Walking our Path to the Cross - 1st Friday Homily March 2024

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030224.cfm 

Praise be Jesus Christ for ever and ever. Amen.

In our Lenten journey and every day be aware of the themes of today’s scripture. Be wary of evil and sin all around us. Evil and sin will lead us away from the path the Lord has given us.

We’ve all experienced it. Scriptures show it is nothing new. The experiences in our everyday lives are the same evils used against God’s people for all times. The evil one uses our families and us just as it did with the sons of Jacob, the brothers of Joseph.

How many people in your sphere of friends, acquaintances, and even family’s are experiencing the evil of scheming and division? Desires kindled by jealousy and envy can lead us to malicious wants and wicked ambitions. Ego and greed can easily get out of hand.

Be careful and vigilant with how we live our lives.

In my large family, there are siblings who won’t talk to each other. Children who have turned away from their parents. Some think they are too good to associate with family and others don’t think they are good enough.

Be careful and vigilant of the worldly ambitions, pressures, and desires that tempt us to the path of wickedness against God and our brothers and sisters. The detachment of these places pulls our hearts from the path of God’s grace and salvation. Instead of following a path to God, we fall to the path of sin. We cannot follow the path of God and avoid the suffering of Christ present in the wounds of our brothers and sisters.  (Pope Francis)

The evil one uses our families and us. Because sin exists in the family. Sin is in our community. It is in our country. It is in the humanity of us all that is Jesus Christ’s Church. The evil one fights to keep the master from his vineyard.

Brothers and sisters, fight back by living a life truly full of faith in God. Strive against the allures and temptations of this world. Pray to be able to avoid the sinfulness of pride and greed. 

We all walk our path to the cross. Follow the One who frees us from the sin of our downfall. During lent and everyday focus on Jesus, not on the worldly distractions, concerns, ambitions and desires all around and within us. Focus on him to not fall away from the path of God’s grace and salvation.

Open the gates of your heart. Welcome the Lord. Come to Him and ask for the grace, strength, and courage to be able to do His will, at all times.

Praise be Jesus Christ for ever and ever. Amen.