By Archbishop Thomas Wenski - The Archdiocese of Miami
Archbishop Thomas Wenski preached this homily while celebrating the 60th anniversary Mass of St. Hugh Parish in Coconut Grove, Nov. 15, 2020.
Soon we will celebrate Thanksgiving Day. But, as Catholics, we do well to remember that Eucharist means “thanksgiving.” The Mass is the perfect “Thanksgiving meal” – for united with Christ in his sacrificial gift of Himself, we give God thanks for the gift of our salvation, the gift of faith, the gift of knowing that we are loved by a merciful and compassionate God. And, today, St. Hugh Parish celebrates a special “Thanksgiving Day” as we observe the 60th anniversary of this parish’s founding and 800 years since St. Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln, England, was canonized a saint.
On Sundays, the first reading of the Mass always has a connection with the Gospel that is read. In today’s first reading, we heard a wonderful tribute of praise to a worthy wife. And you might ask, what’s the connection between this first reading and the Gospel parable of the talents? That first reading from the Book of Proverbs ends with these words: “Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her a reward for her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.” Obviously, she used her talents well – and used them for the benefit of others.
Thus, the woman – and for that matter, the man – who “fears the Lord” is to be praised. Now, this “fear of the Lord” – which is also listed as one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit received in Confirmation – is not a servile fear. Fear – in our common usage of the word – refers to that unhealthy emotion of dread that often paralyzes us, that turns us inward and makes us defensive or suspicious of those around us. Too often we can be filled with that unhealthy, emotional fear, a negative fear that causes us not to act for the sake of the other but leads into a selfish gathering-in of things that we keep only for ourselves. Such a fear prevents us from loving others; it keeps others at a distance; and can isolate us into a self-imposed hell of loneliness.
That’s not what we mean by “fear of the Lord.” Fear of the Lord refers to the awe and respect we should have for God. A healthy “fear of the Lord” acknowledges that God has expectations of us, and it inspires within us the courage to embrace the risks of discipleship. Do we want to find love in our lives? Then we must take risks – the risk of being a disciple – and invest in others. Do we want to find happiness in our lives? Then, we must take risks – the risk of following Jesus – and like Jesus invest in others. Do we want to find meaning in our lives? Then we must risk investing our time, talent and treasure in others. If we allow ourselves to be driven by our fears rather than by our faith, we will remain like that “useless” servant who buries his talent. We will be spiritually unproductive. And the life of faith in our community will be also more than a bit sluggish.
God, of course, has given each one of us many talents. That is to say, God has invested himself in each one of us – and Jesus puts his life on the line for us so that we can live out that call to discipleship by being self-sacrificing, self-giving, and to use our gifts and talents to benefit others, even to sacrifice our lives for the sake of others.
We are not the self-made men and women we sometimes pretend to be; rather what we are, who we are, is a gift we each have received ultimately from God. And what God has given us he has given not just for our own sakes but also for the sake of others. A major theme of the Scriptures in both Old and New Testaments is the call for us to care “for the widow, the orphan, the alien, the oppressed and the poor among us.”
Of course, in saying all this, I hope that I am preaching to the choir. St. Hugh does have a history of support to the ABCD as well as other initiatives, from building wells in Africa to a food pantry in the Grove, that shows a commitment to “care for the widow, the orphan, the alien, the oppressed and the poor among us.”
For 60 years, St. Hugh Parish has welcomed God’s pilgrim people. Of course, the history of this parish – like any history forged by fallen human beings – is full of lights and shadows. We should not be surprised that the Church which Christ founded to save sinners is – well – full of sinners. Yet, the Church is holy – and she is holy not because of us but because of the Spirit that is given to her. Despite the shortcomings and foibles of her human members, the Church of God has continued to grow here in South Florida – and here at St. Hugh. At a time when many would want to write off the Church as irrelevant and, in view of the ascendant secularism of our age, would argue that living the faith coherently is not worth the risk or the investment, you still invest your time, talent and treasure in supporting her mission in the world.
Thanks to the presence of the Holy Spirit, who could say that these past 60 years have not been years of grace?
Many have come and gone – and today we lift up in prayer those pioneers, priests and people – who were here at the beginning and have gone home to the Lord. But during these 60 years you have built more than buildings; you have built community, a community of faith, hope and love, a community where Christ is known and adored.
