Sometimes We Forget, But God Doesn’t … Ever – Weekday Homily Video

Earlier this winter, I went into a Dunkin’ Donuts a ways from here. It was a really cold day, and so I had my ski jacket zipped all the way up, which blocked my Roman collar.

And as I approached the counter, I heard a young woman’s voice say, “Don’t worry, I forge my signature on those forms all the time; it’s no big deal, really; I do it all the time!” Suddenly, the young woman turned and noticed she had a customer: me!

Knowing that I’d heard her, she went on to say, “I guess you heard me say that.”

I smiled and said, “This sounds pretty interesting; what’s the story?”

She went on to say that her co-workers were good at performing their regular cleaning tasks but not good at documenting they’d been done … so she went around using their initials on those forms, so they didn’t get in trouble.

Suddenly, amidst the comedic moment, the irony that she unknowingly was confessing something to a priest hit me.

And, so I said, you’ll never guess what I do for work. Suddenly she got serious and said, “Oh, no, are you a health inspector?” I told her no, but I have a friend who is. I asked her to take another guess. She said, “A cop?” “No, but it's the same thing, I’ve got a friend.” Then she said, “I know, you’re a lawyer.” I said, “Let me give you a hint. I don’t just work on things on earth but also way up,” as I pointed to the sky. That’s when her co-worker said, “I know, you work for NASA!”

When I composed myself, I told her today was her lucky day that I was a Catholic priest and I talked with people all the time about how to take things that deep down we know aren’t right but still do them and help them figure out how to make them right with God so they can get back on track in life; whether it’s something small (venial sin) or something big (mortal sin).

They Forgot

In today’s reading from the Book of Exodus, the people have done something a lot more serious than signing a cleaning document for their co-workers. The people have forgotten how God had saved them to the point of creating an idol that they worship in place of God.

Perhaps some of them thought they needed two gods because they hadn’t fully come to trust the God of Moses. And God, being a God of justice, planned to punish them accordingly.

Moses Did Not 

But Moses appeals to the mercy of God on their behalf. Moses has not forgotten what God did for them and His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and so, as Father Boby preached about yesterday, Moses appeals to God’s faithfulness to His promise and care for us. And God relents and does not punish the people.

My brothers and sisters, we face the same challenge as the people of Moses’ time and the young woman I met while buying a coffee in varied ways each day.

A Reminder for Us

What God calls us to, especially during Lent, is to trust in His care for us; to trust Him enough to follow His Commandments, and when we have fallen, to seek His mercy in Confession, perhaps spurred on through the most unexpected conversations in ordinary places like a coffee shop.

May we never forget God’s loving promise and His mercy.

• Today’s Readings

• Father David's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. Please view the video on our Facebook page. (You don't need a Facebook account to view.) 

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