This homily was given at Our Lady of the Mountain Parish, Ashland, OR on the Fifteenth Tuesday in Ordinary Time, July 12, 2022. The audio is available here.
Everywhere He went, in everything He did, the Lord was after one thing.
Faith.
Another word for faith is trust: trusting that Jesus is who he says is, the Son of God, and trusting in Him to save us from our sins.
All His healings and miracles were intended to inspire a response of faith.
Today, Jesus grieves over the many people of his own nation who have seen Him and known Him … and still do not believe.
It’s true that faith is a gift of God.
Believing is possible only by grace and the interior help of the Holy Spirit.
But those who are given this gift still have a choice.
To believe, or not.
To trust Him … or not.
We who have received the Lord, who have seen His mighty deeds and heard His words of power, have been given the gift of faith.
Every day, we are witnesses to the greatest of miracles here on this altar!
He comes even closer to us than the people of Capharnaum and Bethsaida.
They received Him into their homes; we receive Him into our bodies.
Today, as we receive Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist, make an act of faith in Him, in His presence and His power to save.
Ask Him to help our unbelief and increase our faith.
As our faith grows firm, we will find that we have the strength to stand firm.
We remain calm, courageous, unshaken, whatever trials may come.
And on the day of judgment, our Lord will not say, “Woe to you, Ashland,” but “Blessed are you, for you have loved me and kept my words.”
In Your Embrace 