SOMETIMES GOD HAS TO BREAK YOU TO SAVE YOU - Homily by Fr. Dave Concepcion on Aug. 19, 2024

Fr. Dave Concepcion, EVERYTHING IS GRACE

19 Aug 202408:09

Summary

TLDRThe homily begins with a Gospel reading where Jesus advises a young man to keep the commandments and to sell his possessions to follow Him. The speaker reflects on the limits of sin and how God sometimes allows suffering to bring about spiritual growth. Using examples, he emphasizes that material wealth is meaningless without Christ and that God may allow pain to save our souls. The homily concludes with a reminder that true value lies in following Christ and living a life centered on faith.

Takeaways

🙏 The Lord be with you and with your spirit.
📖 A young man asked Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life, and Jesus instructed him to keep the commandments.
🛑 Jesus emphasized the importance of not killing, not committing adultery, not stealing, not bearing false witness, honoring one's parents, and loving one's neighbor as oneself.
💰 Jesus told the young man that if he wanted to be perfect, he should sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Him.
😔 The young man left sad because he had many possessions, highlighting the difficulty of giving up material wealth.
🕊️ The first reading from the prophet Ezekiel reminds us that sin has limitations, and God may allow sin but does not approve of it.
📜 The homily discusses how sin can lead to suffering, and sometimes God allows pain to bring us back to Him.
💔 Not all wounds are bad; sometimes, God wounds us to heal us and save our souls.
✝️ The Gospel emphasizes that having everything in the world means nothing without Christ.
💡 The homily concludes with the reminder that despite God's love, sin has its consequences, and it's essential to prioritize a life with Christ.

Q & A

What was the young man seeking when he approached Jesus?
-The young man was seeking to know what good deeds he must do to gain eternal life.
How did Jesus initially respond to the young man’s question about gaining eternal life?
-Jesus responded by asking why the young man inquired about the good, stating that only one is good, and then instructed him to keep the commandments if he wished to enter into life.
Which commandments did Jesus specifically mention to the young man?
-Jesus mentioned the commandments: 'You shall not kill,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and mother,' and 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
What additional instruction did Jesus give the young man who claimed to have observed all the commandments?
-Jesus told the young man that if he wished to be perfect, he should go, sell what he had, give to the poor, and then follow Him, promising that he would have treasure in heaven.
How did the young man react to Jesus' instruction to sell his possessions and give to the poor?
-The young man went away sad because he had many possessions.
What is the significance of the saint mentioned in the homily, and how is he connected to the first reading?
-The saint mentioned is Saint Ezekiel Moreno. The connection to the first reading lies in the similarity of their names, though they are different individuals. The prophet Ezekiel lived between 590 and 570 BC, while Saint Ezekiel Moreno was born in 1848.
What does the first reading in the homily remind us about sin?
-The first reading reminds us that sin has its own limitations, and although God may allow us to commit sin, He does not approve of it. The reading emphasizes that sin brings consequences and limitations.
What is the main lesson the homily aims to convey about pain and suffering?
-The homily conveys that pain and suffering can be a form of divine intervention. God may allow us to experience pain to prevent us from becoming complacent and forgetting our spiritual origins. It suggests that sometimes God breaks us to save our souls.
According to the homily, why is it important to have Christ in your life, even if you have everything else?
-The homily emphasizes that without Christ, everything else is meaningless. It states that you might have everything you want, but if you do not have Christ, you have nothing, because we came into the world with nothing and will leave it with nothing.
What is the final blessing given by the priest at the end of the homily?
-The final blessing given by the priest is: 'May Almighty God bless you and your family, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.' The priest then sends the congregation forth in peace to love and serve the Lord.

Outlines

00:00

🙏 The Challenge of Following Christ

This paragraph narrates the encounter between a young man and Jesus as described in the Gospel of Matthew. The young man asks Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus advises him to keep the commandments, and when asked which ones, Jesus lists several, including not killing, not committing adultery, not stealing, and loving one's neighbor. The young man claims he has observed all these, but when Jesus tells him to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Him, the man leaves sadly because he is wealthy. The paragraph ends with a reflection on the significance of the day's saint, Saint Ezekiel Moreno, and a clarification that he is different from the prophet Ezekiel mentioned in the first reading. The focus shifts to a discussion about the limitations of sin and a story illustrating the consequences of addressing someone incorrectly.

