July 25, 2021 - Worship Jesus With the Right Expectations

[Audio problems are being addressed, but you can hear every word of the homily.] Some Catholics say, “I don’t get anything out of Mass.” We can lovingly inquire about their expectations. If we think that worshipping Jesus is about ourselves first, then our expectations are unreasonable. The Lord said that we are to do this in memory of Him. Therefore, we should come with an expectation to meet the Lord as He chooses to present Himself. For the next five Sundays, the Gospel reading is taken from the sixth chapter of the Gospel according to Saint John. Many members of the multitude wanted Jesus to perform for them. They were not interested in encountering Him as a Person. As a result, many would reject Jesus because He did not meet their expectations. It cannot be that way with us. We have come to participate in the one eternal sacrifice of praise to our Lord God and Savior. We can never thank Him enough! If someone asks you what happed during Holy Mass today, tell them, “I met Jesus.”

The is the first of the homily series, “Mass Movements: How Holy Mass Forms a Holy People.” For the Christian disciple, there must be a vital connection between the celebration of the sacred liturgy and the conduct of our sacred lives.