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Homily for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

READ: (Isa 9: 1-4; 1Cor 1 : 10-13, 17; Matt 4: 12-23)

REFLECT: Hope in God, live in union with Christ and be focused on the mission of God entrusted to us…

Dear friends, today we are in the third Sunday in ordinary time. The liturgy of the word invites us to keep God and his mission as the prime focus of our lives. The deviation of focus, the disinterested spirit, the disoriented phase of life makes us wayward Christians and makes us to water down the values of Christ. So based on the liturgy of the word, I would like to share with you three points of reflections in order that we be directed to God and his mission.

1. Hope in God:

Pope Francis very beautifully states “If we pay attention, acting in our history, in our lives we are not alone, but above all with God. It is He who is the absolute protagonist, who creates everything as a gift of love, who weaves the storyline of His plan of salvation and who fulfills it in us through His son.” 

Yes, God always loves us and never abandons us. He keeps us always close to him. He makes sure that his children are protected from every harm and danger. In fact, it is our waywardness and misconception of God’s love that we lose the track. That’s what we see in the first reading from prophet Isaiah, who reminds us God’s love and promises the liberation and salvation of the Lord over his people, inaugurating the reign of hope, peace in and through Jesus the eternal light. 

We know that the land of Zebulun and Naphtali were part of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which was destroyed when the Assyrians invaded. The people were sent into exile.  Even in this time of darkness, domination and oppression of Assyrians, God gave them a ray of hope and light, providing them safety and security. That’s what we see in the words of prophet Isaiah that it is God who enlarged the nation of Israel, it is God who increased their joy, and it is God who removed the yoke, the bar and the rod of Assyrians who oppressed the people of Israel.

Moreover there is a reference in the first reading about how God has brought defeat to Midanites by Gideon in the book of Judges 7. Prophet Isaiah recalls the historic events in the book of judges how Gideon and his people, under the guidance and grace of God brought victory over the Midanites. Gideon and his people, faced by an oppressive group of large number of people, discovered that in God weakness is strength, and they were amazed to see how God used them to bring deliverance (Judg. 6, 7).

Yes, the cause of Joy for the people of Israel is God and not themselves. It is not their strength but God’s strength. So our real joy is God and is in God. But today most of us fail to realize the cause of our joy is God and the source of joy is in God. We feel that we have worked so hard and won over the battle of life or the difficult phase of life, but if we could see clearly, it is God who works for us to give us the joy which no one else can give us.  

So we need to realize that apart from the presence of God our Creator who gives meaning to life, all the other joys are just a waste and can be considered as mere dust and meaningless ones. So let us have hope in God that he would make our worst situations as best, a time of suffering and pain as time of joy and happiness. 

2. Live in unity with Christ:

In Christ Jesus as our head, we have no difference and discrimination, because Jesus came for us all, to unite us as one family and to obtain for us salvation from all oppressions and sufferings. The disunity and division in the family or society or the world is not the story of present generation, it has been there long since. But God calls all of us to unity realizing the oneness we are called to manifest and ignoring or accepting the differences to live in unity as God’s children.

Today’s second reading from St. Paul’s letter to Corinthians is a reminder of that sort to us. Paul notices the division and disunity among members of Corinth community. Paul gets the report from Chloe’s family about the rivalries and cultural clash. Therefore, Paul urges them to develop a sense of community instead of becoming rivalries and rebellious. Paul requests them to live in unity exhorting them not to be divided but to have an undivided love and solidarity for one another in Christ. Paul very emphatically encourages his people that it is Christ who was crucified and not Paul; it is in the name of Christ we are baptized and not Paul. So for the sake of Christ and for his work, we are called to be united in Christ and work together as one family. 

Paul is as well very clear to make known the point of divine wisdom of the cross in contrast to mere human wisdom. We may find the cross of Christ meaningless or foolishness but it is the divine wisdom manifested to each one of us. In the cross of Christ we find meaning and victory. So we need to rely on divine wisdom of the cross than the human wisdom.

Today we have lots of differences and divisions among us. The differences must be seen how unique we are and the division must be seen as chaos bringing destruction and devastation to our life. Today the family atmosphere or working together as God’s children is not seen much or promoted largely, because of the individualistic tendency or seeing others and their growth as threat. 

