My Homily for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time "B"

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Deacon Kevin F. Reid
November 18th 2012
Church of the Immaculate Conception









God's Promises are For Ever and Ever

I am sure that by now you have been noticing the CHANGE that is in the air, by now most of the leaves have changed color and the yards are filling with those big black bags of leaves ready to be picked up and to be taken away.

This is actually one of the prettiest times of the year to see the wonder of nature. The last leaves to fall are the Japanese Maple those are the ones that in the past week turned an almost iridescent reddish burgundy.
I was driving along Joppa Road the other day from the Parish to an appointment for a procedure at Johns Hopkins, at Greenspring Station, and the leaves were magnificent as the sun shone through the new spaces that the other fallen leaves had created in the trees  by already falling. It was almost like they were illuminated with the Glory of Creation, but yet they were dying.

Perhaps the greatest paradox in life is how the end can take us back to the beginning......... And that the beginning is the start of the end.

I would like to share a story with you that might help to understand today's readings. About a month ago, on a Tuesday morning, I was making my rounds at GBMC visiting the Catholic Patients who are there.

A patient's wife that I had come to know over the past four years, Mary met me in the hallway, and she was obviously upset so we sat down to talk for a few minutes.

Her husband Joe had been told that he was losing his fight, he had been battling Leukemia for the past four years. And the disease was winning and the options had run out.

I first met Joseph and Mary four years ago as they came for all of the various interventional treatments at the Hospital that they were hoping would stop the dreadful CANCER from spreading and from winning the battle.

The thing that struck me about this particular Joseph and Mary  besides their unique name as a COUPLE was their enduring hope, they never ever doubted in the Mercy and the Glory of God in the midst of their suffering. Each day left to them was a GIFT.

No matter who I had previously visited, no matter how LOW I MIGHT HAVE FELT when entering that room after spending a few minutes with them I always felt better.

Truly Joseph ministered to me more then I ever ministered to him. As I went in to visit Joseph that day, I was able to share with him how he had helped me so many times by the way he endured his suffering, by the way he and Mary cared for each other and for me.

I shared that I hoped to see him again but in my Heart I knew that would be unlikely. His body had been worn down and he was week from the fight. But he still had his dignity and his smile told me that it was alright that he was ready.

 God in his Mercy and Love had blessed Joseph with an unflappable HOPE that no matter what the outcome, no matter how hard the treatments were that he would be with him FOR EVER AND EVER.

Very early this past Monday morning, Jesus came for  Joseph. Just as one day he will come for each of us, I pray for all of us that we too will have the GRACE of a happy death in the end like Joseph did.

Joseph went to sleep that Sunday night in the arms of his Mary but woke up that morning in the arms of Jesus.

Perhaps the greatest paradox in life is how the end can take us back to the beginning......... And that the beginning is the start of the end.


The challenge that each of us will face in the end is only known to God, he alone knows what is in store for each of us, we need only remind ourselves of how he never ever leaves us alone. That he will be with us always for ever and ever.

Jesus in today's Gospel reminds us that we no not the time or the hour. That the "things" of this world will all fade and crumble and fall just like the great Temple in Jerusalem would one day do.

Our readings today all have a common theme of redemption in the midst of pain and persecution.

Jesus was speaking to the disciples, just as he tells us here today that Good will triumph in the end and that the Righteous the "ELECT" will inherit the Kingdom of God.

In our letter to the Hebrews the writer shared with us that Christ did sacrifice himself for our Redemption, and suffer at the hands of evil men.

But that after that he would take his place at the right hand of God the Father. And that he waits there for till the end of time to come back for each of us.

The common thread that they will share is that Christ will come once again to judge the Living and the Dead, and that his Kingdom will last forever.

We believe that this time that we spend in this life, will not end in death. That in Baptism we are "REBORN" into eternal life.

Perhaps the greatest paradox in life is how the end can take us back to the beginning......... And that the beginning is the start of the end.


We believe that when he comes again on the last day that we will all rise again.  And that the righteous will inherit the kingdom of God and eternal life.

So as we prepare ourselves now to receive the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist I would like to leave you with the prayer that is read at all times of the day around the world in every hour by Priests, Deacons and Bishops. It is called the
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH and it speaks of the promise of FOR EVER AND EVER.

 They will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great glory and majesty.

Blessed + be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old †
  that he would save us from our enemies, *
  from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever and ever.

THESE WORDS SHOULD GIVE US ALL THE HOPE THAT DURING ANY TIME OF TRIAL that the "NOW" that we are experiencing is temporary, but THAT "ETERNITY" is FOREVER.

