Homily: 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, YR C
“I Don’t Make my Faith. It Makes Me.”
by Fr. William Holtzinger
Nov. 7, 2004

This past Wednesday, I was a guest speaker in a Intro. to Bible class at George Fox University. I was asked to speak about the extra books that we Catholics have in our Bible. I saw this as a wonderful opportunity to clear the record for some young adults who have likely been taught that we added books to the Bible, when in reality, these books in question were normative Scripture for all Christians for 1500 years until they were removed during the Protestant Reformation. Part of my talk was a basic review of history. The second was a reflection as to why these books are so important. One of those reasons is laid before us today: Some tell us of the great trials that Jews had been enduring prior to Jesus’ incarnation and how that many believed in the resurrection of the dead even before Jesus came. Such is true in the books of Maccabees.

The lectionary has edited out the gruesome scenes. But, I encourage you all to read this text in its entirety. Then you might get a fuller sense of the torture these poor brothers and their mother went through. It was for their faith in God and the belief in the resurrection that they became martyrs. It’s the stuff of movies. Indeed it is. The Maccabean revolt gave rise to the Jewish feast of Hanukkah and is rumored to be a target of Mel Gibson’s next faith-focused film (http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/relatedarticles/13391.php). The scene was set 200 years before Jesus when a king, a guy names Antiochus, was trying to force the Jews to worship false gods. They refused and lead a revolt which lead to the liberation of Jerusalem and the Temple which had been desecrated by the king’s idolatry.

These Scriptures offer hope for those who are zealous about their faith. There are many out there, but they get beaten down because they show passion for the poor, or stand up for injustice, or thirst for peace, or speak out against war, or are dedicated to the defense of the unborn. Yet, being considered zealous about one’s faith in our culture today immediately leads people to fill in the blank and list a person amongst the fanatical Islamic terrorists. They get labeled in with those who are blind or close-minded. Some might call them freaks or crazy. But, is being lukewarm a better place? It certainly won’t make us stand out in a crowd. It will never rock the boat. It won’t stir up controversy. Yet, God does not want lukewarm followers (Rev. 3:16). He has some pretty harsh words for us who take our faith lightly and treat it simply as one of many interesting hobbies or psychological rigors that rid ourselves of feeling guilty each week.

But therein may lie the key to the issue. You see, we are not the sum of our deeds, despite what society tells us. Our country is not the sum of how much money we make, nor how good our economy performs (think G.N.P.), nor whether or not we have the coolest technology. Our greatness is not in being a superpower nor having the most advanced military in the world. Nope. The sum of who we are is more caught up in whom we believe. Our faith in Christ is what can truly form us to become that which we were created to be. It is our faith that makes us what we are, our faith in a God who loves us and who will resurrect us (raise our mortal bodies to become like his) on the last day.

Faith is what motivated all the people in the Scriptures we heard today. It is this faith that drove all seven of the brothers including their mom to a horrific death. It was this faith that led St. Paul to write so prolifically and eventually die as a martyr. It was faith, so-to-speak, that lead Jesus to prove once and for all the truth of the resurrection and save us from the crushing debt of our sins. It was faith that lead countless numbers of people to go to their deaths rather than do something or say something contrary to their beliefs. No, we are not the sum of our accomplishments. No accomplishments can give us eternal joy. Instead, they offer us temporal satisfaction, a gladness that fades away with time.

Imagine if we put faith and the development of faith first in our lives. Imagine if faith was what motivated each of us in every aspect of our beings. It would deliver us from perverse and wicked people and circumstance. It would give us hope that our broken bodies will be transformed eternally new. It would strengthen us and give us a greater confidence that no matter what is going on in the world, no matter how the economy is doing, or disasters befall us, no matter what gloom and doom seems to be on the horizon, our loving God is in control, and will ultimately deliver us from evil. So pray for faith. Pray to be given a new outpouring of faith so that you will have a renewed hope and joy. Remember that this is not all there is. Heaven awaits us. The resurrection of our bodies will really happen. Then we will see God as he really is, and we will not be dead. We will be alive, “for to him all are alive.” (Lk 20:38)

(Watch video, “Martyrs Creed)