May 28 – Homily – Fr Dominic: A Particularly Christian Paradox

 

Jesus tells us to be in the world but not of the world. Other religions are completely of this world (paganism, deism), project this world into the higher reality (Islam), or reject this world (Buddhism). Jesus gives us the paradoxical precept of being in the world but not of it.
By world, He means the human community living like this world is all there is, with pride and sensuality ruling. This is what we do instinctively as fallen humanity. But this is the world that Jesus came into, and it was to us He came.
He came because it was the will of His Father that He do so. And this is how we live in the world but not of it, by doing the will of God. We find and approve what is good in the world without surrendering to it, God sends us out into the world with a mission, and be being faithful to this we resist getting pulled under.
We need to walk in faith and obedience, like Peter on walking on the water. And we must pray, and pray much, else we will sink and die. For it is only by the grace of God that we are able to hold to His will and resist the grasping tentacles of this passing world.

Ave Maria!

Mass: Sunday 7th Week of Easter - Sunday
Readings: 
1st: act 1:12-14
Resp: psa 27:1, 4, 7-8
2nd: 1pe 4:13-16
Gsp: joh 17:1-11