Fourth Sunday of Lent Yr B
Fourth Sunday of Lent Yr B
11 March 2018
Homily
We heard in our Second Reading that we are “God’s work of art”. The Greek word that Paul uses is “poemis” – it is where we get the English word “poem” from. Our Catholic tradition has a long history of using art to reach out to people, all forms of art –sculpture, architecture, music, painting, even the priest’s vestments! It has created a rich tapestry and treasury for humanity in doing so.
Have you ever thought of yourself as a piece of art? An artist may revisit a piece time and again to get it right. It can be both a labour of love and something the artist feels compelled to do. In fact we often speak of art as being created, don’t we? Some theologians argue that God is so filled with love that it is impossible for God to not create! We are God’s love made flesh.
As a piece of art, what are you? A poem? An epic like Beowulf of Lord of the Rings perhaps? Maybe you are a novel or a short story? Are you a piece of music? If so, just think of the varieties you may be – jazz or pop, rock and roll or the blues?
As art we are lovingly prepared and presented, but what do we do next? Do we keep ourselves pristine and aloof, something to be seen and not touched? Do we stay in a gallery isolating ourselves from the mess that is ordinary life?
Or are we among people, able to be approached, loved and familiar? I suspect that Jesus would want us to be like the latter, to accept the risk of chipping and breaking in order to be with those in need. After all, music is there to be played and listened to, architecture to be lived and worked in.
How do our lives reflect the love and effort God has put into us?