Homily for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A - 7/30/2023)

Good afternoon. A few weeks ago, Alan Ames stood right here and spoke to almost 750 people sitting out there in the pews. When the event ended, a friend of mine, who drove in from Buda, came up to me and said that it was his first time at Saint Albert the Great. He commented that we have a beautiful church. I agree with my friend. . . 100%. . . because we do have a beautiful church. I am sure your experience is slightly different from mine but when I walk into the narthex and hear the water flowing at the baptismal font, I immediately feel at peace. I am also reminded of my Baptism. Then, as I walk through that door to enter the sanctuary, our beautiful Crucifix captures my gaze, and I am reminded that I am a sinner in need of a Savior, which is why I am here at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Indeed, our church is beautiful and the statues, icons and images that adorn our worship space lift our minds and hearts to the transcendent and our heavenly home. However, these things are not the “treasures” of the Church. The “treasure” of the Church is not what but who, and the who is the Mystical Body - those who have been baptized and who profess the faith of Christ. In other words, the Mystical Body is you and me with Jesus as head. Many centuries ago, when the Roman Emperor Valerian demanded Saint Lawrence to turn over all the riches of the Church, Saint Lawrence returned with “crowds of poor, crippled, blind, and suffering people,” and boldly proclaimed: “These are the true treasures of the Church. . . The Church is truly rich, far richer than the Emperor.” Alan Ames said that Jesus loves each and every one of us because we are a “treasure, a fine gem, a precious pearl”, the apple of His eye (Psalm 17:8). We are the treasure of the Church because God first loved us (1 John 4:19).

Jesus teaches that the kingdom of heaven is like a “treasure buried in a field” or a “pearl of great price,” which a person sells all that he has and buys it.” For Solomon, he treasured “an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.” When God said to him, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you," Solomon did not ask God for anything for himself - “[not] long life, [not] riches, [not] the life of his enemies.” He asked God to give him only what he needed to serve God and “a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.” God responded generously and blessed Solomon abundantly. God gave Solomon “a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like [Solomon] up to now, and after [him] there will come no one to equal [him].”

If God were to say to us, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you," how would we answer Him? As I reflected on this question, and how it applies to my own life and how it impacts the lives of those whom God has entrusted to my care, this other passage, also from the Gospel of Matthew, came to mind. In his sermon on the mount, Jesus taught the disciples, the crowds, and us, saying: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven. . . For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Matthew 6:21). Jesus treasures and loves each and everyone of us so much that “he was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole, [and] by his wounds we were healed. . .” (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus gave all that he had to ransom not only those who believe in him and follow him but the entire world - “the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind.” Christ did not store for himself treasures on earth. In fact, he rebuked Satan’s temptations and lures of “all the kingdoms of the world. . . power. . .  and glory,” saying: “you shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve” (Luke 4:5-8). With these words and how he lived, Jesus gives us an example to follow and that is, to worship and serve God alone.

Our worship of God starts here in this sacred place, at the altar before us, with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, so that we have the grace, strength, and courage to serve Him out there in the world. For us Catholics, it starts and ends with the Eucharist. Many people say that all religions are the same but we know that is not true. As Catholics, we have a heavenly treasure that no other religion has - the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the “source” of our spiritual and prayer life in Christ, the vine to which we graft ourselves. The Eucharist is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ humbly giving of himself completely for our salvation. Just listen to these words that Jesus spoke to his disciples, words that transcend space and time, the same words that priests pray at the consecration: “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me. . . This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you” (Luke 22:19-20). 

We believe with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind (Matthew 22:37) that the Eucharist is greater than all the “treasure[s] buried in a field” or all the “pearl[s] of great price.” Why else would we pray these words before we go up for Holy Communion: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” Why else would we say “Amen” in response to the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion saying “The Body of Christ” and “The Blood of Christ” as they raise up the bread and wine before us? The Eucharist is the “summit” of our Christian life and faith because, in this Eucharistic celebration, this prayer of thanksgiving to God Almighty, we not only encounter the Real Presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ right here in our midst but we also receive Him - body, blood, soul, and divinity - at Communion. In those precious minutes when we return to the pews to pray after having received Communion, Jesus dwells in us - body, soul, and spirit; his Sacred Heart and our heart beat as one.

My sisters and brothers in Christ, are we willing to ransom all that we have for God just as He ransomed His only Begotten Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for us? If we are, then here are some real ways the Church can help us with our conversion. First, the Catholic Church in America is in the midst of a three-year National Eucharistic Revival, whose mission is “[to] renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist,” and whose vision is “[to] inspire a movement of Catholics across the United States who are healed, converted, formed, and unified by an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist—and who are then sent out on mission ‘for the life of the world.’” Let us learn more about it and participate. Second, in the Diocese of Austin, we are in the midst of celebrating the Diocese’s 75th Anniversary. Pope Francis has granted the faithful the opportunity to obtain two plenary indulgences for the occasion of the 75th anniversary. Let us learn more about them and participate. Third, here at Saint Albert the Great, we have the Together in Holiness Marriage Conference on Aug. 5th, the Men’s Retreat on Aug. 12th (which the men can sign up for after Mass), along with faith-sharing small groups for men, women, married couples, as well as other men’s and women’s retreats. Let us learn more about them and participate.

Let us, therefore, treasure our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist in the same way that He treasures us. Pope Saint John Paul II once said, "In that little Host is the solution to all the problems of the world." Why? Because that “little Host” has the power to change us but only if we, of our own freewill, allow Christ dwelling inside of us to change us. I leave you with this final thought. As we go through life, we are changed by our encounters with people who cross paths with us. Faith, logic, and reason would dictate that our encounter with the Redeemer of the world, whose Real Presence is in the Eucharist for us, should change us because Jesus is a greater “treasure” than anybody we will ever encounter in our lifetime. However, if we are not changed by our encounter with Jesus, then we are not doing something right because God is certainly not doing anything wrong.

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/073023.cfm