05:00

💔 The Pain of Transformation and the Necessity of Christ

This paragraph delves into the theme of how God sometimes allows us to experience pain to save our souls. It emphasizes that not all wounds are bad, as some are necessary for healing. The speaker advises parents to pray that their children be spared from severe punishment, noting that realizing one's mistakes too late in life, after much suffering, is tragic. The Gospel message is highlighted, underscoring that having everything means nothing without Christ. The paragraph concludes with a reminder that despite God's love, sin has its limits, and sometimes God must break our bodies to save our souls. The importance of having Christ in one's life is reiterated.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Eternal Life

Eternal life refers to the concept of living forever with God after death, a core belief in Christianity. In the video, a young man asks Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life, emphasizing the importance of following commandments and living a life in accordance with Christian teachings. This concept is central to the video's theme of moral living and spiritual salvation.

💡Commandments

The commandments are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Christianity and Judaism. Jesus emphasizes the need to follow these commandments, such as not killing, not committing adultery, and honoring one's parents, as prerequisites for entering eternal life. This underlines the importance of moral obedience in the video's message.

💡Sin

Sin in Christianity refers to acts that go against God’s will and moral laws. The video discusses how sin has limitations and that God sometimes allows sin to occur but does not approve of it. The theme of sin is crucial to the video as it explores the consequences of sinful actions and the importance of repentance and returning to God.

💡Forgiveness

Forgiveness is the act of pardoning an offender and is a key concept in Christian teachings. The video implicitly refers to forgiveness when discussing God’s willingness to heal and save souls despite their sins. This concept reinforces the video’s theme of redemption and the hope for divine mercy.

💡Salvation

Salvation is the deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by Christians to be granted by faith in Jesus Christ. In the video, Jesus instructs the young man to sell his possessions and follow Him to achieve salvation, highlighting the need for detachment from material wealth and a focus on spiritual growth. Salvation is a central theme of the video, emphasizing the path to eternal life.

💡Material Possessions

Material possessions refer to physical belongings and wealth. The young man in the video is told by Jesus to sell his possessions to achieve spiritual fulfillment and salvation, illustrating the Christian teaching that material wealth should not take precedence over spiritual values. This serves as a critique of materialism and emphasizes the value of spiritual over worldly pursuits.

💡Prophet Ezekiel

The Prophet Ezekiel was an Old Testament prophet who is known for his visions and messages of warning and hope to Israel. In the video, Ezekiel is mentioned in the context of the first reading, which emphasizes the consequences of sin and God’s justice. The reference to Ezekiel aligns with the video’s focus on the need for repentance and adherence to God's commandments.

💡Saint Ezekiel Moreno

Saint Ezekiel Moreno was a Spanish missionary and a member of the Augustinian Recollects who served in the Philippines and Colombia. The video differentiates between Saint Ezekiel Moreno and the Prophet Ezekiel, illustrating a point about their distinct historical and spiritual contexts. The mention of Saint Ezekiel Moreno connects to the theme of dedication to spiritual service and missionary work.

💡Joy and Pain

Joy and pain are described as tools used by God to communicate with people, according to a reference made to C.S. Lewis in the video. Joy is seen as a whisper from God, while pain is viewed as a shout, used to wake people from spiritual complacency. This concept illustrates the idea that both positive and negative experiences can lead individuals closer to God.

💡Healing

Healing is a process of restoration and renewal, often linked with spiritual well-being in Christian teachings. The video discusses how God sometimes 'wounds to heal,' implying that suffering can be a means through which God helps individuals return to righteousness. This concept reinforces the idea that hardships can serve a divine purpose in leading souls to salvation.

Highlights

The Lord be with you and with your Spirit.

A young man asked Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life.

Jesus emphasized that only one is truly good and that keeping the commandments is essential for entering into life.

Jesus listed commandments: 'You shall not kill, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness; honor your father and mother; love your neighbor as yourself.'

The young man claimed he had observed all these commandments and asked what he still lacked.

Jesus challenged the young man to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Him to be perfect.

The young man went away sad because he had many possessions.

The homily discusses the celebration of Saint Ezekiel Moreno and the distinction between him and the prophet Ezekiel.

Sin has its own limitations; sometimes God allows sin, even though He does not approve of it.

A story about a waiter who was corrected by a customer for addressing them incorrectly highlights the consequences of mistakes.

The speaker reflects on the idea that sometimes God allows pain to save souls, as echoed by saints and prophets.

God comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable when they become complacent and forget their origins.

The speaker emphasizes that joys are whispers from God, while pains are shouts from God, urging people not to wait until they experience pain to turn to Him.

Even if one has everything they want, without Christ, they have nothing; we came into the world with nothing and will leave with nothing.

The homily concludes with a prayer for God's blessing and a reminder that sin has its limits, and sometimes God wounds us to heal us.