Homily for July 5-6, 2008

14th Sunday
July 6, 2008

Jesus’ spirituality was centered on a relationship, his relationship with the Father. His life was centered on this relationship. “The Father and I are one,” he says in John’s gospel.
His teaching ministry was centered on this relationship. He came to tell us that God is his Father, and ours as well. This is why the gospel so often says, “Do not be afraid.” God is not an angry judge who may condemn us. He is, above all, a loving father.

Jesus’ prayer was centered on the Father. Jesus taught us to pray in the same manner. The prayer he taught us begins, “Our Father….” He teaches us to pray to the Father, in the same way he did.
We call it The Our Father or The Lord’s Prayer. It has been given to us as a prayer, but it is also a basic catechism. It tells us what we believe as disciples of Jesus.

“Our Father…” Even those two words are a powerful statement of belief. It says that God is not off at a distance. He is up close as a most loving dad/mom who cherishes everything about us.
We are not nobodies. We are sons and daughters, much loved sons and daughters of God.
In our thoughts and prayers we can imagine outselves sitting in the lap of God, close enough to be able to touch his face, as we speak to him.

He listens to everything we say. He knows us better than anyone else and loves us more than any friend we have ever had.
God the Father shares our joys and weeps with us in our sorrows. We have nothing to fear from him.