Deacon Sunday - Homily for the Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B - 10/13/2024)

Good morning. When Peter said to Jesus: "We have given up everything and followed you," he is sharing with us the reality of a life spent following Jesus. When we say “yes” to Jesus, we say “no” to a multitude of other things. For example, we said “yes” to Jesus and came to Mass this morning, because we said “no” to hitting the “sloth button” on our alarm clock and sleeping in a few more hours. The Good News is, God cannot be outdone in generosity. We get so much more in return because, at Mass, we encounter Jesus. We receive the word of God that “is living and effective. . . penetrating even between soul and spirit. . .” and reveals to us the true desires of our hearts - to love God because He loves us first. Then, Christ nourishes us with his Body broken for us and his Blood shed on the Cross for our salvation.

Jesus is “the living bread that came down from heaven. . . and the bread that [he gives] is [his] flesh for the life of the world” (John 6:51). Jesus asks of us one thing, that we love him above all else. “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (14:23). This is the love that Jesus asked of the man when he said to him: “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” However, the man did not get it because, upon hearing this, his face fell and “he went away sad, for he had many possessions.” How many of us, or those we know, opted not to follow Jesus because we grip so tightly our “many possessions” rather than cling on to the thread of Jesus’ garment? For me, the Diaconate has helped me realize that the “treasure” I seek for most in life cannot be found in “the many possessions” that the world has to offer but in the “treasure[s] in heaven” that Christ has to offer. If I am “rich” in the things of heaven, then it might be easier for me to enter the kingdom of God than “for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.”

As I reflected on the dialogues between Peter and Jesus and Jesus and the man, I asked myself: what did I give up to come and follow Jesus as a deacon? The answer is time. I cannot tell you how sad I was at all the times I had to miss gatherings and events with families and friends because I had Diaconal Formation classes on Saturdays. However, as Pope Francis once said: “[our] life is made of time and time is God’s gift, and it is therefore important to make use of it by performing good and fruitful actions. . . Among the many things to do in our daily routine, one of the priorities should be reminding ourselves of our Creator who allows us to live, who loves us, who accompanies us on our journey” (Meeting with German altar servers, Aug. 5, 2014). God did more than just accompany me on my journey in Diaconal Formation; He took what little talent that I had to offer Him and multiplied it like he did with the “loaves and fish.”

Now, as a deacon, time is still what I continue to give up daily to come and follow Jesus. However, God cannot be outdone in generosity. Saint Paul wrote that “God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). God continues to bless my diakonia abundantly. To the world, I am one person; however, when I give generously of my time, talent, and treasure, out of love for God and self-giving love of neighbor, I can be the world to one person, in particular, here at Saint Albert the Great.

I share about the blessings of my diakonia because today is the Second Sunday of October and, in the Diocese of Austin, it is recognized as Deacon Sunday for the purpose of fostering diaconate vocations. To all the men thinking, praying, discerning about becoming a deacon, listen to Pope Saint John Paul II, who echoed these words of Jesus: “Do not be afraid.” Do not be afraid to ask Jesus the question that the man asked in today’s Gospel: “what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Do not be afraid to believe and trust that Jesus loves you. Do not be afraid to come and follow him and imitate his self-giving love. Do not be afraid to give to God generously without counting the cost. When you do, you will realize that God cannot be outdone in generosity. He returns blessings upon you 100-, 1,000-fold.

To all the wives, I ask you all to encourage your husbands to discern and have the courage to answer God’s call to them to “come and follow” Him. Your husband is the provider and protector of your family, there is no doubt about that. He will not pursue anything else if he believes that it might take him away from his primary vocation as a husband and his primary mission - his wife and children. However, when you reassure your husband and encourage him, but most of all, when you pray that he discerns God’s will for him and your family, your generosity will be rewarded with an outpouring of grace and blessings that is beyond measure. Pray about it together. Perhaps, sign up to take home the Vocations Traveling Chalice to pray for your discernment and for an increase in vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and religious life.

God cannot be outdone in generosity, but we can seek to model His self-giving love. Here at Saint Albert the Great, we work together as we seek to worship God, serve others generously, and form disciples. We need you, the many parts of the One Body of Christ, to fulfill your Baptismal promises with intentionality and in a concrete way to help us carry out the mission of our parish, the mission of the Church that Jesus entrusted to us. If we give generously in gratitude for our God-given gift of time, talent, and treasure, then it just might be easier for us to enter the kingdom of God than “for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.”

Here is the link for the Vocations Traveling Chalice: 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4EABAA23A7FBC16-48039243-vocations?useFullSite=true#/

You can read my full vocation story here: https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2024/01/my-vocation-story-part-1-st-brendan.html #diakonia

. . .

Gospel (Mk 10:17-27)

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,

knelt down before him, and asked him,

"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 

Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? 

No one is good but God alone.

You know the commandments: You shall not kill;

you shall not commit adultery;

you shall not steal;

you shall not bear false witness;

you shall not defraud;

honor your father and your mother."

He replied and said to him,

"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth."

Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,

"You are lacking in one thing. 

Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor

and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

At that statement his face fell,

and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,

"How hard it is for those who have wealth

to enter the kingdom of God!"

The disciples were amazed at his words. 

So Jesus again said to them in reply,

"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 

It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle

than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." 

They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,

"Then who can be saved?"

Jesus looked at them and said,

"For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. 

All things are possible for God."