Homily 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 19, 2021

 Readings for today can be found here.

            “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”  The Apostles were arguing with each other about which of them was the greatest.  They did something many of us do, comparing ourselves with others and “ranking” each other.  We like to know where we stand in relation to each other in the social pecking order.  Also, we have a desire to look up to those whom we consider “great” and to emulate them as our heroes.  There’s nothing wrong with this desire, but it depends on how you measure greatness.

            Our culture measures greatness in many ways.  In sports, greatness is measured by performance as an athlete: scoring the most points, winning the most games, breaking records, etc.  We even talk about the GOAT, that is, the greatest of all time.  In the business world, we look up to people who have made great achievements in their industry.  We celebrate the individual that creates a game changing invention or innovation.  We look up to people that turn companies around from failing to growing.  Americans love a rags to riches story, where someone grows up with little and becomes a titan of industry.  We celebrate people that are the top in their field, whether it be science or the arts.  Think of people like Tom Brady, Steve Jobs, or Albert Einstein.  In all these cases, greatness is measured by personal accomplishments through hard work and talent and make us feel that we can also be great if we work as hard as they.

            But how does God see greatness?  Jesus tells the disciples directly: if you want to be great, be the least one of all and serve others.  Greatness lies not in personal accomplishments, but in realizing that our lives are about others and not ourselves.  We have many examples of those that are great in the eyes of God.  St. Joseph is one such example.  We know very little about St. Joseph.  There are no direct quotes by St. Joseph in any of the Gospels.  We know that he was a kind person.  When he found out Mary was pregnant, he didn’t want to expose her to shame and planned to divorce her quietly.  He was a person of faith.  Several times an angel spoke to him, and he believed the words spoken to him.  He trusted God.  When Jesus was in danger from Herod, Joseph took Him and Mary to Egypt to keep them safe.  He was willing to uproot his family and start over in a strange land knowing God would take care of them.  He did the same thing again when he returned from Egypt and settled them in Nazareth.

            Joseph was a caring parent.  When Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, Joseph was worried and searched three days for Him.  Joseph also taught Jesus his trade and treated Jesus as his own son.  Joseph did all this without any need for recognition.  He spent his life caring for others in an everyday manner, working and looking after his family.  It is this life of service that makes him great.

            What can we do to serve others and be more like St. Joseph?  How can we turn our everyday activities into service to others?  If you’re a student, perhaps you can help a classmate, whether with academic work or just by being a friend.  As family members, we can make time for each other even when we’re busy.  Something as simple as giving our full attention can make a big difference.  How often are we distracted by other things when we’re talking to a family member?  In our professional lives, we can do the best job we can regardless of whether we’re recognized or not.  Our jobs can be viewed as a ministry and our work service to our co-workers, customers, vendors, etc.

            The world measures greatness by the fame, influence, or wealth a person may achieve.  By that standard, St. Joseph might be considered a poor tradesman who lacked the ambition to succeed.  However, by the Church’s and God’s standard, Joseph is one of the greatest among us and rightly honored as a saint.  What can we do in our lives to be great like St. Joseph and serve others?