Homily of the Twenty First Sunday of Ordinary Time 

Year A: 2011

 

To be honest, I am not used to introducing myself as a catholic priest. It

is not because I feel shame about it, but because I think most people do

not really understand who a priest is, or what a priest does. When the

sexual abuse scandals were revealed during the last decade, the Church

understands more about what a priest vocation is about. It is not about

power, authority or rule over people, but about to love, to serve and to

be humble.

 

I have a first cousin who also wanted to become a priest but he had a

wrong perception about the vocation of priesthood. He thought a priest

needs a high education to rule and teach people. Unfortunately, he never

got admitted into a seminary in Hanoi. When I visited his family in the

North, I had a chance to listen to his vocation story. I still felt his

anger when talked with me about his experiences. After three or four years

of studying and waiting, he heard nothing from the diocese. One day, he

decided to meet his pastor to ask why he was not accepted to the seminary.

The pastor took him on a walk around his church. They saw a young man who was digging the ground by hand. The pastor pointed to the young man and said to my cousin: this is what a priest about. If you want to be a priest, you have to work hard, not only study hard. His dream was shattered on that day, and he decided to become a medicine man. 

After I listened to his story, I told him that what the pastor said is right. I shared with him about my pastoral year experiences: a lot of humiliation and sweat. I told him to become a priest is not easy, and to be a good priest is not an easy life. We have to work hard for it. We have to be ready for challenges.

 

Peter seemed to have the same problem when he confessed: “You are the

Christ, the Son of God.” According to the Old Testament, “Christ” means

the “Anointed One,” or the One who is set apart for God. Therefore, when

Peter confessed his faith in Jesus, he did not understand about the title

of Christ. He would never expect a Christ should be humiliated or to

suffer and die on the cross. One time St. Peter was happy to see the

glorious face of Jesus on mount Tabor and he wanted to stay there. Another

time St. Peter ran away when Jesus was carrying the Cross. I think St.

Peter had learned a lesson in a hard way. We also have to learn what it

means to follow Christ. Can we proudly say to our friends, our children

and grandchildren that “I am a Catholic” like Peter did? Do we mean it

when we say “Amen” before we receive the Body and Blood of Christ?

 

Dear friends, Jesus is the Christ, but he comes to serve, not to be

served. The gospel of next week will continue to tell us what it means to

be a disciple of Christ. The point is: we have to learn about how Jesus

lived his life on earth; how he lived for his Father’s will. He set an

example for all of us, we are supposed to follow. This is what our faith is

about. Remember: We are not Catholics by name, but by love actions.

 

May the Holy Spirit open our heart to the true face of Jesus. Amen.