Our words are like seeds blowing in the wind.

Homily

4th Sunday of Easter

21st April 2024

As kids, my siblings and I would go off with our friends in little gangs, some built go-carts, others played hopscotch, some did ‘skipping’ while others tied ropes around lampposts and swung round them experiencing endless amounts of fun and play. Maybe you have similar memories and many more of other games played in the streets or out in the countryside.

I also have memories of when my mum or dad called out, all my siblings and I would come running. It was their way of checking we were alright, or it was dinner time. I heard a dad say he whistled, and his kids would run towards him. The shepherd often whistles, and his collie knows from the notes which direction to go, so the sheep can be gathered into their pen.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that he is the Good Shepherd who knows his own, and they know him. He also reminds us that there are others who are outside the fold who are also his. They listen to his voice and come to his call. There is only one flock and one shepherd. The hired man only thinks of himself and abandons the flock when trouble comes. But Jesus is steadfast and will never abandon us.

God the father calls us, and we have responded. We are here today because we have been called. We are inside the fold. However, many have rejected Our Lord and turned away. They have cast him aside, like the builder throws away a stone thinking it is of no use. Yet, that very rock becomes the cornerstone which makes the building secure.

What many still do not realise is that only one name matters. No other name can save us, but Our Lord Jesus Christ. His love has no end. Like Peter, who was filled with the Holy Spirit, we are encouraged to share the Good News. The Holy Spirit will guide us on what to say.

Recently, I have visited several wakes, and I have said some prayers, but what is most heartwarming is the way those in sorrow have lit up as they shared their faith and experience of God with me. Their words, like fire, tongues of flames from the Holy Spirit, nurture my faith and encourage me. When we are alone, we can feel that there is much required of us, but when we are out with our community, we can discover how much they care for us. They can often see the blind spots in our own vision and help guide us back to the right path. You can imagine the Father calling and the Holy Spirit guiding us towards the light of Jesus, Our Saviour.

Jesus does not say the wolves will not come, but as the Good Shepherd he will put his life on the line and stand between them and us. At the end of the Book of Revelation, The Angel of God tells John to let sinners go on sinning, let those who do good go on doing good, and let those who are holy continue to be holy. In other words, we are told to respect the choices they have made. Those who have chosen God will have their clothes cleaned and will have the right to eat from the Tree of life, those who do not, such as “fortune-tellers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and every one of false speech and false life” (Rev 22:15) will remain outside the fold.

A week ago, the Vatican released a new Declaration of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, called “Dignitas Inifinita” (Infinite Dignity) on Human Dignity. It declares that “every human person possesses an infinite dignity, and recognises that this dignity is with us from conception through to our end of life. Pope Francis invites us to “believe in a Father who loves all men and women with infinite love, realising that ‘he thereby confers upon them infinite dignity’”. The Bible teaches that we are made in God’s image and likeness, creating us both male and female. Jesus came into this world of a humble family, and revealed “the dignity of the needy and those who labour”. If we are to reflect God’s love to others, we also must recognise the infinite dignity in all our brothers and sisters, no matter their background or creed. Dignity is also the “Foundation of Human Rights and Duties” and it is unconditional.

Yet we live in a world where every human’s right of infinite dignity is not recognised. And there are new laws being composed or already enforced that undermine our human dignity. The Declaration highlights areas where grave violations against human dignity are being seen in our world, considering:

 “all offences against life itself, such as murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, and wilful suicide”. Other violations include mutilation, physical and mental torture, and undue psychological pressures,” also infringe upon our dignity. Finally, it denounced “all offences against human dignities, such as subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution, the selling of women and children, degrading working conditions where individuals are treated as mere tools for profit rather than free and responsible persons.” (Fernández, 2024)

 

It's worth Googling “Dignitas Infinita” and finding the document, which is about 17 pages long.

It is important to remember that with Jesus our burden is light. The Holy Spirit will guide us on the right path. In a world that tries to tell us otherwise, even to the point of attempting to stop us from spreading the Good News, Jesus’s message will always come to light.

Our duty and responsibility as baptised Christians are to share our faith with others, not through force but through love. Our words are like seeds blowing in the wind. We need not know where they go but they will take root and flourish. If we have the courage to share the Good News, we will eat from the tree of life.

Jesus said, “The Father loves me because I lay down my life in order to take it up again”. No one can take it from him, he freely laid it down and has the power to take it up again. All we need to do is trust in him and we will be saved. Amen.

References

Fernández, V. M. (2024, April 8). Declaration of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith “Dignitas Infinita” on Human Dignity. Retrieved from Vatican: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2024/04/08/240408c.html