Homily for Friday, 5 September 2014– Ferial

Friday of the 22nd week in Ordinary Time

St. Kateri School Mass

Readings of the day (Adapted for Mass with children): Proverbs 2:1-12; Psalm 25; John 14:15-22, 27

This homily was given during the first Mass of the 2014-2015 school year for St. Kateri, a pre-Kindergarten through Grade 6 school within our parish, St. Kateri Tekakwitha.

Who here likes treasure hunts? When I was living in Toronto, Canada, preparing to become a priest, I also worked in a parish like this one to prepare children to receive their first communion. When we learned some of the important things that happen during Mass (how Mass starts “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; when we pray the “our Father”; when we receive communion, and so on…), we would learn by going on a treasure hunt. The “treasures” were little cards with parts of the Mass written on them. The children would find these cards in different parts of the church, then bring them to the front of the church and put them in the right order of the Mass.

What if we were to go on a treasure hunt right now? We won’t go all over the church this time. But who here noticed a card sitting on your pew when you came in? There should be three cards. What do they say? [The three “treasure” cards are knowledge, insight, and One Lord, One faith, one baptism.]

Why this treasure hunt during our first Mass of this new school year… besides the fact that treasure hunts are fun? Our first reading, from the Book of Proverbs, says this: “Beg for knowledge. Plead for insight. Look for it as hard as you would for silver or some hidden treasure.”

You will receive and give one another a lot of knowledge and insight this school year. We will learn and grow through this year. Our readings that we have just heard ask us to enjoy learning; look forward to and treasure growing. “Look for knowledge and insight as hard as you would for silver or some hidden treasure.” Learning and growing; looking for knowledge and insight from each other; from our teachers; from our parents may be hard work. It may not always be as easy as finding a card on your pew, but it is worth it when we find these treasures.

And there are more treasures than knowledge and insight that we are asked to look for. Someone here has a very important treasure on her or his pew. Who has the card that says, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism”? We have received this treasure of one Lord; one faith even before most of us remember: When we were baptized. Baptism is the first treasure we find and receive, and this brings us into the Church, where we can look for other treasures: More faith; deeper faith; knowledge; insight…

And our Gospel reading from John says that there is somebody very special who is in and all around us who helps us to find all these treasures. Jesus promises us “another helper” in our treasure hunt! Who is this special helper? The Holy Spirit is this special helper whom Jesus promises us.

Who has the Holy Spirit? Where is the Holy Spirit? St. Kateri students, do you have the Holy Spirit? Teachers, do you have the Holy Spirit? Parents, do you have the Holy Spirit? [When called, one student, one teacher, and one parent show cards with an image of the Holy Spirit.]

Yes, we all have the Holy Spirit, who helps us to find all the treasures we need: knowledge, insight, one Lord; one faith; one baptism. May God bless you in this new school year; in your searching for and finding treasures that are from God; as you learn and grow in the love of God and of one another.