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Homily for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

READ: (Wis1: 13-15, 2: 23-24; 2 Cor8: 7,9, 13-15; Mk5: 21-43)

REFLECT: Faith in the Living God and faithfulness to God’s ways…

Dear friends, today we are in the 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time. The readings of the day underscore the importance of knowing how much God loves us in and through Jesus. We may know things or issues of life better but God knows the best, because he loves entire creation and all the more loves humanity largely in comparison with the rest of the things created in the world. That’s very well seen in God’s act as he has created us in his own image and likeness. So today in what way we can revert our love for God is what the liturgy of the word invites us. The best revertible or return ways to express our love for God is to have faith in God by being faithful and following his commands faithfully. Therefore, based on the readings of the day, I would like to share with you three points of reflection;

1.     Faithfulness to God

We hear of many deaths takingplace in our world in various ways. Some die a natural death; some others have an unnatural death of being killed or murdered out of hatred, revenge, violence, torture and for want of power and domination. However, at all times we all instantly say, “God, why did you take away my sons or daughters or father or mother or friends?” What crime he or she has committed? Why he or she? It is our human inclination to ask God question and seek for answers for what God has not done to humanity. However, it is not God who desires our death rather it is we ourselves, who are willing to be in sin and choose to face death in life. Because, God does not delight in the death of each one of us. That’s what we see in the first reading from the book of wisdom indicating to us very clearly that our God is not the God who brings death or who desires death of anyone rather he wishes everyone to live forever.

The first reading from the book of wisdom tells us that God did not desire our death. God wanted us to be incorruptible and eternal. He wished that we live forever that’s why he created us in his own image but it is through the envy of devil that death has entered the world and all those who belong to devil’s party experience or taste death. Yes, God has given us the precious gift of life to live for ever in union with him, but we have chosen to face death in life. In the book of Genesis, God clearly states, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever.” It was sin of human beings and their partnership with devil that our first parents were thrown away from the place of paradise that God had given to Adam and Eve. Today, death has taken control of human life, but death or devil cannot take control over God, because God is the God of the living and a God of goodness, therefore, God controls death and does good to humanity always. That’s why God sent his only Son Jesus to give us life and to overcome sin and death.

In this regard, Pope Francis has a very beautiful point to communicate that, “death and God’s judgement should be on everyone’s mind, but faithfulness to God will conquer our fears. Fidelity to the Lord does not disappoint. If each one of us is faithful to the Lord, when death comes, we will say like St. Francis of Assisi, “Come sister death, we won’t be afraid.” Yes, the death is devil’s direction but life is always God’s direction. God always wishes good for his people but we choose to be partners with devil and its ways. Therefore, we become partners with devil and its ways and lose the divine touch or hold in us and die. Today, if we all choose to remain faithful to God by being faithful to one another in our world in relationships with one another as parents, couples, friends and well-wishers, the world would perhaps see life all over. The lack of faithfulness in life leads us to go away from God, others and oneself and experience death. So let us remain faithful to the Lord and experience life rather than death, which is a separation from God our creator.

2.     Generosity of Jesus

We all know that genuine heart is always generous to shared what one has to enrich the other. Today we observe in our daily activities and events that the culture of serving willingly and generously has rather come down because of the attitude and approach of the people around us. It is purely because of the self-gain and selfishness. However, the second reading form St. Paul’s letter to Second Corinthians enlightens us how we need to be generous towards others. We hear from St. Paul’s letter to 2 Corinthians, how St. Paul acknowledges the Corinthian community as they excel in all like faith, utterance, knowledge and earnestness and invites them to excel also in the gracious work of Jesus. That is, although Jesus was rich, he became poor for our sake, so that through his poverty we might become rich and obtain eternal life.

We all know Jesus wanted to obtain freedom for us all and the greatness of Jesus was his self-giving in redemption for us all. So,keeping in mind the generosity of Jesus, St. Paul urges the Corinthian community to work for that freedom and self-giving towards the betterment of each one as brothers and sisters in the Lord. The reason why Paul urges us is the situation of that time in the year 48 there was a famine in Judea and Jerusalem (acts 11:28) due to the poor harvest of the previous year, the sabbatical year (during which the Jews did not sow so that the earth could rest). In order to remedy this situation of shortage, economic aid for the Christians of Jerusalem was organized. So, Paul reminds the community of Corinth to be generous enough to contribute for the needs of brothers and sisters in the Lord just as Jesus was generous in giving himself for us as a self-gift.

