Below is an outline of the homily given by Deacon Jack Shannon
1. Gospel Reading: Jesus is beginning his journey to Jerusalem. (to end of October) To suffer, die, and rise.
2. Jesus Teaches us discipleship: “And to another he said, ‘Follow me.’
But he replied, ‘Lord, let me go first and bury my father.’
But he answer him, ‘Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
A worthy disciple must experience and AWAKENING: break all ties with the past, with former loyalties, and with any sense of home, security, or possessions. “Repent,” “choose Jesus as my Lord and Savior.”
3. DePaul Saturday evening in May, 2001. Jane: “I know…Jesus is with me.”
An AWAKENING
4. First Reading: Elijah: confronts evil kings of the Northern Kingdom. God tells him to appoint Elisha as his successor and…
“Elisha left him and, taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them; he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh and gave it to his people to eat. Then Elisha left and followed Elijah as his attendant.”
An AWAKENING
5. So…what is an AWAKENING like? Second Reading: “But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.” No external law is needed to direct us toward imitating Christ completely: the only law we can use for a guidance in totally imitating Christ is the law of the Holy Spirit written on our hearts.
When we experience an AWAKENING, our external actions may appear the same to observers, but the internal motivation has radically changed; we are attempting to live our life in response to an internal movement and not simply in conformity with an external directive given to us. (Hauser 13)
6. How does the awakening occur in our lives? Scholars suggest two ways: 1)For some it happens naturally with the passage from adolescence to young adulthood. With maturity, we seek a meaningful practice of faith…a faith that reflects our own needs and not merely a practice that reflects our previous indoctrination. 2)For others, a special experience triggers the grace of the AWAKENING for you…perhaps a positive experience like a good retreat, an encounter with a convinced believer, a memorable sermon, movie, or book; or attendance at a stirring religious service; It could be a negative or even a traumatic experience such as the end of a relationship, the loss of a job, the illness or death of a loved one, or a conflict with authority. Something happens that convinces you that YOU NEED A SAVIOR.
You see that you cannot find your savior alone, so you surrender to Jesus. Suddenly…perhaps surprisingly…He is there. It is total surrender to Jesus that brings a deep peace to your life, in spite of the day-to-day crosses that you bear.
7. Journey (Mass) begins today…to be a disciple of Christ…one who lives by love of God and love of neighbor.
We need each other.
Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.
I am with you always, even to the end of the world.