24th Sunday B
Blue Mass
Saint Joseph Monastery, Irvington
September 15, 2024
The Importance of a Strong Faith
In the face of tragedy, whether accidental or willfully inflicted, people sometimes ask, “Where was God?” And just when they need faith the most, they lose it. Others will say, “I don’t know how I could cope with this if I did not have faith.” Those of you serving as first responders and public safety professions see and experience human tragedy on a daily basis. When I reflect on what you encounter, I ask myself how could anyone fulfill those responsibilities without a strong faith.
Indeed, the Gospel is about all about the faith we profess. Jesus asked his closest followers, “Who do people say that I am?” And they gave him a variety of answers, none of them correct. Putting them on the spot, Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ” – that is, ‘You are God’s anointed One, the Messiah, the Savior.” But then came the sequel. Peter, it is true, had faith, but it was incomplete. When Jesus predicted that he would suffer and die, Peter objected. For him, a suffering Messiah was not in the cards; for him, only a triumphant Messiah would do. But Jesus, God’s Son in the flesh, came to redeem us, not by sidestepping the human condition, but by identifying with it, by identifying with the kind of suffering and violence you encounter daily. This God of untold mercy and compassion invites us to accept the gift of faith and to make it our anchor amid the challenges that life hurls at us.
Faith and Works
But faith alone is not enough, as we read in the Letter of James. It’s not faith alone, but faith and good works, or put another way, the good works that flow from faith and amplify it. James tells us that if a brother or sister has nothing to wear or eat, and we say, ‘I wish you well, good luck!’ – in that case, we’ve betrayed our faith in the Savior who experienced hunger, thirst, desolation, and death. Love of neighbor, especially a neighbor in great need, demonstrates that faith is real, not merely a matter of words.
Dear first responders: When you respond to cries for help, you are putting your faith into action. Indeed, you have chosen a career in which you serve your neighbor, and in doing so, often put your life at risk – and in the logic of the Gospel, those who lose their lives gain them unto life everlasting. Since we last gathered for the Blue Mass, two of your brothers made the ultimate sacrifice: Firefighter Rodney Pitts III and Cap. Dillon Rinaldo of the Balto. City Fire Dept. They join those who gave their lives saving the lives of others on 9/11, as also those who died in the line of duty in our local communities & elsewhere. We honor their sacrifice and stand in solidarity with their loved ones, including Firefighter Pitts’ mother Monica, his children, Arianna and Hendrix, his grandparents, and all those gathered here today who are grieving loved ones.
Let us also remember first responders who did not die in the line of duty but nonetheless spent their lives responding to the needs of others. We remember them and their grieving families in our prayers – and entrust all first responders who have died this past year to the loving embrace of God’s tender mercies. Because of their generosity & heroism, we confidently commend them to God, trusting that in his grace their faith and good works hold them in good stead.
In honoring and praying for those who have died, we also honor and pray for our first responders who continue the mission of making our communities safer and assisting those in their hour of need. Our pews are filled with first responders: firefighters, police, and paramedics from across the Archdiocese of Baltimore, including Assistant Chief Dave Polikoff of the Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services, members of the Vigilant Fire Co., and other firefighters who responded so heroically last month to the fire that destroy the Rectory at St. Anthony Shrine in Emmitsburg, bringing to safety the priests and seminarians who lived there.
The Support of Public Officials
Together with Fr. Mike Murphy, I also want to recognize and thank the leaders who are gracing our gathering with their presence – Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby, Public Safety Chair Mark Conway, Baltimore City Police Commissioner, Richard Worley, Baltimore Deputy Police Commissioner Kevin Jones, Baltimore City Fire Chief, James Wallace, Chief Edward Jackson of the Annapolis Police Dept., Chief Brotherton of the Vigilant Hose Co., and Frostburg Police Chief, Nicholas Costello. Thank you for your leadership and for the support you provide for those who are on the front lines.
Mass Intention
As I offer this Holy Mass, I join you in lifting up colleagues who died in this past year and in commending to the Lord the mission that is yours each day in serving the needs of individuals and in serving the common good of diverse communities across the State of Maryland. I also join with you in remember the families of our first responders – wives and husbands, mothers and fathers, children and loved ones who share in the sacrifices that you, our first responders, make every day.
As we offer the ultimate sacrifice of God’s Son for the salvation of the world, I pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to strengthen your faith, to make it sturdy in the face of challenges, an anchor in the midst of turmoil, a comfort in time of sorrow, & a source of strength for the sacrifices you make. I also offer this Mass with the prayer that your faith will abound in good works, for the glory of God, for the good of individuals and our communities, and for the salvation of their souls. I thank you with all my heart and may God bless us and keep us in his love!