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Get Off the Bench

"Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:27)

This past week, someone brought to my attention something that I said in a homily exactly one year ago. I looked up the homily and it said, "We can't come to this table with the expectation that the Lord will not challenge us or call us to give back to the greater community in some way. We come to this table to share the gifts we have received in the same way that Christ shares himself in the Eucharist: totally and completely." On this Labor Day weekend, we naturally take time to relax from our daily labors and rightfully so. We take a day off to honor those who work, and today I think it is only fitting that we honor not only those who work to make our country great but also those who work to make this parish community great. And as we honor them, we should also reflect on what we are currently doing to help build up the kingdom of God here in Parkland. In today's gospel, Christ calls us to abandon everything to follow him. In doing so, we become more engaged in the work of his Church because we are not saddled by the things of this world. I see this calling to discipleship as a challenge to look into the future of this community and ask ourselves how we can contribute to that future. So during this Labor Day weekend, I ask you: what are you doing for your parish? What are you doing to be a true disciple of the Lord? Vacation is over, school has started, and parish life is picking up again. There are many great parish activities planned for this fall that seek to build up community and enrich our faith. Are you going to actively participate in these activities or simply observe from afar? Sure, we have many obligations to our families, to our jobs, and to our studies, but our first obligation is to the Lord. A disciple cannot be passive nor apathetic. The disciple must be engaged in the works of the Lord. Which brings us back to what I said a year ago. So many times we wander in and out of this church Sunday after Sunday with people asking us from the pulpit, in the courtyard, and through the bulletin to become more engaged in the life of the parish through ministries, retreats, or social events that bring us closer together and to our God. We should not see this as a nuissance, but as the challenge that I talked about last year. If we dare to approach this sacred table, then the Lord will challenge us to be his disciples and to share the gifts we have been given with his Church. There will be so many opportunities for us to serve God and our parish over the next few months. The Lord is challenging you to take part in the life of the Body of Christ. Think of Jesus as a coach who is calling your number and asking you to get off the bench and get into the game. Life is a game that must be played and it cannot be played if we're sitting on the bench. So my friends, as we relax during this Labor Day weekend, I invite you to listen carefully to the voice of the Lord who is telling us: get off the bench and get in the game!