Homily for the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Dear Faithful Pilgrims:
     On a hill outside a tiny New England village, there is an old farmhouse that exudes the mingling of time and eternity. One visitor called his fond memory of a weekend in that house as if he had gone into a “time warp.” The walls are decorated with diplomas and photographs of family ancestors long since gone to God. The furnishings speak of an era almost a century ago. Although visitors now have access to the outer world via the world-wide web, no television can be found. One can sit on the porch and gaze at a field and encounter humanity’s fundamental longing for the divine. In the midst of the uncertainty, rancor, and fear that characterize the present time, these moments of peace provide both the energy to persevere and a glimpse of the future for which we hope. I sense that the gospel for today provided similar motivation for the first followers of Jesus. In a passage that has given comfort to many a weary pilgrim, Jesus invites all disciples into the intimacy of his relationship with the “Father.” Access to that bond is through him, “the yoke that is easy, the burden that is light.” Perhaps it is only in retrospect that we realize the profundity of this passage. How did I ever get through that difficult period in my life? Two years ago, I was a pilgrim on a particularly treacherous part of the Appalachian Trail. Although I was hiking alone, two groups of people were companions that I met periodically. One group were members of a hiking club; the other was a family. The family of five “adopted” me and remained with me much of the way. It turned out that they live a few blocks from our church and are adherents of our ancestral faith and share the same hope provided by the prophet Zechariah in today’s first reading:
 
 

“Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,
shout for joy O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king shall come to you;
a just savior is he,
Meek, and riding on an ass,
on a colt, the foal of an ass.”
(Zechariah 9:9)

 
Happy Independence Day Weekend!

Yours in Christ,
Fr. Bill Foley