ActiV8

Homily
Corpus Christi College
19th October 2006
Luke 11:47-54

World Youth Day

“Who wants to work in the harvest of the Lord?” This was the opening words of Fr. Tony as he welcomed our guests last night. Last night we had a variety of people from different congregations, orders and backgrounds, as Bishop Prowse said it’s like an “Ecclesiastical Disneyland”. We may be different to one another (religious and diocesan) yet we are all united in faith and desire to follow Jesus Christ, the Master of the Harvest. We are all here at the seminary because we want to work in the harvest of the Lord.

I find it very interesting, if not inspiring after hearing stories from other people last night how the event of “World Youth Day” had contributed on their vocational journey. Like Nick, I was 16 when I attended World Youth Day celebration in Manila in 1995. Although I didn’t experience a jam-packed-train ride in Rome, mine was a life threatening-experience of a two-hour trip to Manila on a human-packed dump truck!

Generation

I was saying to myself last night that our generation is indeed privileged and blessed to experience the excitement of World Youth Day, not to mention the joyful experience of belongingness with our contemporary Catholics from all over the world.

Interestingly the word “generation” is mentioned twice in the Gospel today. That means the words of Christ uttered 2000 years ago are directly and effectively addressed not only to the past generations but also to our generation and specifically to each and one of us, present here today in this chapel.

We, seminarians and priests “who are called to work in the harvest of the Lord”, face the same challenge of doing the work of Evangelization in our time, our place and our generation. The First Reading reminds us that it is God himself who has chosen us to do this important job, as St. Paul says, “Before the world was made, he chose us…that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ for his own kind purposes.”


Condemnation: A warning for us followers of Christ

In the Gospel today, we heard of Christ’s direct condemnation and opposition to the Pharisees and lawyers at his time. The Pharisees showed to themselves to be accomplices in the murders committed by their ancestors. They do not really honor either the prophets of old or the prophets of God in their own time. Worst of all their generation rejected Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is greater than any prophets.

The condemnation of Jesus to the Pharisees does merely explain his opposition to them but also as a teaching to his disciples and a warning to us who profess to follow him.

We are aware how the apostles shed their blood as a consequence of their desire to continue the works of Christ. Inasmuch as the apostles experienced rejection and death from the hands of their torturers, so we, too, who are called to be living witnesses of Christ in our present generation will also experience rejection and difficulties in other ways.

We, who are called to remove barriers to the preaching of the gospel to the people, will also find ourselves in an uncomfortable situation.

And we, who are called to ease the burdens on others and help them carry their loads, despite our good effort and intention will also experience accusations and condemnations.

Prayer

But despite these negative consequences and hardships of following Christ, we can also include the difficulty of writing essays, or preparing a homily early in the morning, let us be aware that we are not alone. There are many young people around the world who like us are all excited about Christ. Unlike the Pharisees, we priests and seminarians today are hope for this generation.

We thank God for this wonderful privilege of being called to continue his mission on earth. So, “Who wants to work in the harvest of the Lord?”




“You will receive the power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses.” (Activ8)