14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2023

 

“Come to me, all you who are weary, and I will give you rest”

 

So MANY people, even ourselves, ARE tired, ARE weary and are looking for rest

The Devil is bombarding all of us with anxieties, noise, unrest, and the blinding light of our technological and mechanical world. 

Given all of that, I had placards made at my previous Churches saying that all are welcome, and then below that I had the quote from today’s Gospel…”Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

 

THIS Catholic Church building, and all the Catholic Churches around the world, are the LAST place the Devil wants people to come

1.    Just a couple of stories.  I got a phone call several years ago, and it was a guy who said that he had driven past the sign outfront of our Church for years, knowing that he should stop and come in.  He then related that he literally sat in the Church parking lot for 30 minutes trying to work up the courage to come in before he finally did come in, and so he was calling me to say thanks.

 

2.    A person who became Catholic was relating to me that in her 20’s she lived a life completely of the world.  Crystals, raiki, oija boards, the occult, drugs, etc.  and she said that one time she was walking past a Catholic Church and she was prompted to go in, and as she reached for the door handle, the Devil literally curled her hand and would not let her grab the door handle.  She said fortunately there was a person coming out of the Church, and that person held the door open for her and she was able to come in

 

First of all, the Devil is also wanting to keep you out of this place, or, if you come in, which you all have, he will then try to get you out of here as quickly as possible.  Stay a few minutes.  Come back some time when the Church is open.  Visit a Blessed Sacrament chapel.  This is the year where the Eucharistic Revival is going on in every parish in the country.  We need first of all to remind ourselves that being in the Real Presence of Jesus is refreshing, renewing, and reinvigorating.

And in conclusion, each of us here today knows at least 5 people that need the peace that we have found in this Church building.  I beg you to go out and invite them to come into this Church building, and then offer to come with them.  The Devil might keep their hand from opening the door, so be a hand for them if they need it.