'Don't be Ahaz; be Joseph' (Sunday homily)

 There are two very different men in the readings.

There’s a pretty clear contrast.

And if the men and boys listening want to hear this 

as a homily aimed in a particular way at them – that’d be on target.

Ahaz knows what he needs, what he wants, what he is going to do.

He is not going to ask for help.

No one can tell him anything. 

And then there’s Joseph. He feels all the same emotions, 

but there’s one, key difference: he prays. He listens.

He can admit he is wrong.

He is not too proud to ask for help.

Joseph can change direction, 

even if it is humiliating, which it probably was.

There’s a lot more Ahaz in me than I want to admit. A whole lot more.

Ahaz refused God’s help; but God had a “Plan B.”

The plan went forward, but:

Do you ever wonder what “Plan A” looked like?

What keeps you and I me from the Plan A?

Usually pride. Fear of looking ridiculous. 

Anger can come in, too. 

Sin, and being too stubborn to go to confession.

Making excuses for not praying, or rushing my prayers.

Here’s something I’ve noticed in recent years, now that I’m 60.

This older dog is less interested in new tricks all the time.

And I want to ask our senior parishioners, those further along:

Have you seen that in yourselves? Getting “set in your ways?”

I’m wondering if that is a spiritual peril for those who are older:

Getting stiff in the spiritual joints. What do you think?

We might think of Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist.

When God came to him, he said, “I’m too old.”

Thankfully, Zachariah got back on track.

So, this is really simple: who will you be? 

Ahaz, who refused to listen?

Zachariah, who needed a whack upside his head to wake him up?

Or Joseph, who God could talk to? 

Joseph, who wasn’t too proud to listen and change?

Of course, when I put it that way, 

who won’t say, “I want to be Joseph”?

OK, so how does that happen?

If you want to be Joseph. 

Imitate his chastity and self-control, 

because that teaches us to put others’ needs ahead of our wants.

Imitate his prayer – oh, and he was busy, too;

he didn’t live a life of leisure. 

Joseph wasn’t too proud to confess his sins.

Joseph asked for God’s help – and he got it.

The reason Joseph had courage to take that path

was not because that courage came out of nowhere,

but because he’d been faithful and practiced virtue all along;

That made him ready when his moment came.

Let me give a caution to our younger folks here:

If you don’t develop good habits early, 

it doesn’t get easier to form them later. 

That includes the habit of courage, versus the easy path;

truth, versus every way we shade and mislead;

self-control, versus self-indulgence;

and prudence versus shooting from the hip.

Don’t forget the habits of a healthy spiritual life:

Daily prayer, regular visits to confession, Sunday Mass, 

growing continually in your understanding of our Faith,

examining your conscience, and practicing good works.

FYI, there are many times for confession this week – 

but none on Christmas Eve. See the bulletin.

If God gives you an inspiration or a task, don’t turn away from it. 

Don’t say, “I’m too old,” “I’m too young,” or “Now’s not the time.” 

As generous as God is, there is no promise 

that a grace given today will be offered again tomorrow. 

Later doesn’t always come; it will at some point become “too late.”

Don’t be Ahaz. Be Joseph.