This weekend we end the liturgical year with talk of endings, the Solemnity of Christ the King.
Most of the Homilies I’ve ever heard have been reminders of truths already known. Yet Fr. Konopa’s Homily this weekend brought intriguing ideas to consider and absorb.
He started with the story of Fr. Damien (born Jozef De Veuster), an 1800’s missionary who served the leper colony on Molokai, an island in present day Hawaii. Fr. Damien improved living conditions, meeting physical needs, and also satisfied spiritual needs. The lepers hungered for human affection and Fr. Damien loved them. They thirsted for joy and he gently taught them to accept God’s love. He opened a clinic to tend their wounds. They were stripped of dignity and he clothed them with respect. He died at 49 having contracted leprosy.
Today’s Gospel (Matthew 25) is blunt about who heads toward Heaven and Hell: Those who feed the hungry, slake the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit people in prison will, in the end, be welcomed into eternal life. Those who do not serve, not so much. Fr. Damien could honestly answer at judgment: Yes, I did.
Fr. Konopa bluntly said: At the end, we may be surprised about who is welcomed into the kingdom: People of all faiths, people who have stopped practicing, people who do not believe. Yet if they feed, clothe, care, and visit, they may be welcomed into the kingdom. Jesus’ command and kingdom is of love, and anyone who loves is welcome. That opened my eyes.
At the close of Mass, Father spoke of relatives who don’t practice: Let’s communicate loving faith by modeling it, as Fr. Damien did, not by harshly demanding it. A nice message as we gather with family for Thanksgiving.
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