Homily - Sunday May 21, 2017 Live like a Saint

Homily - Sunday 

May 21, 2017

Living like a Saint

John 14:15-21 (Readings) The Spirit of Truth

Deacon David Lewis

Saint Charles Catholic Church, Imperial Beach / San Diego, CA 

        We have a lot of people here on earth that we can look to for guidance, as mentors, and role models.

          One of the people I like to look at is Pope Francis, he has done some things that I really think emulate Christ. Pope Francis is sometimes controversial, he does some things that make some people uncomfortable, and he does some things that make me uncomfortable. But most of the time, when I dig deeper, and get beyond what was reported on the news, I find that what he has done or said is usually more Christ-like than I gave him credit for at first glance. Exercising humility, and love for the marginalized are often at the center of his message.

          I also like to look to my parents and in-laws; my father turns 79 years old today with my mother is just a few months behind. I am blessed that three of the four of them are still with us, and I can look at the lives they lived and are still living, and look for ways to mimic them, such as humility, volunteerism, and a nearly reflexive desire to serve the needs of others.

          But I think the best to emulate, to follow, are the Saints, they have died living a life that was pleasing to God. And they also lived lives mimicking Christ, loving others, healing others, exercising humility, and in some cases even dying for their faith. What I love most about the Saints are that their backgrounds are as varied as ours, and we can often find one with similarities to our own life.

          In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us he is going to send an advocate. Someone to journey with us, to give us counsel, the Holy Spirit. And the help is going to be needed. if we are going to live our lives emulating the Saints, if we are going to be Christians in the truest since of the word and follow Christ’s example, we are going to need all the help we can get.

We are going to need to use all seven of the gifts of the Holy Spirit to make right judgements with our wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, to have fortitude to stand up for what is right in order to give reverence to God, for whom we have wonder and awe. By using these gifts of the Holy spirit, we can stand apart from those tempting us toward sin, and be the example of what is right, to live like a Saint.

Living like a Saint may sound unobtainable. In fact I bet if you were able to turn back time, and approach of each of the Saints themselves, they would each tell you “I am no Saint” But being a Saint is obtainable, or we wouldn’t have Saints. Each of you has the opportunity, the ability, and the gifts to make the decision to be a Saint.

It starts with the simplest things: What words do we choose, are our words sweet, or sour? How do I choose to look at the world, with an attitude of gratitude, or do we let pessimism and doubt rule us?  It works to bigger things, what are the things we allow into our bodies, do we listen to music that lifts us, do we listen to talk radio that unites us, or do we allow vulgarity, and music that is far from the message of Christ to enter into our bodies, and messages of hate and distrust of others? The television we watch, does it make us a better version of yourself, or is it something we wouldn’t want our children emulating? And ultimately our choices to live like a Saint, mean that we have to make some tough decisions, such as the places, and people we work for and with, do we surround ourselves with people seeking holiness? Do we try to surround our children with people seeking holiness, with a Catholic education for them?  The easiest way to live a holy life, is to have people making holy decision next to you. Especially in our own homes, with our family, it is our goal that our spouse, and our children become holy too, that they are encouraged to strive to become Saints.

The world we live in may not recognize the holy spirit that is guiding and leading you to make holy decisions, but it will see that your decisions may be a bit different, saintly even, and THAT, they will recognize. Some people in our world will see those differences as the solution towards  the lasting happiness that they are seeking, others will feel threatened as they desire to live for the flesh, for pleasures, and the false temporary happiness that such a life delivers.

So I encourage you to seek the Holy Spirit when making decisions, but also seek a Saint to emulate, even if partially as we grow toward holiness. Seek to find how the Saints lived lives in the world that did not accept the Spirit of Truth, but somehow, they persevered in holiness. And lastly I encourage to make your homes domestic Churches, with the radios, iPads, smartphones, and TVs within your homes tuned to opportunities to grow in holiness for you and your families. Every step toward holiness is a in the right direction.

Homily - May 20 2017 - Silleah Panis Funeral - Silleah Strong

Gospel Reading - Mark 10:13-16

People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.  When Jesus saw this, he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”  

Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them.

Silleah Strong…

Chances are, if you are here you have heard or saw these two words.

For those of you that may not be familiar with the saying, “Silleah Strong”, it was one of the ways that family and friends showed their support for Silleah while she was sick, whether it was in a hashtag on social media, on a wristband, or even one of the t-shirts you may have seen being worn over the past few days, it meant that somehow some way you were touched by Silleah.

I don’t know who chose these two simple words, but they have some profound meaning. First, that it wasn’t Silleah be Strong, or be Strong for Silleah, or even Silleah is Strong, but the all-encompassing “Silleah Strong”.

It encouraged US, not just Silleah, but all of us to be strong during the fight against the cancer. A fight that she so strongly fought, but ultimately lost.

It encouraged us to be strong as an example to Silleah, who at four years old had limited worldly experience, and outside of a few super-heroes could only look to her mom and dad, and family and those gathered around her, as examples of strength.

Silleah strong, told us to be strong in our faith and trust in God that no matter the outcome, -

win or lose to the cancer, death does not win, that we have eternal life offered to us in heaven.

But now on this side of Lele’s passing we can look at Silleah Strong as an adjective… as in Our prayers are Silleah Strong… now with our little saint in heaven, we have someone new to pray to, who undoubtedly would have the attention of God for any petitions we bring to her in prayer for her intercession.

You see, as A Baptized Catholic, any original sin born unto Silleah was washed away during that Baptism, and since she has not yet reached, what the Church calls the age of reason, she cannot be responsible for her sin. So let’s say she threw that bowl full of corned beef and rice in the trash can, while it would upset any parent, God doesn’t hold it against her.

But Silleah Strong also describes Sill and Eunice: They shared with me that, and allowed me to share with you that just moments after Silleah’s passing, they felt Silleah’s spirit give them the strength to endure the challenge of their loss, they became Silleah Strong, strengthened by Silleah’s spirit.

As I believe all of us are, strengthened by - Silleah having touched our lives. I know I am a stronger deacon, stronger in my faith, stronger for having seen the way Sill and Eunice, are journeying through the loss of their daughter. Stronger for having seen how their family and friends have come together to support each other. Silleah Strong for having seen how this one child’s life has affected so many.

                But as we gather here remembering Silleah, reflecting on the many facets of Silleah strong, and realizing the strength we gain joined together in her memory supporting each other,  let us not forget the source of all strength. The source of the reason we hold on to the hope of heaven, and that, is Jesus Christ. The Son of God, who died to give us all the hope of eternal life. Especially children, as we heard in the Gospel reading just a few minutes ago.

                Let us remember how he gives us strength, how through the hardest points in our lives, he is there to carry us when we become weak, how he gives us strength to get back on our feet when we fall, and how he gathers us in his loving embrace when we are sorrowful or weary.

                With, Jesus there is a strength and peace that only he can offer. With Jesus, there is hope for life ever after. With Jesus there is a peace in knowing that our loved ones who experienced discomfort,  no longer are enduring that pain.

                I shared last night at the vigil that it is as if at the conception of a child that the parents are given all the love they need to raise that child and it pours out of them to that child through out their life, and when we lose a child it is as if that compartment of love no longer has its outlet and it aches as it seems to want to burst. But I believe that lifetime of love is just a small taste of what is in store for us in heaven, when we sit in the presence of God. I believe that Silleah is enjoying that infinite love now.

                So if we are to be Silleah strong, we will endure her passing as painful as it is. But don’t get me wrong, being Silleah Strong doesn’t mean we are heartless and stoic, quite the opposite. It means that when we are down, when we are sad, when we are finding ourselves still mourning,

that we can find strength from Silleah, but most of all from God.