Homily for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

 

Seven Practical Ways To Seek The Lord

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara

Homily for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, September 20, 2026

In the Book of Isaiah, particularly in chapters 40 to 55, we are repeatedly told that God is both infinitely close to us and infinitely transcendent. To show the reality of God’s nearness, Isaiah, in today’s first reading, says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near” (55:6). Who is the prophet speaking to? To all of us! Please don’t convince yourself that you are not a scoundrel or wicked. To some degree, we have done things in the past that we are not proud of. God knows that is true. What are we supposed to do now? Give up because we cannot attain the perfection that Jesus demands? Not at all! In the political arena, we often hear the aphorism: “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.” We should not give up simply because we have not yet attained perfection. Although we are not perfect, God still loves us. So, through the prophet Isaiah, God wants us to seek him now, while we have the chance, life, and breath. 

But how can we seek the Lord? First, begin your day with morning prayer. This could be a brief prayer, such as a Hail Mary or the Our Father. Do this before you check your phone or start work. Second, cultivate the habit of being in God's presence. Yes, we are always in God's presence, but do we do so consciously? Turn everyday tasks into conversation with the Lord by whispering short, simple prayers like “Jesus, I trust in you,” “Jesus, you are my Savior,” or “Jesus, I love you.” Third, before you sleep at night, spend a quiet moment in personal reflection, examination of conscience, and speaking to the Lord from your heart. God is a person, not a force. So learn to speak to Him. Talk to Him about anything and everything. If you have nothing to say to God, which I believe is not possible, you can pray for me. Fourth, attend Mass. Make it a habit to attend Mass every Sunday and some weekday Masses, too. Think of prayer at home like going to the neighborhood store to buy things like milk, eggs, cheese, chips, etc. But think of attending Mass and participating fully as going to the big stores like Costco, Target, Sam’s Club, etc. There, you have virtually every food item you need. The Mass is the highest form of prayer. At Mass, we offer the Eternal Father the same sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. It baffles me that St. Bridget, which has many retired folks, does not see increased attendance at the daily Masses. This was not my experience when I was helping out within the Archdiocese. Fifth, do not forget the Sacrament of Confession, reconciliation, and penance. Go to Confession regularly to clear your soul of sin and renew your grace-filled friendship with God. Secular culture has weakened, and sometimes destroyed, the sense of sin. But popular culture does not determine our path. Secular culture and its proponents did not create us, sustain us, or die for us. Jesus did! And it is the Lord we ought to listen to. Sixth, Eucharistic adoration will begin soon. Make the time to join us on Tuesday. In the exposed Sacrament, Jesus is present. Seventh, from time to time, read something that uplifts and strengthens your faith. Eighth, perform the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. 

In the words of Dorothy Day, “Everything a baptized person does every day should be directly or indirectly related to the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.” 

God bless you!

Fr. Marcel