This homily, based on Luke 4:21-30 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-13, was delivered at St. Agnes Catholic Church.
Things went very wrong rather quickly at this homecoming. Jesus shows up one morning in his hometown, and he is greeted by a huge turnout in the synagogue: Family and friends have come to hear one of their own, now a minor celebrity in his own right. They are amazed at his wisdom, and they are all praises for this son of Nazareth.
All right, maybe for about five minutes. Then it begins.
This homily, based on Exodus 34:29-35 and Matthew 13:44-46, was delivered on the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola (July 31, 2013).
In today’s Gospel, our Lord likens the Kingdom of God to a hidden treasure and a pearl so valuable that it should make all the difference in one’s life. These two parables remind me of one of the most important lessons I’ve learned from St. Ignatius of Loyola, whose feast we celebrate today. This lesson is captured in a slogan that he’s known for: “Finding God in all things.”
I know, today it sounds almost like a cliché: We all believe God is present everywhere, don’t we? But we should note that Ignatius’ invitation is not simply to believe that God in all things, but to find Him and actually look for Him in all things. It’s like our Lord’s parables today telling us not just to believe that the Kingdom of God is here, but also to go and search for it, be it buried in some field or hidden in the deep seas.
