26th Sunday in Ordinary Time | 7 Habits of Highly Effective Catholics - Habit 4, Worship
[Deacon Gunther]
There is a story about a country pastor who sold a mule to a friend and told him the mule was trained to go when the rider said "Praise the Lord" and to stop when the rider said "Amen." The buyer mounted the beast and commanded "Praise the Lord", and the mule shot off like a rocket! The startled rider panicked. "Whoa!" he screamed. The mule was headed straight for a cliff, "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" But at the last second, he remembered the minister’s instructions. "Amen!" he shouted and the mule screeched to a halt right at the edge of the cliff. As the new owner peered over the cliff he wiped his brow and sighed "Praise the Lord”.
Today we continue with our message series of homilies on the Seven Habits of Faithful Catholics. So far Fr. Paul has preached on Faith & Believing, on Prayers, and on Study & Learning. This weekend we will look at the topic of Worship. If we were to ask 100 people, what worship is we would probably get 100 different answers. The main reason would be our various backgrounds and personal experiences relating to worship that we grew up with. The Concise Oxford Dictionary lists the following words to help define the word worship: homage or reverence paid to a deity”, “adoration or devotion”, and “honour and respect”. In religious terms worship normally refers to the adoration, veneration, exaltation and magnification of God. It is when we respect, honour, love, admire, and even dote on God that we are worshiping Him.
We probably all have some kind of mental picture of what it means to worship. Depending on your church background, when you think of worship, you may think of classical sacred music. Perhaps a choir singing the Hallelujah chorus. Maybe you’ve been to a Charismatic or Pentecostal church and you envision a scene with hands raised, eyes closed, people singing praise choruses. Or even something more active like hands clapping, feet moving, shouts of "Hallelujah!" and “Praise the Lord” and "Amen!" Or you may not think of singing at all. Perhaps for you the word "worship" brings up images of people sitting quietly in church with their heads bowed, praying or meditating. Or even someone bowing down or kneeling. These are all wonderful and deeply personal ways of worshiping the Lord.
That’s what Jesus was talking about when he summed up man’s duties towards God "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’" (Mark 12:30).
Listen to what Jesus said about God’s kingdom: "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it." (Matthew 13:44-46). Worship is treasuring the things of God so highly that we will give everything we have in exchange for them. It’s an attitude that says, "whatever it takes for me to know and experience God I will do."
As Canadians, we live in a predominantly materialistic society and so we don’t normally see people literally bowing down before idols like you may see in other countries. Most of our neighbors don’t have a little statue of Jesus or Buddha in their home. Instead, our culture tends to worship other things like money or success or physical beauty or power or prestige ... etc. Whatever we organize our lives around, whatever we put first, whatever we seek above all else, that’s what we tend to worship. Fundamentally, we are by nature worshipers of ourselves looking after our own welfare and happiness as the greatest good in life. And so, the God-given drive to worship can be warped. It can become the urge to make oneself the center of the universe.
To refocus ourselves towards God again, here are some ideas: Don’t wait until you arrive at church to start preparing for worship. Start at home, a few minutes before you leave for church. Ask God to prepare your heart. Perhaps read the Psalm or listen to some worship music on CD. That way, when the singing starts at the Mass, your heart will be ready to worship God.
Although we tend to focus on the music in which the emotional aspect of worship is so very prominent, in reality worship involves the mind and body as well. Listen to what the apostle Paul tells us: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12:1-2). So, for instance, listening to the readings and the Gospel, listening to the sermon, giving your full attention to the Word of God as it’s being preached is just as much a part of worship as singing. Discussing the sermon with your family and friends, that’s worshiping God with your mind.
True worship, authentic worship, worship that comes from the heart, that kind of worship can be transforming. It changes us because it is a law of human nature that we become like that which we worship. We become like that which we value the most. Those who worship Jesus Christ will become more like Jesus Christ. If you are regularly turning your heart toward Christ in worship you will over time, be emulating his character, his values, and his wisdom. You will be following Christ as we state in our Parish mission statement. The more we contemplate the person and works of Christ, the more we sing his praises and testify to his work in our life, the more we will become like him.
You may have come to church today for different reasons. Some may be hoping to experience Jesus, some are here because they have always come, perhaps some were told they had to be here. A_nd we are glad you are all here_. When we come into this church it is good to be prepared to give thanks and praise to God for all of the amazing ways He has blessed us in our lives. Worship is not really about us. It is not about what I want or what makes me happy. Worship is about responding to God’s love and his presence in my life. In other words, I come here and thank God for who He is. I come here and I thank God and recognize God’s grace in forgiving my sins, for sending Christ to love me, and die for me. I also come here because I recognize how God is present in my life. He has promised to be with us forever. To do that He sent His Holy Spirit so that when Christ ascended and went to heaven the Holy Spirit could be with each one of us, all at the same time. I take it on faith, and I thank and praise God for being with me and my family, and with you and your families all the time.
The great thing is that in our community we have many opportunities to help us worship God, and here are a few: Our best time to worship is by our full participation and our responses and our singing at all the Masses. At quiet Adoration of the exposed blessed sacrament in our sanctuary every Tuesday evening from 5:00 to 6:00 pm. Folks are praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet every Friday morning after the 9:00 am Mass. Go Light Our World, better known as GLOW Night in the Vision Café every Friday during the summer, with music, praise, and worship from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Also, during the summer, the Churches of Pelham present Praise in the Park with live Christian music on the first Sunday of the month at 3:00 pm at the Pelham Bandshell. Then there are various Small Group meetings on a regular basis. And trips to Steubenville are planned on a yearly basis. Take advantage of these wonderful worship opportunities that help us to focus our hearts, our minds and our energy on God.
I’d like to close with Psalm 113 that captures some of the elements about the worship of God:
“Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time on and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations and his glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God who is seated on high who looks far down … on the heavens … and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people. He gives the barren woman a home making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord”!
Praise the Lord.
May God Bless you!
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