Homily for September 28, 2019

Praise and admiration from others can be fleeting; it can be there one day and gone the next, and Jesus certainly knew this. There were many times that the crowd was cheering for Him. Yet, at the highpoint of His popularity among the people, He gave the warning: “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” Jesus was not seeking fame or popularity; He was seeking to do God’s will, to complete the mission for which He was sent to earth. So, He knew that He had to go to Jerusalem, despite the danger, because its people, too, needed to hear the Good News of God’s mercy and grace.

The way that Jesus lived out His life and ministry invites us to ask ourselves: What really drives us? Is it the need for recognition or is it something deeper? We need to make Jesus’ desires and priorities our own, to be about our Father’s business, to keep sharing in God’s work, in keeping with our place in life. Then we will know, not just the satisfaction of human approval, but the deeper joy that comes from adapting ourselves to God’s purpose for our lives. +