Homily - OT4-B (Ordinary Time, 4th Sunday, Cycle B)

We met at a cocktail party.  The conversation was polite as we learned a little bit about each other.  Then she said something that just irked me so much that I ignored everything else she said.  I had hardened my heart to her words and if she said anything else of importance or that I might have agreed with, I did not hear it.

The psalmist reminds us today to “harden not our hearts”.  He points back to the day when the Israelites complained to Moses that they had no water.  This was after they complained that God saved them only to leave them starving.  God provided them with manna from the heavens every morning.  They complained that they were tired of manna. God provided them with quail every night.  They complained that they had no water.  Moses struck the rock and a spring of water appeared.  This is what happened at Massah and Meribah.  This is where they hardened their hearts.  This is what the psalmist cautions us to avoid doing.

The Israelites were given everything they needed by God and yet they still complained.  Soon after Massah and Meribah came the Ten Commands and the golden calf incident.  They seemed to forget once again that God was there to take care of them.  They worshiped God with their minds, but not with their hearts.  They had hardened their hearts.

I remember a few years ago in the seminary, we had a three day power outage.  We had a generator to provide the basics.  We had heat, hot water, hot food and enough lights to get around in our daily routine.  And yet, we asked for more.  We wanted our internet connections, cable TV, computers, and more lights.  We had all we needed, but wanted more. We had hardened our hearts. 

It is probably with great planning and foresight that today’s psalm precedes the second reading.  The psalmist calls us to “harden not our hearts” just before we hear a message that could do just that.  For many of us, that may be our first and only reaction to today’s message to the Corinthians.  We need to hear the complete message of Paul, not just a sound bite that may raise our hackles.

Paul is NOT telling his audience to avoid marriage, or that marriage is bad.  It may seem like it when he says that an unmarried man or woman can focus on the Lord, but a married man or woman has a split focus.  But let’s go back a few verses to get some context.  (1 Cor 7:24) “Brothers, everyone should continue before God in the state in which he was called.”  Paul is calling us to continue in the state that we are in.  He is asking us to come to God as we are. If we are married, come to God as a married person.  If we are single, come to God as a single person.  

Paul is believed to be single and in this passage is extolling the virtues of a single life in worshiping God.  But he is also quick to point out that if one cannot live a single life free of sexual activity, then perhaps married life is best for you.  He suggests that it is better to get married than to live as a sinner if they cannot exercise self-control.  We can easily see that this passage suggests that a single, celibate life is esteemed by Paul.   Priests, consecrated virgins and chaste singles are all trying to live up to the ideals suggested by Paul in this passage. 

We can learn that there are deeper messages in words that we hear.  Sometimes what we hear is not what was said, or meant.  If we allow the meaning of the words to sink in, we are less likely to harden our hearts.

Jesus Christ is alive in the world today, waiting for us to come to him and learn more of him.  He is here in the tabernacle, day and night waiting for us to come and visit with Him.   I wonder at times if he gets lonely waiting for us to visit.  There do not seem to be crowds lining up to visit with him most days.

Jesus is in the Eucharist that many of us will receive in a few moments.  When we say “Amen” to the words “The Body of Christ”, we acclaim that we do believe.   I trust that you are as concerned and pray as often as I do about our fellow Catholics who do not join us here at Eucharist more often to be strengthened by Christ.

Jesus is in the sacred words of the Bible waiting for us to pick it up and read and reflect upon His life and words.  I know that many of you frequently break open the scriptures and study them.  I pray that many more will be joining us.

Jesus is present whenever two or more are gathered in his name. I know that this happens many times each week and around your dinner tables on a regular basis.

We all believe these things in our head or we would not be here at this Mass.  But do we believe them in our hearts?  Have our hearts hardened to the word, the presence of God?