Father Rick’s Two Minute Homily for Monday 1st Week in Lent – 03-05-2022

Monday 1^st Week in Lent 2022 
Matthew 25:31-46 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030722.cfm 

CENTER STAGE – FRONT ROW 

Some people eat up being in front of a crowd, and other people get nervous and clam up. I remember preparing for the diaconate during my studies in England. Practicing my first homily in front of our professor and students, I spoke on the line, “Let the children come to me. Do not hinder them.” I think the homily was more emotional than anything else. Nevertheless, I did my best and hopefully have improved since those early days. 

 Whether we enjoy being a crowd or get nervous, the day will come when we stand before the King in all His glory with all the angels. There may be millions of them. Who knows? We will be center stage, “right in the front row,” unlike Bob Euker back in the upper deck. We won’t be giving the crowd of angels a second thought.  

 Instead, we will be rummaging through our memories, seeing all the faces of people who were down and out. We will see the ones we opened our hearts to through our time, talent and treasure. We will also see the ones we closed our hearts to for whatever reason. Who has the greatest need, the poor or us? That will be the bottom line, hearts open or closed to Jesus, who is in the poor. We can’t help everybody, but we can help some, with a bit of sacrifice on our part. 

 In His kindness, Jesus lets us see in this parable early in our life how things will look later. So, there will be opportunities today and tomorrow to make up for the poor I passed by in my past. I pray the Lord will have mercy on me as I have on them. 

 IGNITE THE FIRE  

Fr. Rick Pilger, IC  
www.bscchurch.com