Sowing the Seeds of Hope
Homily for Wednesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time, Daily TV Mass
“ . . . Thanksgiving to God”, (2 Corinthians 9:11), AI-Generated/ChatGPT, credit with thanks to: National Catholic Broadcasting Council
Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Cor. 9:7)
“Whoever Sows Bountifully Will Reap Bountifully”
Today’s readings lead us to reflect upon the nature of true discipleship.
They emphasize the importance of generosity, joyfulness and humility in our dealings with others, as they call us to trust in God’s providence. In today’s First Reading taken from the 2nd Letter to the Corinthians (9:7), Saint Paul states very clearly that:
God loves a cheerful giver.
He says this having cautioned that:
The one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. (2 Cor. 9:6)
This imagery, taken from the world of nature, would certainly have resonated strongly with the original audience.
But far beyond the world of farmer’s fields and abundant crops, Paul is leading us to reflect upon our own generosity toward others, as he calls forth in us a deep and abiding trust in God’s divine providence.
This message is especially relevant in our own time and culture, particularly when growing numbers of people are experiencing increasing levels of stress and hardship in their daily lives. Financial difficulties, uncertainty regarding the future, fear, and for many a sense of hopelessness, have become a regular part of daily life.
I think it is precisely during this Jubilee Year, that we should be praying to be renewed in hope, but also for the grace to be living signs of hope to those around us. Here, the Papal Decree for the Jubilee Year 2025, entitled Spes non Confundit, or “Hope Does Not Disappoint” (Rom. 5:5), suggests that we are “pilgrims of hope,” and that we should always be “anchored in hope.”
At the same time, we are called to “abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13), “so that we may bear credible and attractive witness to the faith and love that dwell in our hearts.” (Art. 18)
“The Holy Doors”: AI-Generated/ChatGPT, credit with thanks to: National Catholic Broadcasting Council
In terms of practical suggestions for responding to the sadness now being experienced by so many people, the Decree for the Jubilee Year invites us to offer to others:
. . . a smile, a small gesture of friendship, a kind look, a ready ear, a good deed, in the knowledge that, in the Spirit of Jesus, these can become, for those who receive them, rich seeds of hope. (Art. 18)
Jesus Warns Against Hypocrisy
In today’s Gospel, we find Our Lord continuing His instructions in the Sermon on the Mount, as Jesus calls His followers to a deep and genuine faith. Here, Jesus cautions against any kind of spiritual hypocrisy with regard to the practices of almsgiving, prayer and fasting.
We should note that the word “hypocrite” comes from the Greek word meaning “actor,” that is: one who performs in front of others. Thus, the hypocrite is one who pretends to be something that they are not.
As others have observed, the spiritual hypocrite is the one whose motivation for good and pious conduct is not the glorification of God, nor is it the true love of our neighbour. Rather, the primary goal of the spiritual hypocrite is their own self-glorification.
Jesus is saying that when all of these virtuous actions: almsgiving, prayer and fasting, are done for the genuine love of God and the love of neighbour, they are most admirable. But if done with the intention of drawing attention to ourselves, these virtuous actions are self-righteous and insincere.
Let Us Fix Our Eyes Upon Heaven
Whatever good we strive to do then, first of all let us aim for purity of intention in all of our interactions with others, with the aim of bringing the love of the Father and the love of Christ to all those around us.
In his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, St. Augustine adds that:
We know that all of our works are pure and pleasing in the sight of God if they are performed with a single heart. This means that they are performed out of charity with an intention that is fixed upon heaven.
Therefore, let us fix our eyes upon heaven, and upon doing the will of God with a sincere and pure heart as we try and appreciate how Our Lord’s teachings in His Sermon on the Mount reflect a very coherent, unified vision of life in this passing world.
Commentators have long observed that the Gospels want to teach us how everything must revolve around God and Christ as the supernatural center of gravity of our hearts and souls, through the power of the Holy Spirit. And as we meditate upon Our Lord’s teachings we see how they overturn the world’s conventional wisdom.
In so doing, the Gospels invite us to a renewed perception, as we learn to see the world as God sees it. They show us that what is accepted as the wisdom of this world along with its structures of power, are completely out of sync with God’s divine wisdom.
For again, as scholars observe, Jesus is inviting us to seek and find God’s Kingdom at work where the values of the world have been reversed. For in the Kingdom of Heaven,
The last will be first and the first will be last. (Matt. 20:16)
Let us pray for the grace to be true disciples of Christ in our “post-postmodern world.”
Let us pray that we may be generous givers, as we show God’s love, mercy, kindness to the sick, the poor, to the elderly, and to all those who may be experiencing feelings of sadness and hopelessness.
Let us pray that as pilgrims of hope we may sow the seeds of hope bountifully and with joyful hearts.
Whether we give alms to the poor, pray for others, or volunteer our time and talents at a shelter for the homeless – may all of our actions be done with generous and joyful hearts that are always fixed upon Heaven, so that God may bring forth a spiritual harvest that is truly abundant.
“Showing God’s Mercy,” AI-Generated/ChatGPT, credit, with thanks, to: National Catholic Broadcasting Council
I invite you to view the National Catholic Broadcasting Council’s Daily TV Mass below. The Homily begins at: 6:45.
Thank you, Msgr, for this impactful message.
May we continue to serve in hope!