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Jesus said to them: “I have come into this world so that a sentence may fall upon it, that those who are blind should see, and those who see should become blind. If you were blind, you would not be guilty. It is because you protest, ‘We can see clearly,’ that you cannot be rid of your guilt.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Homily: 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Guest Author · August 2, 2014

HERE IS A DEFINITE connection between the first (Old Testament) reading and the Gospel reading for today. Admittedly it will take some explanation to be able to see it. In the first reading the writer of this part of the Book of Isaiah is telling the Jewish people who are still in captivity in Babylon that when they return home to their promised land, it will be a land of prosperity. This is indicated by the expression “a land flowing with milk and honey”. And I am sure that when they finally did return they were most happy to be able to do so. Now they were determined to live according to God’s laws. God was taking care of their material needs just as Jesus did for those people who had followed him out into the deserted area.

There is a special term that we use to describe God taking care of our needs and that is God’s Providence or sometimes referred to as Divine Providence. And while it might be a bit difficult to describe, we are all living proof that it has been at work in our lives for all of our lives. We are living proof of that. Ordinarily it happens in an ordinary manner. Sometimes it happens in an extraordinary manner. Some of us may even be aware of God having taken care of us on some occasion in an extraordinary manner. While I do not necessarily like the melody or the lyrics of the song, I do have to agree with the erstwhile popular song of the seventies, He’s got the whole world in his hands. Yes, God is taking care of things, and it is important for me, and for you to remember that. The world is not going to fall apart if you or I go out of existence. This is especially an area where it is especially important for us to put our faith into action, to practice what we believe.

We can say that it is our faith in God that makes it possible for us to believe that God has concern and care for us, that God is a provident God. This in turn should make us want to love God. After all, as St. Paul says somewhere, what do you have that you have not received? The only correct and honest answer is “nothing.” For it all has ultimately come from God. This ties in well with what St. Paul says in the second reading. There he says that nothing can keep him from loving Christ. Now this can be something that is easy to say. And it may be relatively easy to do as long as the doing doesn’t get too difficult. St. Paul had many opportunities to prove his love for Christ during very difficult circumstances. And he succeeded by remaining faithful. Our main opportunities are possibly not too difficult except for the day in and day out routine-ness of our service. And that can be a great thing. Being faithful in our love and service of Christ over the years is a great thing. And there are many saints who became saints just by doing that. Think of the Little Flower, St. Bernadette, St. Kateri, and St. Aloysius. They were not known for any great accomplishments. They just did their ordinary everyday things extraordinarily well. That is within the grasp of each of us. That is the way we have of proving that we love God.

If we can live convinced that God is taking care of us, and He really is, we should feel as secure as a baby in its mother’s arms. Then all we have to do are those things that God puts in front of us to do. And when it is all over, we will have heaven awaiting us. What a wonderful way to live! What a wonderful way to die!


We hope you enjoyed this homily by Fr. Valentine Young, OFM.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    How Well Does ICEL Know Latin?
    This year, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June 2025) falls on a Sunday. It’s not necessary to be an eminent Latin scholar to be horrified by examples like this, which have been in place since 1970. For the last 55 years, anyone who’s attempted to correct such errors has been threatened with legal action. It is simply unbelievable that the (mandatory) texts of the Holy Mass began being sold for a profit in the 1970s. How much longer will this gruesome situation last?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Is the USCCB trolling us?
    I realize I’m going to come across as a “Negative Nancy” … but I can’t help myself. This kind of stuff is beyond ridiculous. There are already way too many options in the MISSALE RECENS. Adding more will simply confuse the faithful even more. We seriously need to band together and start creating a “REFORM OF THE REFORM” Missale Romanum so it will be ready when the time comes.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Common” Responsorial Psalm?
    I try to avoid arguing about liturgical legislation (even with Catholic priests) because it seems like many folks hold certain views—and nothing will persuade them to believe differently. You can show them 100 church documents, but it matters not. They won’t budge. Sometimes I’m confronted by people who insist that “there’s no such thing” as a COMMON RESPONSORIAL PSALM. When that happens, I show them a copy of the official legislation in Latin. I have occasionally prevailed by means of this method.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    When to Sit, Stand and Kneel like it’s 1962
    There are lots of different guides to postures for Mass, but I couldn’t find one which matched our local Latin Mass, so I made this one: sit-stand-kneel-crop
    —Veronica Brandt
    The Funeral Rites of the Graduale Romanum
    Lately I have been paging through the 1974 Graduale Romanum (see p. 678 ff.) and have been fascinated by the funeral rites found therein, especially the simply-beautiful Psalmody that is appointed for all the different occasions before and after the funeral Mass: at the vigil/wake, at the house of the deceased, processing to the church, at the church, processing to the cemetery, and at the cemetery. Would that this “stational Psalmody” of the Novus Ordo funeral rites saw wider usage! If you or anyone you know have ever used it, please do let me know.
    —Daniel Tucker

Random Quote

I am convinced that if the Church is to prosper in the present age, it cannot hesitate to embrace and support traditional Catholics, traditional liturgies and traditional moral values. “Do not conform yourself to this age,” St. Paul warned followers of Christ. (Rom 12:2)

— Most Rev. Thomas Tobin, Bishop of Providence (12 August 2022)

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  • Is the USCCB trolling us?
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  • “Common” Responsorial Psalm?

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