EARTHEN VESSELS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Earthen Vessels.”

It’s from the first sentence in today’s first reading on this feast of St. James: “Brothers and sisters: We hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.”

Earthen vessels…. is an image that made its way into song - as well as into the consciousness of Christians down through the centuries.

WE KNOW BOTTLES AND BOXES AND BAGS

We know about bottles and boxes and bags.

We store and shop. We box and save. We shop and bag.

We have wallets and pocketbooks, shopping bags and storage bens.

When throwing away plastic bottles or a I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter plastic bucket, I’ve often had the thought, “Wouldn’t someone 1000 or 2000 years ago love to have these containers. It would have made life so much sweeter and so much easier for them?”

In the meanwhile they are tosses or saved as recyclable - but I think they are crushed first.

ST. PAUL

Well, Paul is saying a lot here in his “earthen vessel” message.

Boxes and pocketbooks, bottles and bags, might look nice, but it’s what’s inside that counts.

The human body holds the treasure called Jesus - but the human body will be broken and broken up from time to time - and finally will give way to death and burial.

Jesus and the human person in Christ - is the treasure within us.

Some think he’s preaching humility to those who think they have great bodies - or to the clergy who think their vestments and titles are what makes us important.

St. Alphonsus would say, “Read my book priests and bishops! It’s called, ‘Preparation for Death.’”

So it’s not the cover of the Bible or the condition of the Bible or the book or the speaker, but the words inside that are dying to become us - become our flesh.

POUR PRAYER

I wrote a poor prayer for a conclusion for this homily. The prayer is called, “Pour Prayer.”

                                 POUR PRAYER

                   Pour yourself into me today, Lord.
                   Pour yourself into me, today, Lord.
                   Fill me with yourself today, Lord.
                   Fill me with yourself today, Lord,
                   because I’m an empty earthen vessel.

                   Bring me to others today, Lord.
                   Bring me to others today, Lord.
                   Others who feel like they are
                   empty vessels or those who are
                   too filled with themselves, Lord.

                   Empty me of myself, Lord.
                   Empty me of myself, Lord.
                   Fill me with yourself, Lord.
                   Fill me with yourself, Lord,
                   so I can pour yourself out to others.