St. Dominic Catholic Church

Homilies

Are You a Real Catholic? 2020-9-27 Fr. Roberto

Homily for 26th Sunday Ordinary Time – Year A
Fr. Roberto Corral, OP
Holy Rosary Church, Antioch, CA
September 27, 2020

Title: Are You a Real Catholic?
Theme: To be a real Catholic means having a committed relationship with Jesus.
Readings: Ezekiel 18:25-28; Philippians 2:1-11; Matthew 21:28-32

I would like to begin by asking a question: How many of you here are parents or grandparents of young children? What makes you a parent or grandparent? Is it just the fact that you have children or grandchildren? Well, on the one hand that is technically true. But, on the other hand, to be what I would call a real parent or grandparent requires something more and something very important of you; it requires you to have a committed relationship with your kids or grandkids, doesn’t it? It means giving them your time and energy and being present to them as much as you can. Most of all, it means loving them, caring for them and helping them as best you can. The same can be said of any of our important relationships with spouses or partners, with family members or good friends. Every important relationship in our lives requires commitment from us; it requires our time, energy, love and care.

Now, let’s apply that same logic to the question: “What makes you and me a Catholic?” Does just being baptized a Catholic make us Catholic? Again, on one hand, it technically does. But what makes someone a real Catholic? Are you a real Catholic simply because you have a rosary hanging on your rear view mirror or because you wear a crucifix or a medal or a scapular around your neck or because you make the Sign of the Cross when you pass in front of a Catholic church or because you love the Pope or because you say Catholic prayers or light a candle to St. Jude or another saint or because you read the Bible or even because you come to Mass? All those things are good things, and they can be important expressions of our Catholic faith, but they do not make us real Catholics. 

What makes someone a real Catholic is the same as what I said earlier about what makes someone a real parent or grandparent or a real son or daughter or spouse or partner or brother or sister or friend. To be a real Catholic takes a committed relationship. And that committed relationship is not just with “the Church;” it’s not just a committed relationship with the Bible or with Catholic philosophy or music or culture; it is not just having a committed relationship with the saints or even with the Blessed Mother; those are all good people or things to have relationships with, but they are not enough. What makes someone a real Catholic is having a committed relationship with Jesus Christ. Let me say that again: what makes someone a real Catholic is having a personal and meaningful relationship with Jesus. 

If you look at the preaching and activity of the first Christians in the Acts of the Apostles and letters of the New Testament, their focus was entirely on getting people into a committed relationship with Jesus. Jesus was and continues to be the foundation of our Catholic faith, and having a committed relationship with him is essential. Once we have that relationship with Jesus, then we can add devotions to the Blessed Mother, saints and angels, the Bible and the Catholic Church, etc. But having a committed relationship with Jesus has to be the foundation of our Catholic faith.

I believe Jesus is trying to teach the chief priests and the elders something similar in today’s Gospel through the parable about the two sons. Jesus wants them to see that the son who in the end did what his father had asked did it because of his relationship with his father, and because of his commitment to that relationship – even though he had said no at first. On the contrary, the son who did not do what the father asked did not have that same commitment to his father or to their relationship – even though he had said yes at first. 

So, Jesus was trying to tell these religious leaders that their titles, positions, religious practices and beliefs were not enough to show that they had a committed relationship with God and that they were doing God’s will. Jesus was telling them that God wanted their hearts more than any of those other things. And he was saying in a very challenging way to them that the tax collectors and prostitutes were entering the kingdom of God before them precisely because those “sinful people” had given God their hearts and had eventually said “yes” to God, while the religious leaders had not truly given God their hearts and, therefore, had said “no” to God.  

So what does all this mean for us? I would say it means two very important things:
God wants our hearts, not just the external practices of our religion. Certainly, God wants us to come to Mass and to pray and to do other religious things; but most of all, he wants our hearts.
God wants us to have a committed relationship with him through his Son Jesus, and that has to be the foundation of our Catholic faith. 

If you remember, last week Fr. Francis shared during his homily part of a letter written by Mother Teresa of Calcutta to all of her Missionaries of Charity about the importance of their relationship with Jesus. She was saying same thing to her sisters as I am saying to you today. Here again is part of that quote: “Jesus wants me to tell you again…how much love He has for each one of you—beyond all you can imagine. I worry some of you still have not really met Jesus—one to one—you and Jesus alone. We [Missionaries of Charity] may spend time in chapel—but have you seen with the eyes of your soul how [Jesus] looks at you with love? Do you really know the living Jesus—not from books but from being with Him in your heart?”

That’s what I want to ask each of you today: Do you really know Jesus? Have you given Jesus your heart? Today, I would like to give you an opportunity to do just that: to give Jesus your heart; to recommit yourself to your relationship with Jesus. So right now, I would like to invite those of you who wish to do that to stand up in your place if you can, whether you are here at our Mass or watching at home. If you wish, you may close your eyes and open your hands with your palms up, and repeat this prayer of commitment to Jesus after me:

Commitment prayer…
Lord Jesus, I come before you now to thank you for all you have done for me by dying on the cross for my sins, by rising from the dead and by giving me eternal life. Please forgive all the sins I have committed by saying “no” to you and to the Father. I give you my heart and ask you to fill me with love for you and for the faith you have given to me. Help me to make you the center of my life and to give you the time, energy and love you deserve. May I always say “yes” to you and to my heavenly Father. Amen.

Just stay here for a few moments and think about the words you have just spoken. Please do not let these simply be words you say with your mouth; let them be words from your heart. And may all of us continue to live out these word in our lives and, therefore, continue to be real Catholics.