Daily Mass Homily: Thursday, March 14th

Happy pi day!  (Get it?  3.14?)

           It is another great day to be Catholic!  I continue to be amazed and inspired by Pope Francis in his humility and service to the poor.

            I was disappointed that our western media made it roughly a half an hour before asking how “progressive” this new pope would be.  Will he allow contraception?  Married priests?  Women priests?  Gay marriage?

            Yet I was equally impressed how faithful Catholics answered these questions.  In short, they dismissed them by pointing out the holiness exhibited by the new pope.  When asked by a reporter if Pope Francis could be dubbed a “conservative progressive” one lay man answered, “I wouldn’t.  I would simply call him a faithful follower of Jesus Christ.”

            In the Gospel of John Jesus states, “I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him.”  This is a good summary of what Pope Francis faces as he begins his ministry.  The fact is he comes in the name of God the Father.  Yet equally true (and sad) is that many will reject the teachings of God through His vicar while listening to sociologists, psychologists, secular media and others speaking in their own name.

            Pope Francis stands completely with the Church in all of her teachings.  Yet he doesn’t stay there—he brings the Gospel into the world as he serves the poor, hungry and downtrodden.  May we follow his example.  May we, too, remain steadfast in the teachings of Christ’s Church while serving our brothers and sisters in need.