Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Monday is Flag Day, and we salute the flag of the United States. Let us pray that all Americans will uphold the dignity of every human being, made in the image of God, and will safeguard our freedoms of speech and worship and freedoms from fear and want.

Americans are beginning to travel as summer is about to start and hotels are ready to welcome travelers.   And noting that we are in the midst of the Westminster Dog Show, here’s an ad I saw for one hotel: “dogs are welcome in this hotel. We never had a dog that smoked in bed and set fire to the blankets. We never had a dog that stole our towels and played the TV too loudly or had a fight with his traveling companions.  So, if your dog can vouch for you, you’re welcome too.” 

Today is the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua. He was a 13^th century Franciscan friar: a person of prayer, a bible scholar, a compelling preacher by word and example, an advocate for justice for the poor and the lost. But he is best known as finder of lost or stolen things.

The word of God takes us back to the sixth century before Jesus. The collapse of the Kingdom of the South. Babylonia conquered Jerusalem, demolished the temple, did away with the monarchy and deported many Hebrews.

Yet, amidst this trauma, Ezekiel predicts that God will raise up a tender shoot, a majestic tree, a Messiah who will bring blessings upon all people.

This prompts us to hope in God despite the challenges we may face in life. Yes, stop looking in the rearview mirror, and look forward in hope to a new day, a fresh start.

St. Paul, in his letter to the Christian community in Corinth, urges us to be courageous, to stand up for what is right and true and good.

 In the Gospel according to Mark, Jesus speaks about the kingdom of God through a story, a parable, about a tiny seed we plant, and what we get is bigger and better than we ever expected.

The Kingdom of God is better than our wildest dreams! So, how do we help cultivate that kingdom now?

Today I would like to reflect on St. Paul’s letter which challenges us to be courageous, to stand for something. Yes, Paul admonishes us to “please God” and have our priorities straight. Seek first the kingdom of God.

But how please God? St. Paul would likely advise us: by being men and women of moral character.

We know there’s a difference between character and personality. Our personality on the surface puts us in a category, e. g., cheerful or moody. Character, by contrast, is singular and defines who we are, at the core of our inmost self.

Personality is emotional. Character is ethical. Personality is neither good nor bad. Character, by definition, is either good or bad. By character, one stands for something. That takes courage

.Few of us will be called to the heights of courage involved in, say, rescuing someone from a life-threatening situation. However, there is an everyday level of courage, to which all of us are called. It manifests itself in the choices that each of us must make about the fundamental virtues by which we live.

A person of character will speak up for what is right and defend what is fair, and will not falter or remain silent, but will take a stand on principle and conscience --yes, an informed conscience, even if it is to one’s worldly disadvantage. A person of character will show courage, and not simply “go along to get along.”

People of character, in short, will try to choose what is true and good and right in all decisions, small and great, that affect family, work, and relationships with others, even leisure time. They will stand up for something.

St. Paul pleads with us today to be men and women of courage, to “walk by faith,” to please God by seeking what is right. And having found what is right, have the courage to just do it.