Homily - Veterans Day Prayer Service - 20171110 - On His right or His left - Delivered at Memphis Catholic

Homily – Veterans’ Day Prayer Service – 20171110 – Memphis Catholic

Good morning!  Today, we celebrate and we remember.  We remember those we know as Veterans.  Veterans who are our friends, our family members, our teachers, our bus drivers, and women and men who we don’t even know, but who have served our country and the ideals that we hold as Americans.

And, we hear reflections and songs that help us to remember. 

This morning, we’ve again broken open God’s Word through the first reading from the Book of Ruth, our Psalm and the Gospel reading all of which we just shared. 

Let’s look at some of what these Scriptures might say to us this morning for just a few minutes.

We know the words of the song:

Our God is an awesome God he reigns; From heaven above with wisdom, power and love
Our God is an awesome God!

And, some of us get really inspired and fired up when we sing this song.  But, do we live it?  Do we live like God is the almighty, the Creator, the all-knowing, the all-loving, Redeemer and Provider?

As we read and listen to the words of King David in the first reading from the Book of Ruth, we hear David exclaim “The Lord is my rock”!  “My God is my rock, my shield”!  He goes on “I called to the Lord”.  This call to the Lord sounds like prayer to me!   

Do we take the privilege to pray for granted?  When your teacher ask you to offer petitions or prayers for loved ones, do you embrace the opportunity?  Or, do you let the opportunity pass by, because it’s just a silly prayer thing?  And, besides, you don’t want to be vulnerable around my friends.  Heaven forbid, that in a Catholic, Christian, school, we should let down our guard a little bit and acknowledge God as “My Rock”, “My Shield”!

And, David’s song goes on to share how “the waves of death” and his “enemies” are surrounding him and he is being overwhelmed!  Do you ever feel like that?  Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your family situation, your struggles with some of your academic work, the challenges you find in maturing into adulthood.  Or, maybe, a better question is how many times in the past week have you felt that overwhelming feeling and the weight of the world upon you?  We, like David, can call out to our AWESOME GOD and ask for His guidance, His love, His presence of calm in the storm.

In our Gospel, we see images of Jesus and the Father.  Images of “the Son of Man” seated on His glorious throne; the image of a shepherd separating the sheep from the goats; and, the image of Christ as “King” speaking to those on His right and those on His left.   How will we be recognized by the King when we die?  Brothers and sisters, we clearly know from watching all that is happening in our world from Las Vegas to New York City to First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, that we do not know when our own death will come, do we?  I pray that we all live long, loving lives, but we just don’t know. 

And, in our Gospel, there is confusion among those on the right and the left.  First, those welcomed into the kingdom, did not realize that they had been serving the King all along.  But, they were.  They were caring for the least of Christ’s brothers and sisters.  They weren’t deciding whether it was convenient or socially acceptable to care for the sick, the hungry, the naked.  No, they were caring for people everywhere and at all times! 

And, then there are those on the left, who are presumably “nice people” who ignore the needs of others.  They are self-absorbed, clueless of the plight of those around them.  Or, even worse, they are aware of the needs, but could care less to do anything about those needs.  Maybe, they think that their time to serve will happen someday “when I’m older and I have more money”. 

The reality, guys, is that someday never comes and when we are being separated as sheep or goats, our intentions won’t matter.  Did we serve Him?  Did you and I serve His people? 

So, back to the beginning to one of our favorite songs, yes, “our God is an Awesome God”.  He does reign with “wisdom, with power, with love”!  Do we glorify Him by caring for Him in His people? 

Today, I invite you to spend a moment hear, NOW, to think of where you stand?  Are you on His right or on His left?  Would you like to move over to the right? 

Come follow Him!