Homily for Friday
23d Week of Ordinary Time
Sept. 10, 2021
1 Tim 1: 1-2, 12-14
Ursulines, Willow Dr., New Rochelle, N.Y.
“I
am grateful to him who has strengthened me (1 Tim 1: 12).
Today we begin several days of reading from 1 Timothy, Paul’s letter to a dearly beloved disciple who was like a son to him (1:2). It’s a kind of a testament at the end of Paul’s life, with personal advice for Timothy and directions for church administration.
After
his affectionate greeting, Paul launches into praise to God for his mercy. Paul has always been aware of his faults, his
sins, and his weakness, and he’s grateful that God has dealt mercifully with
him and even used him, unworthy tho he is, as an instrument for the salvation
of others.
So
Paul speaks for us. Aren’t we, also, in
our twilight years, much closer to the end of our days than their
beginning? Aren’t we aware of the
failings of our younger days? Paul
invites us, also, to be aware of God’s mercies toward us, such as forgiveness,
our vocation (including sisterhood and brotherhood), our being his instruments
to assist the salvation of many girls and young women, many boys, parishioners,
and others. So we, too, are grateful to
God for his many mercies and pray he continue to bless us and those who are
dear to us, as Timothy was to Paul.
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