Homily for Friday, 6 February 2015– St. Kateri School Mass, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions

Friday of the 4th week in Ordinary Time

Readings of the day: 1 John 2:29b-3:1a; Psalm 119:129-130, 133, 135; Mark 9:33-37. (Readings for Masses with Children).

This homily included props: A signed painting I received as a gift from Basilian novices on my most recent visit to Colombia, a satchel-type bag with aboriginal design from an earlier visit to Colombia, and clip art pictures of a beach and sun, a mosquito, and the devil.

Greetings, children of God, students, teachers, staff, and parents of St. Kateri School! It has been just under a month since I went away to help the Basilians, the order of priests I belong to, in Colombia. Does anybody here know, more or less, where Colombia is? How about a little show and tell?

You see, I have this little bag, made by the descendants of the first people who lived in Colombia. My bag is filled with memories and things I like about Colombia: This painting of two Aboriginal people (the first people to live in Colombia), carrying a bag just like the one I have. These bags are designed by these “first people” of Colombia. This is a neat design, and a beautiful painting, isn’t it?

…This is a gift from the members of our order there, whom I love so much. I have the beach and the sun… Well, I carried up these pictures of the beach and the sun. The real beach and sun were too big to fit into my suitcase.

But, as much as I love Colombia (this was my fourth time there to serve with my order), I love being back here to celebrate Mass with all of us, children of God. How do we know, though, that we are children of God? Our first reading today, from the first letter of John, says so. We hear this from 1 John: “You know that everyone who does right is a child of God.”

Now, do we not all at least try to “do right”? I think so. Teachers and parents, would you not agree with me? And so 1 John says it: We are children of God. It gives me great joy as a priest to be able to go all over the world to celebrate Jesus, God made human, present during our Eucharist, our Mass; to celebrate with children of God from Colombia to right here at St. Kateri School and Parish!

And yet there are a just a few things I don’t like about Colombia, like mosquitoes. Who likes mosquitoes? ...Wait, how did a mosquito get into my bag? Good thing this is just a picture of a mosquito! And there is something even worse than mosquitoes; something I really dislike, whether it’s in Colombia or here. What is it? Well, I really dislike sin. All of us as children of God are called to dislike sin and try, with God’s help, not to sin. What is sin? It’s something that we know is wrong but we do it anyway. Now at least we all try our best as children of God not to sin, right? But there’s a problem… Yeah, him; Satan, the devil! [I pull a picture of the devil out of my bag.]

…Wait: How did you get in here, Satan? How did you get through airport security? How did you get into my soul [cringe]? I didn’t declare a devil when I went through customs. Get out of here, Satan! Jesus is here with these children, their parents, and their teachers and school staff, and we’re celebrating Mass!

Besides better airport security, how can we avoid letting the devil squeak into our lives and make trouble? How can we avoid sin and “do right” instead? Our readings give us a couple of ways. First, we can pray. We pray to God in our Psalm, “Keep your promise and don’t let me stumble, or let sin control my life… Lord, let your face shine upon me.” Isn’t this a beautiful prayer? Do you think we could all make this our prayer, every day? I know I’m going to try to pray something this every day, and then the devil won’t try to sneak into my luggage again!

An even better way to avoid sin and the devil is found in our Gospel reading today. The Gospel of Mark says that, while the disciples were “arguing about which one of them was the greatest,” Jesus welcomed “a child to stand near him.” Shouldn’t we all try to welcome one another as Jesus welcomes this child: To help each other with homework; to play nicely on the playground and at home; not to bully; to respect our teachers and parents? This is how we, like Jesus, welcome one another as children of God. And so I say again: Greetings, St. Kateri students; parents; teachers; staff! Welcome, people of prayer; people who, with God’s help, “do right.” Welcome and blessings, children of God!