Location: St. Luke Catholic Church
“The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew.” These words of Pope Francis, at the beginning of the programmatic document of his pontificate, to a large extent represent your witness to the Lord’s faithfulness to his people.
My dear jubilarians and friends, we are gathered here today to celebrate milestone anniversaries of faithful correspondence to the gift of a calling. The caller is the faithful one, as He keeps filling your hearts with the joy of the gospel, moving you to continuously dedicate your lives to follow Christ in the development of his mission. Based on this, let me test your humility by exalting the good that the Lord has done in you.
At this point in life, your greatest witness is to point out that everything for which you shine and stand out is nothing more than the work of the hand of the Lord.
In the reading from the prophet Isaiah, we hear of God’s promise to bless and honor those who are faithful to him. “All who see them shall acknowledge them: ‘They are offspring the Lord has blessed.’” This is the promise that our jubilarians have claimed, devoting themselves to God’s service and reaping the rewards of that commitment. The Psalmist echoes the same theme, calling us to glorify the Lord and extol his name together. Our jubilarians have done precisely that, living lives that give glory to God and inviting others to join them in praising the Lord.
In his letter to the Colossians, St. Paul outlines the virtues that should characterize the Christian life: “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
These are the very qualities that our jubilarians have embodied, serving others with love and grace. And in the Gospel reading, Jesus reminds us that the greatest expression of love is to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. As hard as it must be to die for what you love, it is probably even more challenging to live for what you love. Furthermore, in the martyrs the testimony of following Jesus usually shines in the fact that they were able to die for the Lord’s mission precisely because they were able to live for it.
The lives of our jubilarians are a testament to the power of God’s love and the transformative effect of a life lived in service to Christ. Even as the Lord allows us to imagine and expect certain fruits – when he has others planned – through faith and hope, “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (Rom 8:28).
The testimony that the Holy Spirit will give in due time according to his own will is what best suits us. Our jubilarians have shown us what it means to be rooted in Christ, “and built upon him and established in the faith.” (Col 2:7).
As we offer the Lord’s sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Father for you today, we allow ourselves to be inspired by your example. Your witness calls us to live with the same devotion, the same compassion, the same commitment to the Gospel. We thank God for the gift of your lives and the testimony you give.
May Our Lady of Guadalupe continue to bless our jubilarians, and may their example inspire us all to deeper faith and more faithful service.
