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HOMILIES

Maybe the child does not want to go to bed. If too young to stay up late, they respond: “No,
when you are bigger, then you will go to bed later.”

“But my big brother goes to bed late,” says the child.

“Later, when you are older, you will stay up longer, too.”

Parents guide their children in fulfilling their desires. They want to guide them on the road to
maturity, the road to happiness and the road of life.

God also says: “Not now. Later.” Sometimes He says: “No, this is not the way. This is for your
own good; it is better like this.” Therefore, to seek the will of God is to seek what is truly good
for us.

Life presents many mirages. A mirage is a very powerful image: Imagine being in the desert,
being very thirsty. Suddenly, we see water on the horizon. Desire convinces us that it is real,
but when we arrive, there is no water; only sand runs through our fingers. Such are the
mirages of life. Sometimes, there are attractive promises of happiness. Alas, they are not. We
get what we want but we are left with a pounding head and disappointment. Putting God first
in our lives is the best way to uncover what is truly good for us. It is paradoxical. By putting
love of self third, after God and neighbour, we attain true love of self and what is truly good
for oneself and for each human being.

Yes, we might respond that it is good to love others, but what about Jesus’ warning in the
Gospel when He says: “Love me more than you love your parents! Love me more than you
love your children!” Is not the love of parents still important? Is not the love of children still
important? But what He says is that “if you want to truly love your parents and your children,
totally and without counting the cost, put me first. I will fill you with love for your parents
and your children. If you want to love your husband or your wife generously and without ask-
ing for any return, committed, really caring, accompanying the other in mutual self-giving,
if you want this, well then, put me first, and I will give you the grace to love truthfully, to
love completely, to love tenderly and to love forcefully.” In the end, putting God first is not
only a challenge, it is also the fundamental decision to put God’s plan first. However, it is also
receiving from God the grace to live this plan and the strength to love as He calls us to love.

Throughout the entire Bible, God’s commandment is: “You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might, and your neighbour as yourself.”
In the Gospel, Jesus brings another dimension – in a matter of speaking – by the fact that He
is the Son of God made man. In the Gospel, to love God is to have faith in Jesus Christ and to
put Him first in our life, because Jesus Christ is the Son of God made man! Now, the love of

(cont’d)

Collection of texts by the Most Rev. Christian Lépine 212