This interesting encounter with Jesus and His “kinsfolk” in the Gospel reminds us of a very important fact. Relationship with God changes how we live in every aspect. He reminds us that what family we are born into doesn’t matter when it comes to that relationship, only the obedience we have to God. Relationship with the Father is defined by following the will of God: “Thy will be done.”
Just sitting in the pews isn’t enough. A popular song calls it “going through the motions.” We have to put our faith into action because salvation is a matter of the whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. But, faith also means realizing that hitting the bare minimum, simply checking off the list of steps, isn’t going to clear the bar.
That’s why scripture talks about the covenant in terms of marriage, in terms of a relationship that is supposed to be not only fully committed and sacrificial but life-giving. If a husband were asked in a marriage if He were a good husband and said, “I do the bare minimum. I keep all the boxes checked. I take out the trash, I mow the lawn, and I go to work every day.” Then When he was asked follow-up questions, “Do you love your wife? What is her favorite color? When is her birthday?” If the answers to those were, “well I don’t really know, I haven’t seen her in a few years,” would we believe they were in a relationship?
So it is with the will of God, just checking off the box without spending time with Jesus fails to hit the mark. We have to get to know Him intimately. To sit with Him in silence, to spend time in conversation and just resting in His presence. Being Catholic is more than just following rituals and traditions, more than just a few random acts of charity. It’s fully with God, for God. He knows our hearts, the very essence of who we are inside. So we must strive to be authentic in our worship, devoted in our faith, loving in our communion. We must be sacramental in the very way we live our lives and see the world.
We receive Him here at this altar, body, blood, soul, and divinity. Do we like a good spouse then go into the world with Him? Taking Him with us and keeping Him in our hearts? Gushing about Him when the opportunity arises? Do we get lost in thought when we consider the love He has for us, thinking of the grace He has given us? Do people see from our very lives that we live with the Eucharist in our hearts, a living temple of God that seeks Him out in every aspect of their lives? Or do they see us as the husband I mentioned before, unable to even remember the last time he really looked at his Spouse?
A Homily for Tuesday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time: July 20th, 2021