REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: A GOOD KICK IN THE PANTS
BY: Rev. Bill Frere
I am blessed to be not just a husband, but also a father and a grandfather to 2 boys, Tyler and Nate, 2 teenage boys, 2 typical teenage boys! Need I say more? Rise and shine happens anytime between Noon and 2. And breakfast is really more of a late lunch than an actual concept.
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But we also have to remember those days when we were teenagers and that bed felt so warm and cozy and how difficult it was to leave such a comfortable spot. At least until Mom or Dad said – get up, get moving, are you going to sleep all day?
Sometimes this lack of movement is not about a lack of motivation; it’s more about uncertainty of how to move forward. It’s more about what do I do now? We spend years in school with exams and projects and grades and then we graduate and, for some of us, we hit that point right after the ceremony where we ask ourselves – now what?? Or we get that job, after filling out the application, going through the interview and the training, and we sit down at our desk on that first day and we suddenly realize – now what do I do? We all need that kick in the pants!
I remember my first week of teaching high school religion. After all those years of educational classes and months of preparing for that first week, I had put together class notes that I was sure would last a good 2 weeks of classes. I barely made it through the first day. Now what do I do?? I needed a good kick in the pants!
The apostles are pretty much in the same boat in today’s Scriptures. Jesus is giving them essentially His final instructions. You will be My witnesses to the ends of the earth. You will make disciples of all nations. You will baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and you will teach them My commandments! And you will not be alone – I will be with you; the Spirit will be with you!
And then Jesus ascends into heaven before their eyes. And what do the disciples do? They just stand there gaping up into the sky. You can almost hear them saying to themselves – oh geez, He’s gone! Now what do I do? Well, I’m not gonna go preach first; I’ll let someone else go first. Kind of like Mikey in the Life cereal commercial – I’m not gonna try it, you try it!
It takes 2 angels to appear and knock some sense into them. Why are you just standing around looking up into the sky. Jesus has gone but will return later. So get moving, get busy! He left you a mission! Get to it!
We all have that same mission – to be disciples and missionaries, to spread the word. We are all called to wake up, get out of bed and get moving! We are all called to live out our Baptismal promises to witness to our faith, in our words, in our actions, in our life!
So consider this a group kick in the pants – Get Up! Get Moving! We have work to do
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