Why are you here on this Ash Wednesday? Why do you desire to be marked with the blessed ashes in the sign of the Cross? It’s one thing to wear a Cross around your neck or have one smudged on your forehead. It’s quite another to bear a Cross in your daily life. Bearing a Cross is an act of humility and service. Bearing a Cross is an act of contrition and commitment. Ultimately it is an act of devotion and love. It is not noisy in announcing itself to the world. It is silent, but sincere. Are you here for the right reasons?

 

 

Jesus doesn’t talk about things we store in our junk drawers. Instead, He talks about the things we store up in our heart (beliefs, prejudices, attitudes, habits, grudges, emotions); however, He doesn’t speak of them as junk. Instead, the Lord speaks of them as seeds--as seeds in a garden. These seeds don’t just lie dormant in the dark, collecting dust. According to Jesus, the things we store up in our hearts start to grow, and push through to the surface of our lives through our words and our actions. The question is not whether we will produce fruit in our lives or not. Bearing fruit is inevitable. Inescapable. The question is what kind of fruit will we bear from the storehouse of our heart, and how will it affect the world around us? 

Jesus knew not everyone was going to listen to his teaching. The kind of love, generosity, and mercy that He expected from His followers---it doesn’t make sense! It’s risky! It’s asking us to give up our pride and our comfort. So, I hope you will leave Church today with your "GPS" programmed. Not the GPS in your car or your phone, but the GPS in your head and heart. I pray that you have programmed it with the love of Jesus Christ. That way you will truly represent Christ and make a difference in the world.

Jesus knew not everyone was going to listen to his teaching. The kind of love, generosity, and mercy that He expected from His followers---it doesn’t make sense! It’s risky! It’s asking us to give up our pride and our comfort. So, I hope you will leave Church today with your "GPS" programmed. Not the GPS in your car or your phone, but the GPS in your head and heart. I pray that you have programmed it with the love of Jesus Christ. That way you will truly represent Christ and make a difference in the world.

Not everyone is going to have the kind of conversion experience of Isaiah or St. Peter or St. Paul. But each of us in our own way can have an experience of God that transforms our life into something more beautiful. First of all, we need to see ourselves as we really are--totally dependent on God. Secondly, we need to pray that God will help us in our daily lives to experience His amazing grace and power. And finally, we need a sense of mission, lives patterned after the life of Jesus. Then, and only then, will we become the kind of people God has created us to become.

Jeremiah could not have endured the isolation and the scorn that was his lot without a deep and abiding faith in God. The word of the Lord came to him saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.” Wow, what a source of security! No wonder he could handle rejection so well. His life was built upon the rock of God’s love for him. He knew, because he was speaking for God, time would prove his assertions as true. He had the greatest ally that anyone could have. He was on the side of God. Do not despair if you get rejected as long as you are following Jesus!

What is the dream God has placed in your heart? A dream was born in Nehemiah’s heart ... to go to Jerusalem to help his people. That is how every great work begins. God puts a dream in someone’s heart. There is still much to do in this world. May God ever supply us with men and women like Nehemiah who see the world’s needs and respond to God’s call. Has God planted a dream in your heart?

Baptism is important because of what it says about the person being baptized and what it says about the Church. Most importantly is what it says about the grace of God. Your baptism must make a difference in your life. Let that difference begin today!