by Fr. Tommy Lane
Who are the important people in our world? Who are the great people in our country? I suppose it depends on what you mean by ‘important.’ These are some of the people in our world who receive glory and renown and fame and publicity: - pop stars, sport stars, successful business people, company directors, billionaires. Are they the really important people in our world? There are other people who are not famous; they are people caring for sick relatives, people suffering crosses without grumbling, those giving encouragement to others, those who bring the love of God to others, those who witness to Jesus in small ways. Are they the really great people in our world? I think they are. Think of a pop song or a great goal scored during a match or a successful business deal. It won’t last into eternity. Think of an act of kindness to someone sick, that will last into eternity. Think of all the flowers at a funeral, even if there is a trailer full of flowers they will wither, they will not last. But if you say even just one Hail Mary for the deceased, even though you will never see it, it will last into eternity.
What about Jesus? At the wedding in Cana he said his hour had not yet come but in today’s Gospel he says his hour has come,
“Now the hour has come
for the Son of Man to be glorified.”
What is this hour of glory for Jesus? It is his passion and death! That is the hour of glory for Jesus in John’s Gospel, his passion and death! Why? Because if a grain falls on the ground and dies it yields a rich harvest. The hour of glory for Jesus is his passion and death because through his passion and death he will draw all people to himself. Jesus’ glory is not what the world thinks glorious. But the world does not see as God sees. Through Isaiah God says,
“For my thoughts are not your
thoughts
and your ways are not my ways,
declares Yahweh.
For the heavens are as high above earth
as my ways are above your ways,
my thoughts above your thoughts.” (Isa 55:8-9)
In Psalm 147:10 we read,
“God’s delight is not in
horses
nor his pleasure in warrior’s strength.
The Lord delights in those who revere him,
in those who wait for his love.”
Sometimes we give the glory to what is strong and powerful, but God delights in those who revere him and wait for his love.
You probably remember one of the accounts of the call of David (1 Sam 16). God said to Samuel to go to Jesse of Bethlehem and anoint one of his sons as king of Israel. When Samuel saw Eliab he thought it must be him but God said to Samuel,
“Take no notice of his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him; God does not see as humans beings see; they look at appearances but Yahweh looks at the heart.” (1 Sam 16:7)
When Samuel saw Abinadab God said it was not him, when Samuel saw Shamah God said it was not him. When Jesse had shown all his sons to Samuel, Samuel had to ask him if he had any more sons. Oh yes, there is one more, the youngest looking after the sheep, David. He had been forgotten about, but that forgotten son David was the one God asked Samuel to anoint. God does not look at appearances, God looks at the heart. Do we give glory to what appears great or do we give glory to what is great?
The US and UK administrations think themselves great for deciding to wage war at this time (Gulf War 2003) but the most inspired prophet of our time, Pope John Paul II, pleaded not to start the war.
In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul wrote, “God chose those who by human standards are fools to shame the wise; he chose those who by human standards are weak to shame the strong…” (1 Cor 1:27) Do we hold successful people up on high while God delights in those who do his will? In Matt 6 Jesus says, “Seek the kingdom of God first.” Some in the world look down on those who stay at home to rear their families but the greatest work any mother could do is to rear her family. Pope John Paul II has said women who stay at home to rear their families should be given an income.
Who does Jesus consider to be great? He says,
“Unless a wheat grain falls on
the ground and dies,
It remains only a single grain;
But if it dies,
It yields a rich harvest.
Anyone who loves his life loses it;
Anyone who hates his life in this world
Will keep it for the eternal life.”
Who are the really great people in our world? Who are the really great people in our country? What is the hour of glory for Jesus in John’s Gospel? It is his passion and death because through his passion and death he will draw all people to himself. Again in Psalm 147:10 we read,
“God’s delight is not in
horses
Nor his pleasure in warrior’s strength.
The Lord delights in those who revere him,
In those who wait for his love.”
This homily was delivered when I was engaged in parish ministry in Ireland before joining the faculty of Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland.