Daily Mass Homily: Tuesday, February 26th, 2013 (given at CSS student Mass)

            This is quite a Gospel for a priest to preach.  Here I am with a prominent seat in the chapel, wearing robes and tassels, and even being addressed “Father”.  This is a great passage, especially for priests to keep their motivations and intentions in check.

            Yet this evening I would like to focus on the first reading.  In poetic terms the prophet Isaiah captures how deep God’s love runs for us: “Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool.”

            To imagine God’s love in spite of our sin, imagine the love parents have for their baby.  Two of my best friends have a boy who is almost two and I’ll never forget being at their house when the little guy was learning to walk.  I truly delighted in watching as he struggled to take his first steps.  He fell over and over again, bonking his head and bending in ways that would give me a trip to the ER.  When he really clunked his head and began to cry, did his mom and dad say, “When you figure out how to walk we’ll be here for you.  Quit crying and get your act together!”?  Of course not!  They picked him up and encouraged him to keep trying. 

            We are all spiritual children, learning to walk.  We fall, get dinged up and sometimes knock our head pretty hard against sin.  God delights in watching us struggle to walk in our spiritual lives, and when we do fall is there to pick us up and put us on our feet again.  He never says, “Figure it out and get back to me!”

            I keep reflecting on how awesome Ash Wednesday was here at CSS.  Remember how packed our chapel was?  Look how many Catholic students we have here!  Each of you have tasted God’s love and mercy and I pray that you continue to seek Him to be forgiven and comforted.  Then you need to get out into your classrooms, dorms and teams to bring your friends to our loving Father.  As a priest, I’m here to get you cleaned up in the sin-bin and to celebrate Mass.  Your job is to spread the Good News to your college.  Let’s pack this chapel on Sundays and Tuesdays.  Share with others how God wrapped you in His arms of mercy in Confession.

            We pray this evening that we, and the students at the College, may be wiped clean of our sin and be held by God Himself.