"Saving The Best For Last" - 27th Sunday Homily

It's so tragic what

is happening in the south as a result of the hurricane.

One story involving a seven-year-old boy who perished in the floods.

His mother was there, but she couldn't save him.

But she heard him, last moments of his life, crying out, Jesus, Jesus saved me.

She believes as we do that the Lord saved him, saved his soul for all eternity.

What incredible faith of that boy.

It was like Jesus at end of his life, last moments of his life crying out to the Father.

The boy made his best act of faith in his last hour.

Jesus made his best act of love in his last hour, giving his life to his bride, the church, all of us.

God has a tendency to save the best for last.

Look at the long line of prophets.

Christ is the last and the best.

Wedding feast of Cana, Jesus saved the best wine for last.

The head waiter tells us that.

Any meal that I see dessert, I'll say, you saved the best for last.

But that's just me.

Any of us who are the youngest child in our families, we would say, say the best for last.

And in creation, the last creature God made was the woman.

God say the best for last.

And the man realized it.

He knew all the other creatures, all the other animals.

He named them.

And then he rejoices, this exclamation when he sees woman.

Not just because she's another human being, but because of her value, her worth.

last is this one, is bone in my bones and flesh in my flesh.

And Genesis says, is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife for her worth, her value.

This brought out so beautifully in the book of Proverbs chapter 31, the woman of worth.

Proverbs 31 · chapter mention

So husbands, treasure your wives.

You are married to God's greatest creation.

Wives, put that on the fridge at home.

Remind them constantly of that truth.

Now Jesus will...

reaffirmed Genesis when he's asked about marriage.

He reaffirms that marriage is between a man and a woman.

And then he adds to it what God has joined together, no human being must separate.

And the critical part there, most important part, what God has joined together.

Because when that happens,

It's a sacred action.

It's now a sacred bond, a sacred meant, a sacrament.

And when God unites husband and wife, no one can separate.

No Pope, no priest, no government, no judge, no spouse even.

He gives examples of spouses who try to separate but they can't.

The only thing they say in the vows that can is death.

Until death does its part.

When I preach at weddings, I talk about providence.

And I love talking about the plan for each couple, how they met, all the things that went into their meeting and falling in love and connecting.

It's amazing.

And I'll say to them, it starts when they were created.

This is Respect Life Sunday.

So I say, when you were conceived in your mother's womb,

God had your wedding day in mind.

And between their conception and wedding date, all that went into the choices they made with schooling, with jobs, with friends, with interests, all that went into meeting,

falling in love, and uniting in marriage.

This is not fate.

This is not luck.

It's God's plan.

I will also say, especially when it's a wedding Mass, you can't live out these promises on your own.

I have such great respect for the vows of marriage, unconditional love.

Whatever happens, I will love you and honor you and serve you.

None of us can live that kind of love in good times and bad.

We need the Lord's help.

Especially allowed couples who start their marriage with masks, with the Eucharist, and that regular nutrition, that regular power, that strength that God gives when he unites

and continues to unite couples throughout the marriage, strengthening the bond, giving them the strength and the grace to live

unconditional, sacrificial love in good times and in bad.