My Homily "The Good Shepherd "16th Sunday Ordinary Time

The Good Shepherd 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time "B" Deacon Kevin Reid Church of the Immaculate Conception July 22, 2012 In today's readings there is a common theme that the Lord in all of his wisdom and mercy is trying to communicate to us here today. The promise that he is OUR GOOD SHEPHERD,and today he is really making sure that we get it because he is telling us in three different ways, at three different times. Talk about having to repeat yourself to your CHILDREN, we parents all know what that's like don't we? Sometimes miraculously our children they hear us every now and then on the first time, but I'm afraid to say most times its not even till after the third time. So just as we have to repeat ourselves to our Kids, God sometimes has to do the same thing to us. And so it is with us Brothers and Sisters; sometimes we need to hear things over and over before we finally "get it". Perhaps its because we have conditioned ourselves to only hear what we want to HEAR, we can selectively listen for and tone out the other stuff. Jesus like a good parent, loves us unconditionally in spite of our short comings, in spite of our "Selective Hearing" he is the epitome of what we all wish to be in our Hope to be good parents. As a good shepherd he KNOWS his sheep, and he calls each of us by name. He leads us with his word, and with his Spirit to a place of rest. To a place to RETREAT from the Hustle and the Bustle of our Daily Routines. The Shepherd had the task of finding a "Safe" place for the Sheep to rest on their journey. Certainly that's what he was trying to do for the Apostles in today's Gospel from Mark. They had been sent forth as you might remember two by two last week, and they were reporting back to the "Boss" just how well it went. It was his idea to lead them away to a QUIET place to rest, I dare say perhaps he led them away to show them just how great was the need for them to continue the good work that he had begun in them last Sunday. In other words their work had just begun and he was teaching THEM as well as the Crowds. He never fails to use a teaching moment when it's there, next week he will show the Apostles how to feed the multitude with a few fish and a hand full of loaves. These 3 weeks we are in the middle of have a common theme: being with Jesus,doing works that reflect his goodness and power, proclaiming his Word. He is the TEACHER in each of these three weeks who is teaching them and us what we can do for others and for ourselves. This Good Shepherd sees things in the Apostles and in also in us that we don't always see in each other or possibly even in our selves. I guess with all of this talk about Shepherds, the hardest part for us to understand is just what a Shepherd did, ???? or even in some remote parts of the world still DOES. He guides his flock he leads them in the direction of cool refreshing water, he keeps the predators at bay. His staff and rod is always at the ready to bring his sheep back in or to knock the wolf away if he needs it. Most importantly, perhaps is that he puts Himself between us (the sheep) because like sheep we can also stray, and we too can get lost easily. My Brothers and Sisters, when we do get lost or lose our WAY, we might very quickly find ourselves in trouble. The wolf as we know from the story of little Red Riding Hood is a cunning creature who comes for us in many disguises. He comes between us and our Good Shepherd with his lies and with his ability to 'SNIFF OUT OUR FEAR' he is always there ready to pounce. He prefers to come for us when we are afraid, when we think and convince our selves that we are all alone, when we have separated ourselves from God and the rest of of our Community the 'Flock' by sin. And it is precisely at those times when we are like those LOST sheep, that the Good Shepherd, comes searching looking for his lost sheep. He comes to us in those times when we are feeling the most vulnerable, when perhaps that the storms of life have left us feeling empty or even adrift. Like the Father in the Story of the Prodigal Son that goes running out to meet his long lost given up for DEAD son, his joy in finding us is complete. He lifts up and restores our weary bodies that are burdened from the challenges of life. He gives us the promise of the gift of eternal life. Not unlike the people who Jesus saw and taught from the boat in today's Gospel, he looks to us in our suffering and he seeks to make it better. He does not ever promise us that there will be a bed of Roses, rather he tells us that he walks with us in the very "Valley of Death" and that he will not leave us alone, that he will be there to SHEPHERD us in those dark moments. I can share a story with you that I know many of you will find some thing in common with. When our first Son was born, to my wife Lisa and I, our OB a man who had been taught by the Jesuits in Jamaica, that had been fortunate to attend Medical School at Johns Hopkins and work there for over forty years helping women deliver babies. This man named Eli shepherded us through the entire birth process. Well giving credit where it is due, Lisa did all the physical work of pushing and struggling just like we all do in life. But Eli he was there, right along side of us Shepherding us keeping things under control, making us feel safe. I think it was that day that I finally figured out just exactly what a modern day Shepherd did, certainly during the birthing process. Folks on your first time being present as a Mother or as a Father it is easy for the fear and the pain to get the upper hand on you to make you feel alone. That is where our Shepherd Eli stepped in. He knew just what to do, he had been there before, and he knew just what to do when that time came. He guided us in such a way and we never felt that he wasn't 100% in control. We were never left to feel alone. Jesus knows first hand what it feels like to be alone, remember he didn't have to become one of us to be like one of us. He became one of us so that we could become like him. And he never wants to be away from us when we need him. It says in today's Gospel that he stayed there with them because he had compassion for them and that he taught them many things. He is always willing to teach us to guide us and Shepherd us through both the good and bad times. He teaches them and us that his WAY is "THE WAY" to eternal life. He leads us to greener pastures and sets a wedding banquet table for us to join him at. From the Words of today's Psalm which probably next to the Our Father, is the second most popular prayer in all of Christianity. Nothing shall I want. He leads me. He goes before me with rod and staff. He feeds me. He anoints my head. Friends what more could we ask of our Shepherd, let us pray that today after we come to the Altar to receive the life giving body and blood of the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for us, that we WILL from this day forward listen for his shepherds voice in his call to each of us. His call for us to hear his voice in the cries of his people who are hungry for us to share with them the Good News of his life giving Gospel.