Now we are strong? Not at all! Homily at Mass
Manila Retreat 17
Last
Mass
We have this treasure in clay jars (2 Cor 4:7-18);
Once I read an article about the final greetings
of the Mass: “The Mass is ended, go in peace”, which wants to be
the translation of “ite missa est”. The author was explaining
that in old days, the priest used to save some of the consecrated
bread and after the Mass entrust it to people to bring it to those
who could not attend the Mass because sick. The word Missa comes from
the root of mittere, to send, like mission. So the priest would say:
now that the celebration is over, go because the mission starts. So
today I would like to say: Only the first part of the retreat is
over, now you go and do the second part, the practical one. Go with
the mission of translating what you understood, into the daily life.
We have heard St. Paul saying that we have a
treasure in earthen vessels. Indeed our life and our vocation are
such a treasure. Indeed these five days have provided you with a
treasure of reflections, inspirations, resolutions, desire of
holiness. But this treasure is in the easy to break pots of our human
nature, our personality, our weaknesses and shortcomings. These
vessels are threatened by the routine of our life, by the demands of
the apostolate, by opposition of the society.
I hope I have not given the impression that what
you have done till now was wrong. I know very well that you are doing
wonderful job, often in places where many would be afraid to
adventure. What I wanted to do during these days, was to give some
instruments to make the life more fruitful, of the fruits of the
grace of God. The Lord has chosen you for a purpose and this purpose
has to be the engine of your life. The Lord wants to renew this
society and make it more and more his, and to do so he has chosen
you, but a real renewal has to start from within. We will be able to
change the others if we have the courage to change ourselves. Never
create division or opposition between prayer and apostolate,
spiritual and apostolic life. If we feel that in some occasions there
is incompatibility among the two, then it means that we are focusing
in the wrong direction, that our approach to the situation needs to
be changed.
Remember always that we are at the service of the
plan of God, not of ourselves, He is the main actor, we the followers
and as he said: “No disciple is
greater than his master” (Jn 13:16).
Do not be afraid of the difficulties, especially
the spiritual ones and remember the words of today’s Gospel: If you
want to be a follower of mine, pick up your cross and follow me.
Last topic was a sad one, suffering, now I want to
change it into a joyful one: The last who wins is always Jesus Christ
and he wins through his love. We are called to be witnesses in a
world full of sufferance and destructions, but what we witness
through our apostolate is the risen Lord- We live in a world that has
lost the sense of hope and through our vows we have to remind them of
the eternal life to which all of us are destined. We live in a world
hardened by greed, power, lust, and we are called to be stumbling
blocks to make the wrongdoers to realize their mistakes. We live in a
world which looks for pleasure, enjoyment, and satisfaction; we are
called to be the witnesses of the deep, inner, everlasting joy.
So do not be afraid to go into the desert but
always come back to the marketplace stronger and better. Do not be
afraid to climb the mountain of Calvary but then come down to the
city and proclaim the resurrection. Do not be afraid to love people
but give them the Love of the Lord, not just yours, and be ready to
surrender them to the Lord to set them free.