We need to realize today that when use the different gifts and talents for the good of the whole rather than dividing into multiple groups, the community, the family and the church become strong and live in solidarity. Diversity is good as long as it enriches the mission but should not lead us astray. Today Instead of suppressing voices of the people we need to give space to share and work together, so that we learn from each other and build our communities, families and the church from our differences. 

Pope Francis says that the journey toward full unity is sometimes more difficult. It can lead to a certain weariness and temptation to discouragement. But he encourages us Christians to remind ourselves that we are making this journey not as those who already possess God, but as those who continue to seek Him. so he calls for courage and patience along the way, in order to encourage and support one another. Let us make earnest efforts to live our lives united for Christ, courageously and patiently. 

 3. Focus on God’s mission

Jesus was very particular about his mission given by his heavenly Father. It was for the mission of God that Jesus came, for the mission of God Jesus lived, for the mission of God Jesus died and rose again. So the mission of God was very close to his heart. That’s why Jesus would say, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me,” (Jn 4:34).

Today’s Gospel reading presents to us the primary mission of Jesus on earth. The opening words of Jesus during his ministry were, “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” Jesus preached repentance and conversion of the heart, reminding everyone the nearness of God and so an urgency to prepare oneself to enter into the kingdom of God by the conversion of heart and the change of total self to be part of God’s kingdom. 

Jesus never gave a second thought or a chance to get away from the focus of the mission although he engaged in mission work of the Father. We see in the Gospel reading the call of the first disciples peter, Andrew, James and john, who responded to the call positively and promptly. Jesus gives them a clear and precise purpose of their call, that is, not to catch fish as fishermen but as fishermen to catch people for God. So our call and mission as Christ’s followers is to make people for God and bring them closer to God.

It is also said that in Jesus’ time rabbis would call people to follow him. But usually they used to call people who were knowledgeable and good enough. But Jesus calls fishermen and other people who in Jewish society were not considered worthy. Here Jesus makes us realize that all of us can be Disciples of Christ to share the mission of God. It is God who qualifies, it is God who guides, it is God who assists and it is God who leads with his graces and blessings those whom he called as disciples or followers.

Today we need to realize that God doesn’t require our human intelligence but makes us understand that God’s grace is sufficient to accomplish the mission. We need not be wise or learned or skillful rather we need to be willing and interested. This is quite sufficient for God to work with us and through us for the greater growth of his mission on earth. Most of us fail in our mission to spread the good news or reach the message of Christ to all, because we rely on our own strength than God’s strength and power.

Something more striking we see at the end the Gospel reading that Jesus after preaching repentance and the nearness of God’s Kingdom, calling the first disciples to share in his mission,  continues to move throughout Galilee, teaching, preaching and healing to establish the Kingdom of God. This is the focus of Jesus. Jesus never stopped and was satisfied being struck in one place rather moves on with the mission of God, to spread God’s love in his mission entrusted.

Yes, this is what we need to remind ourselves of the mission entrusted to our care. Not to be stuck or stopped or satisfied with vested groups, plans, likes, tastes and interests rather fixing a target that mission of God encompasses all and the mission of God is the first and final emphasis of life.  

The mission of God is important and not our personal mission should be our attitude and approach as Christians. So let us be firm in our call as disciples and followers of Christ to focus on the mission of GOd and fulfill the task entrusted by Jesus. 

As pope Francis would say, “The disciples are urged to live their personal lives in a missionary key: they are sent by Jesus to the world not only to carry out, but also and above all to live the mission entrusted to them; not only to bear witness, but also and above all to be witnesses of Christ.” 

Yes, the true understanding and spirit of mission would bear fruit when we completely focus on the mission of God and be firm to proclaim and bear witness to Christ by our way of life. May God bless our humble efforts.

RESPOND

Do we hope in God’s power or our own power and strength?

De we bear witness to Christ in union with the Church or do we divide the Church with individualism and pessimism?

Do we participate and share in the mission of Christ or do we promote our ideas and ideals to people? 

Let us hope in God’s power and strength, work for union amongst us members of the Church and children of God, be focused in the mission of Christ entrusted to us. Amen.

God bless us all! Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh George MSFS

rameshvkmsfs@gmail.com

9500930968