Today’s scripture might be about our comfort zones. For Abraham, his comfort zone was in the city of Ur, his home town. He was surrounded and supported by the members of his clan. He was wealthy. Abraham had it made. But God had other plans for Abraham. He lured him and his clan away from Ur with a promise of a new land flowing with milk and honey. Childless at that time God promised Abraham he would be the father of a mighty nation, his sons numberless like the stars of heaven. Abraham believed God and left his comfort zone and followed God into an unknown future.
For Peter, James and John their comfort zone was on the mountain where Jesus was transfigured before their very eyes and they saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus and all they could say was, “It is good for us to be here.’ But that was not to be. Jesus got them off the mountain, away from their wonderful comfort zone. They would not be blessed with another such experience until they saw the Risen Christ. In the meantime they would endure experiencing their part in the betrayal by Judas, Peter’s denial and the trial and shameful, painful crucifixion of Jesus on Calvary. At no time at any of these events did any of them say, ‘it is good for us to be here.’ Comfort zones are nice but they can be dangerous. Our personal comfort zones can cause us to stagnate, become idle and without motivation.
On our own journey of life and our journey of faith we are meant to be on the move, to grow and deepen our relationships with the other people in our lives. St. Paul challenges us to grow to full maturity in our relationship with Christ. Marriages are meant to grow and deepen from one comfort zone to another. Personal careers happen when a man or woman knows they can and want to move on. Fear to move on leads to stagnation and stagnation leads to death.
Our baptism was our birth into our relation with Christ in the community of the Church. Think on this. What is your comfort zone as a member of St. Gabriel’s parish? Do you feel welcomed as you come to Sunday Mass? Have you made an effort to get to know other parishioners? Are you involved in any parish event? Do you serve your fellow parishioners in any of the parish ministries? When you come to Sunday Mass or to a parish event have you ever thought, ‘it is good for me to be here?
From the moment we were born we were meant to grow, meant to move from one comfort zone to another. It is not always ‘good for us to be here.’ Christ is calling all of us to grow to move on. Belonging,Believing, Becoming, the greatest of these is becoming.
This Homily entry was posted on Sunday, March 8th, 2020.
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