Thoughts & Homilies

16th Anniversary Homily
September 3, 2001

Today we celebrate the solemn feast of a giant in Christian history - Gregorio Magno, Gregory the Great - a Doctor of the Church, liturgist, theologian, reformer, advocate of the poor, monk, Bishop, Pope, pastor, saint and the patron of this parish.

What made him great was not his tremendous scholastic accomplishments, nor his positions of authority in the Church, but rather his humility in his relationship to God and God's people. We honor him this day, as we celebrate the sixteenth anniversary of this parish, the church of Saint Gregory the Great.

Did you ever notice
that there is a not-so-subtle theme
throughout the Bible?

It is of a God
who likes to throw parties.
A woman finds a lost coin
or a shepherd finds a lost sheep,
and they throw a party.
A wayward son comes home,
and his grateful and forgiving father
throws a party.
One of Jesus' first public acts
was to save a party from disaster,
by changing water into wine.
God loves parties.
The Gospels are full of meals,
shared tables, dinner parties,
wedding feasts, dessert picnics,
even farewell suppers.
Jesus was filled with life and joy
and a spirit of celebration.
He even contrasted himself with John the Baptist,
"who came fasting".
(John was so serious)
Jesus loved being with friends,
or even at the homes of those
who disagreed with him.
He loved people and
dined with them whenever possible.

Many Christians
are uncomfortable with this festive side of Jesus' life
(Catholics, however, actually do quite well with it.)
It is important to celebrate
the goodness
and generosity
of God.
It is vital that we appreciate creation
and the gifts of the earth.
It is necessary to share in the joy
of being part of God's family.
After all,
God is a generous and gracious God
who throws parties -
all inclusive parties.

Jesus tells us
God especially likes to invite those who cannot repay him,
and tells us, if we want to increase our joy in this world,
we should do the same.
God isn't always looking for perfection in us.
God doesn't just invite the healthy,
the whole, the clean, and the beautiful,
like some Hollywood affair.
God's reign includes the outlaw,
the unwashed, the spiritually and emotionally damaged.
There is room for everyone at the Lord's table.

Our holy patron, Gregory, understood this.
He had a deep commitment to the so called "least" in the world.
As Pope, a reluctant one at that,
he dined daily with twelve strangers,
chosen at random,
often the ragged, the lame,
the beggars of this world.
He ate with twelve,
as at the last supper,
so that every meal
was Eucharistic,
every act of eating
was an act of gratitude,
nourishment taken in the presence of God
and God's beloved.

As a parish, for sixteen years,
God has brought us to His table
and fed us,
nourished us.
God has welcomed us as we are.
Our first altar was a folding table at Jerabeck auditorium
in the fall of 1985.
For weekday masses, it was the sofa table in my living room.
For almost twelve years, we celebrated Eucharist
on the ground floor of a three story office building.
And now, for almost two years,
we have gathered in this magnificent church
around the lovely altar
made of eucalyptus, maple, African mahogany and purple heart,
as strong and firm and secure as it is beautiful.

Through these sixteen years,
God has helped us understand that
we are really not about buildings,
but about people -
people of faith.
God will continue to feed and challenge us
in the days and years to come,
for we are called,
not by our parish registrations,
but by our Baptism
to be an inclusive people,
a community
where no one is outside our care or concern,
where no one is considered beneath us,
taken for granted,
or unworthy of our love.

These sixteen years have flown by so quickly for me,
one half of my priesthood
has been spent serving and being served by you.
I thank God
for every on of these sweet sweet 16 years,
and I thank God for you!

Happy Anniversary!

[ back to top ]