Homily of the Day: Tuesday Reading 1 1 KGS 8:22-23, 27-30 Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of the whole community of Israel, and stretching forth his hands toward heaven, he said, “LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below; you keep your covenant of mercy with your servants who are faithful to you with their whole heart. “Can it indeed be that God dwells on earth? If the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain you, how much less this temple which I have built! Look kindly on the prayer and petition of your servant, O LORD, my God, and listen to the cry of supplication which I, your servant, utter before you this day. May your eyes watch night and day over this temple, the place where you have decreed you shall be honored; may you heed the prayer which I, your servant, offer in this place. Listen to the petitions of your servant and of your people Israel which they offer in this place. Listen from your heavenly dwelling and grant pardon.” Homily: Good morning. Today we are going to continue on with the dedication service of King Solomon’s temple. Yesterday we discovered that God was pleased to dwell within the temple that Solomon had built, and that He would remain there forever. Today we are going to discuss the Eucharistic prayer or, the prayer of thanksgiving, that Solomon proclaimed during that particular ceremony. Although the text does not say it, and although the Holy Spirit is rarely mentioned in the Old Testament, I believe it’s fair to assume, that the Holy Spirit was certainly guiding his lips as he was praying that profoundly complex prayer. To begin with, Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord, stretched out His hands, and proceeded to pray. He began by addressing God’s faithfulness towards mankind and in particular, towards the people of Israel. He said, “LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below; you keep your covenant of mercy with your servants who are faithful to you with their whole heart.” In saying this, Solomon spoke the truth. There is no one like God in Heaven above or on the earth beneath. And no one, no matter how good, can demonstrate faithfulness and steadfast love the way that God can. Not even Mother Theresa. Not even Mary. Not even St. John the Baptist. They may have been clothed in God’s love, they may have expressed God’s inexhaustible graces in effective ways through their examples, but they are not God. Nor are they to be venerated as high as God. Solomon continues with his prayer. He says, “If Heaven and the Highest Heaven cannot contain you, how much less the temple that I have built?” In this statement, Solomon acknowledges the omnipresence of God. God cannot be confined to any one place or habitation. He is everywhere. He is present in the tabernacles in our churches. He is present in our homes when we acknowledge Him at mealtimes. He is present whenever two or three or more are gathered in Jesus’ name. He is present on the highest mountaintops and he is present in lowest valleys. He is present in all the Churches that acknowledge Jesus as Savior and Lord, not just the Catholic Church. God is everywhere and as, my former pastor once said when talking about Jonah, “there is no getting away from the presence of God.” Youre foolish to try. As an experienced Christian, or one who has been involved in all kinds of various Christian contexts, I can assure you that Jesus Christ has been and still is present in all these holy houses. He does not limit himself to one, and He does not show partiality towards another. This is because His love, which is steadfast and true, is also boundless, and through Jesus Christ, it is freely administered to the faithful. As Jesus said, whoever believes in me will never stand condemned. And finally, to end his prayer, Solomon acknowledges three principles that are essential to our own faith. He acknowledges vigilance, prayer, and forgiveness. He implores our Lord to look vigilantly upon Him, and the sacrifices that He will offer. He wants God to look with kindness upon the people who enter into the temple and especially when they offer up their own sacrifices. And finally he wants God to forgive; to grant pardon to those who are contrite, and laden with sin. Solomon wants the temple to be a place of forgiveness and reconciliation… much like our churches are today. He wants this to be a place where people come to their Heavenly Father with their concerns and their troubles, so that they can be forgiven, and given a fresh start. So let us as Children of Christ always acknowledge Him above anything. Let us recognize that He was sent into the world to forgive, to restore, and to conform our lives to His image and likeness. In my own faith journey there are three C‘s that must be satisfied in order to make my life successful. And they must to go in this particular order and they cannot be interchanged. The first is Christ. Christ is always first because He is the fount of our Holiness. The second is the conscience. The conscience is the inner voice of God from within. And finally, the third C is the Church. Christ gave me life, He influences my conscience via the Holy Spirit, and from that He directs me to have an influence on the Church. As Catholic Christians, we must make Christ first and do the things that He prompts us to do whether the world determines if they are right or not. As it is written in Scripture, it is far better to take refuge in the Lord than to serve man. (Ps. 118:8) Amen. Benediction: Go out into the world in peace, have courage, hold onto what is good, do not return evil for evil, strengthen the fainthearted, support the weak, help the suffering, honor all persons, love and serve the Lord rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Spirit rest upon you, and remain with you forever.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 20:44:44 +0000