Today, many people are in dire situation, because there is no proper work and no proper income. The lack of no work and proper income lacks as well no food and proper shelter and clothing. At this juncture, we need to ask, can we with what we have contribute to the needy or poor in whatever we can. It is not how much we give or how little we give, but do we give joyfully to others when in need or do we come forward in sharing with others what we can. The letter to Second Corinthians of today’s second reading is the proof of this message that although Jesus was rich, he became poor to make us rich, the generosity of Jesus is to be noticed and practiced in life.

Pope Francis very beautifully shares as he makes an appeal to generosity, “Generosity belongs to everyday life; it’s something we should think: ‘How can I be more generous, with the poor, the needy… How can I help more?’ ‘But Father, you know that we can barely get through the month.’ ‘But surely you have at least a couple of coins left over? Think about it: you can be generous with those…’ Consider the little things. For example, look through your room or your wardrobe. How many pairs of shoes do I have? One, two, three, four, fifteen, twenty… Each of us knows. Maybe too many… I knew a monsignor who had 40… But if you have many pairs of shoes, give away half. How many clothes do I not use or use only once a year? This is one way to be generous, to give what we have, and to share.” Yes, generosity can always enlarge our hearts, provided we have an attitude of sharing and caring for one another. We need not to worry about what we do not have but what we have if we could contribute to the other, we might make someone joyful by our giving and sharing. Today, there is no question of what to give or how much to give but do I have the willing heart to give with what I have. So let us be generous in giving to one another what we can.

3.     Faith in Jesus

Faith in Jesus makes us powerful always. The proof of this we find in the gospel reading of the day. The episode for today’s Gospel is a story within a story. We could call this episode as a sandwich narrative. There are two miracle stories we have in the gospel reading of the day, but both pointing out to the same faith perspectives in Jesus by two different persons. The healing of Jairus’ daughter, who was at the point of death. He requested Jesus to lay hands on her to be well and live.The woman suffering from hemorrhage- flow of blood for 12 years, who wished if she touchesJesus’garments,she will be well and live again a new life. Both of them had faith but at different levels. But both their faith was rewarded as they were made well and healed. Both had their own stand in the society. Jairus, being a religious leader, well-to-do in the society but on the other hand a woman suffering from hemorrhage had a poor stand in the society. Both the healed persons, the daughter of Jairus and the woman suffering from hemorrhage were considered unclean in the society. But we see Jesus shows no remorse towards anyone. Jesus does not look at their social standing, whether they are well or ill. The measure Jesus lays on both for healing is their faith. So, faith is important and every faith will be rewarded if it is genuine and real, if it encourages and strengthens oneself to be children of God.

Today, what we need in life is faith. There are numerous places and times we are made to suffer or we suffer, what is required at all stages of life is faith in God or faith in Jesus. There is a familiar proverb we have quite often heard, “A stich in times saves nine.” Yes, in order to save the torn garment, we need to stitch it on time, so that damage to the garment or clothes is less otherwise, the damage will be more and no more we could use the clothes or garment any longer. It can be applied to our faith as well. There are recurring times we fail to express or show faith in God, but if we express it when required, our faith would increase and our level of pain would ease. Both of them, Jairus and the woman suffering from hemorrhage could ease their as they expressed faith in Jesus on the right time and protected themselves from the harm they were about to experience. Similarly, we need to express our faith in God and solidify our life in God before our situations of life becomes worse.

Pope Francis while reflecting on the Gospel passage of the day very clearly points out, “It is a matter of tow interlocking narratives, with a single core: faith; and they show Jesus as the wellspring of life, as the one who restores life to those who trust fully in him. The two protagonists, that is, the little girl’s father and the sick woman are not disciples of Jesus, yet they are satisfied through their faith. They have faith in Jesus. From this we understand that all are permitted on the Lord’s path and no one should feel as an intruder, an interloper or one who has not right. To have access to Jesus’ heart, there is only one requirement, to feel in need of healing and to entrust yourself to Him.” Yes, today we all lack or entrusting ourselves unto Jesus. There is a beautiful hymn of praise and worship we quite often hear, “Cast your burden unto Jesus, He cares for you…” yes, Jesus cares for us and loves us unconditionally and he is ready to heal us from all our infirmities, provided we come to him and entrust to him fully in faith and confidence in God.

RESPOND:

Are we faithful to God in life and believe that God is God of the living and live our lives in him? 

Do we generous hearts to people those who are needy and poor to enrich their lives as well?

Do we have faith in Jesus by surrendering our lives totally in faith and trust?

Let us be faithful to the living God, be generous like Christ in sharing and entrust our lives fully in trust and faith in God. Amen. 

God bless us all! Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh George MSFS

rameshvkmsfs@gmail.com

9500930968