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Homily for the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

READ: (Isa 35: 4-7; Jas 2: 1-5; Mk 7: 31-37)

REFLECT: Rely on God, God restores and renews life…

Dear friends, we are in the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary time. The liturgy of the word invites us to understand that God restores and renews life, when we are open to God’s grace and healing. The idea that God restores and renews is a quite a common theme that we find in the scripture. The restoration and the renewal of God speak of the love and compassion he has for us his people. We need to understand as well that restoration and renewal are not a onetime offer or an event, but an ongoing process. Each day the Lord offers us restoration and renewal through various persons, places and times, events and programs. We need to be ready, willing and open for such happy moments to take place. God restores the broken-hearted, heals the wounded, renews the mind, heart and spirit, offers us chances and possibilities etc. It is we who are not ready to accept the offer that God gives us for restoration and renewal of life. Let us reflect on how God would restore and renew our lives. So based on the liturgy of the word, I would like to share with you three points of reflection;

1. Be assured of God’s presence:

We all long for the assurance of God’s presence, because assurance of God’s presence in life is a moment of unending happiness in life. The assurance of God brings peace and prosperity, comfort and consolation, strength and hope in times of uncertainties and challenges. It speaks about the presence of God and his power encompassing us always. It is an attitude to accept and believe that God is with us always, he walks with us and before us to guide and guard. Such an attitude increases joy and happiness in life. That’s what we see in the first reading from Prophet Isaiah. It is a firm and strong affirmation of God to the people of Israel about his saving act for them. He does not abandon them to desolation and destruction rather he assures them of his presence. So that they know and understand that God  is all-pervading and all-encompassing, to quick in  reaching out to people in need and very specially the people whom he  loves and whomsoever he chooses to love. The assurance of God’s presence is uttered by prophet Isaiah in the first reading of the day, “Say to those who have an anxious heart, to be strong and fear not… God will come and save you.”

Further, the rest of the phrases to the end of first reading reveal some sort of renewal of life. The phrases like ‘the eyes of the blind shall be opened,’ ‘the ears of the deaf unstopped,’ the lame shall leap like the deer,’ ‘waters breaking forth in the desert,’ ