FIRST SUNDAY LENT
FEB 22, 2015
HOMILY
FR. O’GRADY
From the Peanuts comic strip:
Is there any purpose to pain? Any advantage to adversity? Any solace in suffering? “Don’t be discouraged, Charlie Brown,” Schroeder says. “ These early defeats help to build character for later on in life”.
“For what later on in life”.Asks Charlie Brown.
“For more defeats!”, replies Schroeder.
Charlie Brown is not happy with that answer so he then invests 5 cents worth of Lucy’s psychiatric help. At first her advice sounds a bit more sophisticated:
Adversity builds character”, she says. “Without adversity a person could never mature and face up to all the things in life”.
“What things?’, Charlie Brown asks.
“More adversity!”, she says.
Yes poor Charlie Brown and the list goes on : more defeats more adversity in life. Such are the human struggles we all have to face.
As we begin the season of Lent today we see in our scriptures the defeats and adversity faced by Noah in the flood and then by Jesus in the desert when he was tempted by the devil.
Both situations have their own adversity and struggles.
Poor Noah who is a powerful figure of faith in the Old Testament. He faced the pressures of the people and the sins of his society. He was ridiculed for keeping faith in the Lord and building that ark amid the doubts of his people.
As the flood waters came and destroyed everything, do you not think that Noah’s faith was tested?
Undoubtedly like ours is today when you and I face the flood waters of family issues, society’s lack of faith, family or even personal illnesses, temptations and sins and the everyday struggles just to raise family and earn a living.
Many are faced with accidents, the challenges of raising children or growing older and the frailty of life.
Many are the “sandwich generation: Taking care of kids at the same time elderly parents.
Many are faced with disappointments, addictions, hurts and tiredness.
SO WHERE DO WE TURN? HOW CAN GOD SPEAK TO ME? HOW CAN MY FAITH ENCOURAGE ME?
WEL, TODAY LOOK AT NOAH! SEE WHAT GAVE HIM HOPE!
IN ALL OF THIS AND AS THE FLOOD ENDED AND HE WAS BLESSED WITH THE SIGN OF THE RAINBOW.
And as God told him: “Look at this rainbow and see it as the sign of the covenant between God and his people. I other words, God does not leave us alone.
THERE’S NO POT OF GOLD AT THE END OF THAT RAINBOW BUT SOMETHING MUCH MORE PRECIOUS… THE LOVE AND EMBRACE OF GOD.
Justas we alook at the Rainbow in the summer and see that as an arc it extends to the earth and appears to connect two end points,.with shining colors that reflect the sunlight, we know that the storms are past and all will be well.
Most importantly that God is with you and me.
Whenever I see a rainbow in the sky, I cannot help but think of this scripture and thank God that He is here and loves his people.
SO WHAT CAN THIS RAINBOW MEAN TO ME THIS LENT OF 2015?
Lent is that time of year to allow God to connect your life to His with this rainbow.
Lent is that time of year to allow God to connect that part of your life that suffers and is in pain to his grace and comfort.
Lent is that time of year to allow that Rainbow from God to connect your sins to his forgiveness.
Lent is that time of year WHEN IF YOU HAVE FELT AWAY AND DISTANCED FROM God to be connected by that arc of the rainbow back to God’s Church and a renewed FAITH>
And finally whatever storms you have experienced this past year, may that rainbow of Noah also be your rainbow to tell you all will be well and all will be right with God.
I close with a little poem expressing such a prayer and wish from God and it’s entitled “I’LL PAINT YOU A RAINBOW
I’LL PAINT YOU A RAINBOW TO HANG ON THE WALL,
TO BRIGHTEN YOUR HEART WHEN THE GRAY SHADOWS FALL,
ON A CANVAS OF JOY OUTLASTING THE YEARS
WITH A SOFT BRUSH OF SWEETNESS TO DRY ALL YOUR TEARS.
I’LL PAINT YOU A RAINBOW WITH COLORS OF SMILES,THAT GLOW WITH SINCERITY OVER THE MILES;
ON A PALETTE OF WORDS I WILL TENDERLY BLEND
TONES INTO TREASURES OF SUNLIGHT AND WIND.
I’LL PAINT YOU A RAINBOW THAT REACHES SO WIDE,
YOUR SIGHS AND YOUR SORROWS WILL VANISH INSIDE,
AND DEEP IN THE CENTER OF EACH DIFFERENT HUE,
A MEMORY FASHIONED ONLY FOR YOU.
SO LIFT UP YOUR EYES, FOR SUSPENDED ABOVE…
A RAINBOW DESIGNED BY THE FINGERS OF GOD’S LOVE..
THIS LENT MAY YOU SEE A RAINBOW!