—I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.—

Faith requires us to do things that are completely crazy, outlandish in the eyes of the world.

Abraham believed, hoping against hope,
that he would become —the father of many nations, ——¨according to what was said, —Thus shall your descendants be.—
He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body
as already dead – for he was almost a hundred years old –
and the dead womb of Sarah.—¨

Can you imagine, the walking dead and the dead womb of an old woman setting off on a journey; a journey whose mission was to create a nation? Can you imagine the reaction of the relatives back in Ur when Abram set off for an unknown land – based on a call from an unseen God, based on a promise that was physiologically impossible? Today we would have these elderly folks put in a nursing home. We would think that they were failing, thinking unreal things, acting in unreal ways. We would be uncomfortable imagining them in bed together, trying to make children.

People of faith do outlandish things.

As Jesus passed on from there,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, —Follow me.——¨

Jesus called a tax collector and asked him to follow in His footsteps, to be His witness. Not only that, but He dinned at the tax collectors house, with other tax collectors and various notorious sinners.

Jesus, being a Rabbi, and knowing the Law, should not have done that. He should have shunned Matthew. He should have walked on the other side of the street from him. He should have avoided Matthew’s house, his food, and his company.

Jesus’ actions in this case were improper, irreverent, and against the tenants of the Law, at least the Law as the Pharisees saw it.

People of faith do outlandish things.

Brothers and sisters,

Like the people of Ur would have avoided Abram and his crazy thoughts, so too did those who were self-righteous avoid Jesus. People avoided Abram, they avoid Jesus, and they avoid and criticize His followers today because faith requires that we do things that are completely crazy and outlandish in the eyes of the world.

As Christians we are people of faith. Faith tells us that Jesus is our Lord, that this life is only temporary, that we have an important mission, and that we must be doers of faith.

The people of Hosea’s time were going through the motions. Justice and righteousness were a series of practices. God condemned them through Hosea’s words:

for it is love that I desire, not sacrifice,
and knowledge of God rather than holocausts.—¨

In other words, get in the game. Stand up and take action. Not action for the sake of action, but actions that show the depth of love we carry in our hearts. We are called to be 100% Christians, people who hear Jesus before they act. People who live the Christian faith in everything they do.

We are so weak, and so out of shape. We believe that we will be clothed in righteousness because our words are right and because we tread the well worn path to church each week. Know this, that path to church is only the warm-up. The words we have been taught are the rules. The time for the next step, for getting in the game, is here.

People of faith do outlandish things.

So must we.

Jesus came to call back sinners. He came to tell all of us, who are sinners, that through repentance, through following and actively living His word, we will be saved. Therefore, the hateful word must cease. Charity must prevail. Gluttony and lust must cease. We are to live restrained and continent lives. Greed must cease. What we have is the Lord’s for which we must be thankful and from which we must give cheerfully to all in need, asking no price in return. Let us come to Christ and His Holy Church – and go out equipped so that we may live up to the name we were given; live up to the faith we were blessed with, and the call we received.

Some among us will think, this is too hard. This is too much. Others will think I can do it. Know this, it is not too hard and we can do nothing on our own, but Jesus Christ alive in us through His sacramental presence and the Holy Spirit enveloping us will do all in us.

During this month of June let us resolve to allow Christ to take us up. Allow Him to do outlandish things with us. Allow Him to call us, to service as priests and deacons, to service as active members of this parish and of our Holy Polish National Catholic Church. Allow Him to lead us and let us surrender all to Him. For He said:

—Follow me.—

Jesus is waiting. This is the time. Amen.