Homily: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, YR C
“Do Not Be Afraid”
by Fr. William Holtzinger
Nov. 14, 2004

As we are coming to the end of our Liturgical Year, the Church turns our attention to the end times, the last things, the final moments of our lives. The readings may seem to cause us worry, but instead they are giving witness to our reason for hope and how to keep going until that inevitable day comes for each of us.

Malachi reminds us to put our lives in order. We are to have fear of the Lord. This is not fear in the sense of being scared of God and his punishments. That would be a truly minimalist point of view. Rather, we are to have a holy respect for God’s power and mercy. This means that we are to reflect on the dispositions of our hearts and the quality of our giving. In the verses prior to what we heard today, the prophet was chastising the priests of his time for being complicit in creating the ills of the nation. They were allowing flawed sacrifices, accepting animals of a lesser grade than that required by law (1:12-14). In doing so, they were encouraging the owners to keep the best of their flock for themselves and give, instead, a lesser gift to God so that they may, in turn, get a better price for their animals and get an upper edge on the competition. This text is one which every modern day minister should read with frequency. Yet, we are all tempted to look out for our own needs at the expense of others. The prophet warns us not to give in to the pressures of the times. And by keeping our hearts on God, we will be raised up by “the sun of justice.” As Christians, we know that sun is Jesus.

Paul writes the Thessalonians a second time in a tone of warning as well. Some had become so caught up in the waiting for the Second Coming of the Lord that they had stopped giving to the community. They disordered the love that had been so successfully preached by Paul. So, we are all reminded to be waiting people, but to do so in a way that will encourage others to come to Christ. Being gossips and lazy people has never been a way to inspire anyone.

Finally, Jesus warns us of the consequences of following him. By his reminding us of persecution, we are to have hope. These are not signs of failure, but signs of faithfulness. The bottom line: do not be afraid. No matter what happens, know that God is with you. These words were the first ones uttered by our Pope when he was first introduced to the world. “Do not be afraid.” In a prophetic way, John Paul II knew the signs of the times and that great calamities would be coming. But instead of building a bomb shelter or storing up rations of food, he reminded us of one of the fundamental messages of the Gospel of Christ. We are people of hope. Not a saccharine or porcelain fake hope. But a real hope founded in a confidence that God will be our savior, that Christ is our all in all.

So, as wars and famines break out, though earthquakes and natural disasters befall us, do not be afraid. Though you may be persecuted for your faith and mocked by a society that does not know the Lord, do not be afraid. Though you may struggle to parent your children and have moments of total exhaustion for countless nights without sleep, do not be afraid. Though your children leave the Church, and they criticize you as a fool, do not be afraid. Though parents break in divorce and families mete out vengeance on each other, do not be afraid. Though school seems impossible, and you see no solution in sight, do not be afraid. Though you’ve been asked to give a speech before your peers, and you feel inept and ill prepared for the job, do not be afraid. Though illness and disease racks your body and people continue to abuse one another, do not be afraid. Though government officials and election results offer you no hope, though promises made by people you trust are broken into idle words, do not be afraid. Though unemployment tempts to rob you of your dignity or the conditions or situations at work cause you sleepless nights, do not be afraid. Though an illness claims your mortality and you feel there are too many things yet not done, do not be afraid. Though your sins may seem unforgivable and life may seem without meaning, do not be afraid.

And why should we not be afraid? Because we are Christians, and we have been given reason to hope. We know that God is in charge. We know that Divine Providence rules the universe even though we cannot see the big picture. We believe that the world has been redeemed, and that no matter how mismanaged things are on Earth, we cannot destroy the goodness of God’s grace. We believe that one day Christ will truly come again, and on that day, all things will be transformed and we will live with our Lord, with the Angels and the Saints forever. There will be no more pain, no more suffering, and no more death. So do not be afraid, my brothers and sisters in Christ, for that day gets closer and closer every minute of our lives. Amen.