Reverend Larry Silva, Bishop | Diocese of Honolulu

In a recent homily for the Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time, Bishop Larry Silva addressed the tendency for people to follow trends, both in everyday life and in matters of faith. He drew parallels between fleeting product fads like Beanie Babies and bell-bottomed pants and the ways individuals can be influenced by popular religious practices or opinions.

"It is human nature to 'jump on band wagons,' to do what 'everyone else is doing,' and to buy products that 'everyone else is buying.' Sometimes it can even be our nature to jump on religious bandwagons," Silva said. He highlighted how people may adjust their behaviors in response to influential voices or media coverage, such as increased generosity during news coverage of disasters, which often fades when public attention shifts elsewhere.

Silva cautioned against letting popular notions shape one's approach to faith. "Jesus warns us very clearly today about the importance of following him, knowing him, listening to him, and not being diverted by notions of him that may be very popular, but are simply not who he is," he stated. He emphasized the need for a personal connection with Jesus rather than conforming to trends or conventions.

Addressing prayer practices, Silva noted that while traditional prayers are valuable, they should foster genuine engagement with God rather than becoming routine recitations. "Prayer is meant to be an encounter with God, personal and up-close. Formula prayers are important and can be helpful, but if we simply rattle them off without really drawing close to the one to whom we are praying, then perhaps we will remain strangers to him," he said.

He also questioned the use of phrases like "What would Jesus do?" suggesting instead that believers should recognize Jesus as present today: "The fact of the matter is that Jesus IS still with us, and so the question should be 'What IS Jesus doing?'"

Silva described the Eucharist as central to Catholic faith, calling it "the most important thing your pastor can provide for you." He warned against viewing Mass as just ritual or tradition. Instead, he encouraged parishioners to seek a real encounter with Christ through these sacred elements.

"When Jesus warns us to enter through the narrow gate, he is not trying to simply make life difficult for us. But he is challenging us to not jump on the bandwagon of 'convention' or 'I have always done it this way,' but to truly come to know the one who is himself the Door to eternal life and who wants to be known as intimately by us as he knows us so intimately," Silva concluded.