A homily for the Fifth Sunday after Easter

+ “Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves,” Saint James emphatically exhorts us in the Epistle of this Holy Mass.

It is easy to hear things, even important things, and to agree with them. It is perhaps less easy to hear the Word of God, truly to listen to it, to internalise it, to allow it to take root in my heart, soul and mind and permeate my very being.

This of course is the vocation of every Christian, which vocation the monk seeks to live more concentratedly and with the assistance of the monastic enclosure to protect from (at least many) worldly distractions.

But even for the best of monks, the most profound listening to the Word of God is insufficient. The Word of God must be “done”, it must be lived – even (especially!) in the monastic enclosure. For if we simply ‘soak up’ the Word of God, if we are mere recipients, if we do not ourselves live from and live out the Word of God in everything that we do and say, Saint James insists that we are simply deceiving ourselves.

Certainly, a profound and ongoing hearing of and listening to God’s Word is the essential nourishment we all need. And yes, at particular times – particularly during initial monastic formation, or in studying a particular issue that I am facing – we may well be doing little more than listening, but these periods are ordered to our doing what it is that the Word of God requires of us, according to our particular state of life. If Saint James were to speak colloquially, he might.  well say: “Don’t just think or talk about it; do it!”
And how many situations are there in which we do the exact opposite! I could address this or that vice, and I even know from listening to God’s Word that I should. But I don’t… I know that God’s Word calls me to repentance and the amendment of my life, but I never make it to confession… Listening to God’s Word gives rise to the conviction that I should follow Him in a particular vocation, giving myself entirely to His service. But I never take the necessary steps to do so, finding excuses everywhere… Oh, how good we are at deceiving ourselves! And how often, by our deception, we frustrate and inhibit the growth of the Kingdom of God – in ourselves and in the world!

Our Holy Mother the Church challenges us with this injunction of Saint James on the same day that she teaches us to ask Almighty God for our needs in the confidence that they shall be given to us – provided that that for which we ask is not contrary to our eternal salvation, as Saint Augustine reminded us at matins. So too, the liturgical tradition of the Church shall have us spend the next three days in solemn rogation, interceding for the needs of the Church and the world, in procession, with litanies, culminating in the celebration of the Rogation Mass and, on Wednesday, the Mass of the Vigil of the Ascension of the Lord.

Without doubt the Church and the world has need of this solemn intercession – and that this tradition finds new life and meaning in our times is a beautiful sign of hope. So too, if we examine our consciences in the light of Saint James’ teaching, do we need divine help in vanquishing the self-deception behind which we so often hide.

Therefore, let us not simply acknowledge our need, let us attend to it. Let us engage ourselves in sincere and heartfelt prayer today, and on each of the coming Rogation days, confident in the teaching of Our Lord that if we ask, we shall receive. And with that assurance let us resolve to act as God would have us act, decisively, with faith and courage, relying utterly on God’s grace.

​As the collect of this Mass has us ask, in the coming days may we not only be inspired to the right thoughts and resolutions, but, under God’s guidance, may we in fact put them into practice. Amen. +

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