BAND OF BELIEVERS - Homily 5th Sunday of Lent

Praise be Jesus Christ forever and ever.

On spiritual journey this lent, my spiritual director asked me to look back on my life and recall my sins. He said recall your thoughtless and deliberate sins. My faith tells me that most of my sins that I can recall, I have given up in confession. Through reconciliation and penance, God has forgotten my sins and should as well. But, those are mostly deliberate sins

As I contemplated, my life went back to my earlier years. I was an athlete in high school and college. Athletes are taught to play. They are told they are important. They are told to win. Arrogance, aloofness, and pride are fertile ground for thoughtless sin.

That was probably me. I knew lot of people with those characteristics. That is why, I admired the marching band.

The band’s members could march and play and count and move all at the same time and look good doing it. If you looked at the band when they practiced or performed you’d see joy and laughter and celebration in the midst of the music and marching and precision all going on at one time.

Great college marching bands spell out the school’s name at half time marching and playing at full breath. There is excitement when the Grambling or Southern marching band shows up no matter where they perform. ULM’s Sound of Today brings joy. They do this with focus and smiles and laughter. All the happiness and pleasure music brings is a vital part of the each member of a great marching band.

It is a great example for Christians to take to heart - Be the band!

Make God, through Christ Jesus, the joy and happiness of who you are

To get there we need to ask God to create in us a clean heart. In that clean heart, God will place what is moral and just, He will write His love upon our hearts; and we shall be His people.

That is how a person walks in His way and counts their blessings. It allows us to bring others closer to God. Christ Jesus living in us allows joy, laughter, and celebration to be found in our relationships with each other. It is the coming to Jesus with pure and clean hearts filled with the music of songs of praise and thanksgiving that we can spell out His name by our life. It is how we bring people to Jesus.

The band is there for the athletic team. But, the team rarely sees the marching band that is the champion of their cause. The team is wrapped up in a game. At the time when the team needs it the most, the band’s support is the strongest and loudest. Usually, the team’s mind and attention is far away.

Think about that example, friends.

Christians as disciples of Jesus Christ, bring others to Christ. Christians pray, serve, and love the poor in spirit, poor in flesh, and those in poverty. Followers of Jesus champion justice and dignity for all persons.

And, the ones that they pray for and support may never see those who stand for them. Christians pray the loudest for those who need Jesus. Often those in need are far away from his presence.

He knew what was asked of him for that Jesus offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears …. He prayed for all humankind.

I’ve compared being a Christian to a marching band; but, the reason the marching band marches is not for the band.

The reason, followers of Christ march, is not for self. We follow Him to something greater.

The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

That hour is far more serious than a game. And still, too many in the world are playing. That hour was for every person of the world. Yet, too many are lost in them self.

As a band of believers, we bring the excitement and joy in hope of salvation to the world. We sing the song of redemption through Christ Jesus raised upon the cross.

Not everyone appreciates the band. Not everyone appreciates the beliefs and works of followers of Jesus. But, one who does recognize our effort; Jesus said, “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also my servant will be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.”

Brothers and sisters, bring the music found in the joy of salvation to others.

Be good, be holy, and strike up the band to preach the gospel in the way we live your lives and love one another.

Praise be Jesus Christ forever and ever. Amen.