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July 12, 2006

Homily by Fr. Mike

    Whenever I proclaim this gospel, it's the ending line that always grabs my mind and invigorates my imagination.

    "The kingdom of heaven is at hand."

    The kingdom of heaven. What does that mean? What are the images, what are the things that come to mind as we ponder the kingdom of heaven?

    One of the things that comes to my mind is the very prayer that is used during funerals, during the Eucharistic prayer.

    "There will come that day when every tear will be wiped away."

    That's the kingdom of heaven. The place where every tear will be wiped away.

    The kingdom of heaven. What is that? It is the place where we will be face to face with our God. The kingdom of heaven. Perhaps the images from the Old Testament and the Messianic era come to mind.

    "The hills will run with wine." Sounds like a special place. When do we use such things? Well wine, of course, gladdens the hearts and warms the body, as they say. But we use it at times of celebration and great joy. The kingdom of heaven is like that.

    What are the other images that we could glean from the Old Testament? It is the place, which is the place of milk and honey - sweet place. What are the other images that we could use for the kingdom of heaven?

    Do you remember the time when Jesus was walking along, and John the Baptist points to Him and says, "There, there is the Lamb of God." And some of John's disciples leave John and start following Jesus. I don't think John would have been upset over that. It wasn't a lack of loyalty, it was following through on John's words, right? He always said, there was one to come after him that was greater, and so he had pointed Him out.

    And so the disciples come up behind Jesus, and Jesus after walking a little bit, as it said in the Scriptures, He turns around and He asks them, "What are you looking for?"

    It's a curious question that they ask. They don't say, "Well, we want to know what You're about." No, they don't say that. They don't say, you know, "Well, we want to see what You can do." No.

    Do you remember the question they ask?

    "Where do You stay?"

    Disciples, like us and others of the Lord Jesus, they want to be where Jesus is. And where Jesus is, is the kingdom of heaven.

    The kingdom of heaven. It is the place that our souls long for. The place that our hearts are restless until they rest there. The kingdom of heaven.

    Now, the proclamation that Jesus tells these twelve to make is that this kingdom, this wondrous place is what? Is at hand.

    This lectionary is at hand for me. This microphone is at hand for me. These objects that will be used at the altar are at hand for me. Rita, although a little bit farther away, is still at hand for me. Because I'm sure, if I had some difficulties here, and I said, "Rita, come help me," that she would be here in no time to help me. Although she may send Jerry, because he has swifter legs.

    And so we are at hand for one another. It means that it's not far off, but that it can make a difference right here, right now.

    And so Jesus says that the twelve should go through, and then proclaim to the lost sheep of Israel that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. What good news, my friends, because the proclamation can be made for us too. The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

    And where is the kingdom at hand for us? Jesus is truly present to us in all of the sacraments of the Church, all seven of them, present to us. And when we experience them, there is an in breaking of the kingdom of heaven into our lives. Giving us forgiveness of sins, giving us strength and courage, nourishing us, invigorating our love in particular ways in the vocations that we have been given, soothing our illnesses and healing us, making us ever more fully children of God.

    And so, the kingdom of heaven is at hand for us in the sacraments. The kingdom of heaven is at hand in all the places that we experience Christ present.

    The Second Vatican Council was very clear, that as the Church gathers together for the Holy Liturgy, that Christ is truly present to us, where? In those who have gathered together. In the minister who is presiding. In the scriptures that are proclaimed. And preeminently, in the Eucharistic species.

    And so here in this place, we get a foretaste of that which will be given to us in its fullness, at the end of our days. Here in this place, we get a foretaste of the kingdom of heaven.

    And so my dear friends, in one another - believe it or not - in the Word that is proclaimed - much easier to believe - and in the sacrament that we're about to celebrate and share at the core of Catholic faith, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

    But I think there's more to this for us who are gathered here, in a number of ways.

    First off, for us as individual disciples of the Lord Jesus. If the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and we partake in it, and that it is growing in us and will come to its fullness when we are face to face with our God in heaven itself, in the kingdom itself, we need to recall words from Matthew's Gospel elsewhere. What we have received as gift, we must give as gift.

    In other words, not only are we to grab out, grab out and bring the kingdom of heaven into our lives, which is also an action that we are graced to do. But then we are to become that kingdom of heaven for others, so that in meeting us and experiencing us, and us also drawing them by living lives that are of heroic proportions in Christianity, that others come to experience the kingdom of heaven.

    Secondly, and more particularly for us who are gathered here: "Jesus instructs them thus," the Scriptures say. "Go and make this proclamation: The kingdom of heaven is at hand."

    And so here, in this #2 thing there are two things. First, there are those who are already sent to do this - bishops and priests. And so, we need to pray for them, as you do, that they are able to proclaim this message.

    Not a message that says, "Oh you? You're not allowed the kingdom of heaven because you're not good enough." That's not what the message is to be proclaimed, is it? That's not what Jesus wants. The message that Jesus wants is the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Ask for it! Reach out and grab it, it's there for you, so that you might have life and have it to the fullest!

    And so we need to pray that, indeed, those who proclaim the message of Christ, most especially bishops and priests, that they are able to proclaim this, and proclaim it boldly. So that especially to whom are they sent? The lost sheep. That the lost sheep hear the good news that they are, in actuality, not lost, but found, and that the kingdom of heaven is at hand for them and for all of us. Because we are all, in some way or another, lost sheep and needing to know that we are found, and that the kingdom of heaven is at hand for us.

    And then secondly, that God might grant us more laborers in the field, so that the harvest might be brought in. For the harvest is great, but the laborers are few. So that there might be more priests out there, to proclaim the real news and Gospel message. The Gospel message that Jesus instructed to be proclaimed. Not one of doom and gloom, but one of faith, hope and love.

    The proclamation of: The kingdom of heaven is at hand!