Jun12025
Read the Homily

The Long Road to Glory

The Holland Bulb company was having a buy-one-get-one-free sale. I ended up with one thousand tulip bulbs. It took me three and a half hours to plant them all. Not one person came to me to tell me that I did a good job or that the yard was looking great. Six months later, all the tulips blossomed on the same day. It was glorious. That is when people noticed; that is when people smiled and took pictures. Some of the locals came up to me and asked, “Did you just plant them all?” I retorted, “No, you have to plant them six months in advance.” City people. There is a long road to glory. The bulbs had to be jammed into the ground, and they were in the dark and cold for six months before the glory arrived.
            Jesus prayed to his Father and said, “I give them glory.” When Jesus said that, I was thinking about the long road that leads to glory. The times of darkness when you feel alone and nobody notices you.

When I crossed the finish line of the Boston Marathon this year, I walked home. It was a glorious trip back to the house. The reason was that the Red Sox game had just ended, and I had passed by hundreds of fans coming in the opposite direction. They saw my medal, swollen feet, and exhausted shuffle, and they congratulated me with high fives and fist bumps. They were all very receptive and encouraging. Where were these people when I was training in the dark at four in the morning this winter? They were not there because the road to glory is a hidden life.

When Jesus tells us that He is giving up glory, it includes the road that can often be lonely, dark, where no one notices you in prayer, and the sacrifices you make. Whenever it is not easy, know this: you are on the road to glory. 

Back to All Homilies