Homily for Sunday 2nd October 2022

Homily

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2nd October 2022

Creative people are always getting a flood of ideas. Things they can do and make that will brighten people’s lives or pass on a message or philosophy through their art. A lot of artists and writers get stuck in their own procrastination. They can see what it is they are trying to do as if it was there in front of them. Then another idea comes, and another, and before long the first concept is lost in the mists of time.

“Dear Lord, how long must I wait to see these things come together?” cries the frustrated painter.

When I was teaching it was a struggle to get my students to write down their visions. “Keep a journal,” I would tell them. “Scribble down your ideas, get them down onto paper, and then you have a record you can go back to, and be inspired at a later date.”

That’s what the Lord is saying in the first reading. If you can imagine what you want, and can see it in your mind’s eyes, as if it is really there in front of you, then it will become a reality. Once it is there, on paper it can be developed.

As a filmmaker, most of my projects have many scenes. If I get lost in the details too early on everything can fall to pieces. Some projects take years to come to fruition. I have been working on one project for nearly 14 years. In the early days, the film seemed eager to come to fulfilment. But at other times, I could not even open the project file to look at it. Yet, I have talked about this film for years. I have used it as an exercise in editing techniques. And it keeps getting nurtured along. It will come in the fullness of time. I just have to wait and be patient.

At times I have flagged. My soul wasn’t in the right place. I got disheartened but then I would get a flurry of ideas and there would be a new spurt of work. I would discover new techniques to realise my vision that was not there when I started.

In the second letter to Timothy, St Paul encourages him to keep faithful and not to be ashamed of witnessing about Christ Jesus. We have been entrusted to look after a precious thing, and the Holy Spirit will help us to guard it, as he lives within us. In the Gospel, the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith.

There are many projects that we find ourselves working on, and in this day and age we can often be discouraged and distracted by what the world throws at us, which can sometimes be used to make us feel that our own project is not worthy enough. Yet, if we have been inspired by the Holy Spirit to come up with the vision in the first place, then it is our duty as a servant of Christ to see it through and make it happen.

Sometimes, we have to be nudged many times to get the project done. We are being asked to get our soul in the right place to fulfil our purpose. The one Jesus sent us here to do. We may not fully understand what it is or why, but we should trust in the vision and dreams we are given that inspire us. The outcome may be slow, but the Lord tells us: “come it will, without fail”. It may even take a lifetime. It will probably take a lot of hard effort, but we are told that the vision is for its own time.

This project, inspired by the Holy Spirit, will require discipline, self-control and love, but it is a gift from God, and we should not be timid in bringing it to fruition. Especially if through its realisation it can be a witness to our Lord.

My college diploma film had a rock man, a magistrate, and parcel wrapping that turned into a dove. I had been inspired by the science-fiction writer Philip K. Dick. When the assessor saw the film, he asked me if I was aware of all the symbolisms? I wasn’t. So, he revealed to me how he saw the rock-man as St Peter, the magistrate as God the Father and the wrapper as the Holy Spirit. I had had the vision, but someone else had to interpret it for me so I could understand.

All we have to do is listen to what our Lord is calling us to do and follow it through, as it is our duty to do so. In this way, we will see many miracles and be surprised at how others are brought to see Our Lord Jesus from the gifts that we produce.

Amen.