God First, Others Second, I am Third
exerpt from Homily, August 1, 2004 (1st Reading: Eccl 1:2,2:21-23, 2nd Reading: Col 3:1-5,9-11, Gospel: Luke 12:13-31)
Pastor: Reverend Samuel L. Hose, Saint John Vianney Catholic Church, Round Rock, Texas
Let’s imagine for just a minute how that might work. Let’s start on the most basic level, the family. We hear a lot about family values from all sorts of sources. I think that what we are thinking about here today is at the very heart of family values just as it is at the very heart of societal and religious values. Let’s imagine just for a moment a family in which everyone lives according to (Gale)Sayers’ little motto, “I’m third.” That is to say each would always place God first, then each other second. A husband and father would say to his wife and children, “God is first in all things and you are an immediate second.” A wife and mother would say the same thing to her husband and children. And children would grow learning in all things that God is first and to place the good and well being, the needs of others before their own. Would that introduce some new dynamics in you family if everyone lived with each other in that way?
Now let’s extend that because Jesus told us to take care to avoid greed in all forms. That means in all aspects and times of our lives. What would this world be like if we all did this for each other. What if we responded out of this to children in need of decent education and health care? What if employers placed their employees before profit and the bottom line? What if all of us responded “God is first, you are second and I am third” to all who are sick, in prison, lonely or afraid. What would it be like if we practice that in every circumstance from traffic on the freeway to how we live our lives of faith? What changes would it bring about in our lives and in this world? Perhaps what would change would be this: selfishness would disappear. The world might move closer then to the image that God has for us—an image in which we all do live in peace with one another as brother and sister under God.
Pastor: Reverend Samuel L. Hose, Saint John Vianney Catholic Church, Round Rock, Texas
Let’s imagine for just a minute how that might work. Let’s start on the most basic level, the family. We hear a lot about family values from all sorts of sources. I think that what we are thinking about here today is at the very heart of family values just as it is at the very heart of societal and religious values. Let’s imagine just for a moment a family in which everyone lives according to (Gale)Sayers’ little motto, “I’m third.” That is to say each would always place God first, then each other second. A husband and father would say to his wife and children, “God is first in all things and you are an immediate second.” A wife and mother would say the same thing to her husband and children. And children would grow learning in all things that God is first and to place the good and well being, the needs of others before their own. Would that introduce some new dynamics in you family if everyone lived with each other in that way?
Now let’s extend that because Jesus told us to take care to avoid greed in all forms. That means in all aspects and times of our lives. What would this world be like if we all did this for each other. What if we responded out of this to children in need of decent education and health care? What if employers placed their employees before profit and the bottom line? What if all of us responded “God is first, you are second and I am third” to all who are sick, in prison, lonely or afraid. What would it be like if we practice that in every circumstance from traffic on the freeway to how we live our lives of faith? What changes would it bring about in our lives and in this world? Perhaps what would change would be this: selfishness would disappear. The world might move closer then to the image that God has for us—an image in which we all do live in peace with one another as brother and sister under God.
posted by Stephen @ 9:33 AM
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