Wednesday, 22nd Week of Ordinary Time, Cycle I 2023

Published: September 6, 2023

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor preached the following homily during the dedication Mass of the new Catholic Campus Ministry Center in Conway on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023.

Bishop Taylor

Students come to this university with all sorts of hopes and dreams and problems: relationship problems, identity problems, problems with their studies, financial problems, self-esteem issues, family problems, all sorts of problems. We all need a Savior to heal us, save us and set us free. And that is why having Catholic campus ministry is so important.

It was no different 2,000 years ago. In today's Gospel Jesus cured many people, including Peter’s mother-in-law, drove out many demons and preached in synagogues throughout Galilee. Elsewhere he healed and set free a possessed man, 10 lepers, a woman with a hemorrhage, a boy with epilepsy and many others.

Jesus was famous as a teacher and healer, and only later did people discover that he was also their Savior, something they realized gradually as they reflected on the meaning of his teaching and miracles. Mark wrote: All were amazed and asked one another, "What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." And then he added: His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

In today's Gospel Jesus drove out unclean spirits from people possessed by demons, but there are other unclean spirits that are far more common. Pride is an unclean spirit, so also is envy, lust and greed. Some are so possessed by hatred that they feel miserable all the time. 

Jesus can free us from all these unclean spirits as well, but only insofar as we commit ourselves to doing whatever is necessary to stay free once Jesus has done his part. Again, something which Catholic campus ministry fosters.

Therefore, today we make our own the words of the psalmist: “This is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24). What a joy it is for us to participate in the dedication of this new campus ministry center and especially this new altar. Every altar represents Jesus Christ. Jesus is “the high priest, altar and lamb of sacrifice.”

At the altar in every Mass, the Lord invites us to share in his self-giving love. He calls us as the priestly people of the new covenant to offer ourselves to the Father in union with Jesus, uniting our own daily sacrifices to his for the salvation of the world.

Mass today began with sprinkling this whole place with holy water. In a few minutes we will anoint this altar with holy chrism, incense it, dress it in white robes and adorn it with light, all of which reminds us, among other things, that we are like this altar. 

Like this altar, we too have been consecrated — in our case, through baptism and confirmation. Like this altar, we too have been set apart, for the service of God and the building up of his kingdom of truth and life, peace, justice and love. Like this altar, we too are to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth.

Have you ever noticed the Vatican flag? Its colors are white and yellow. White because we are to be the salt of the earth, yellow because we are to be the light of the world. We are light when we witness the Gospel of life and truth. We are salt when we care for the needy and work to free the oppressed.

We proclaim the mystery of faith from this altar at every celebration of the Eucharist. This altar and this campus ministry center is to be a font of communion, union with God and union with each other. “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!”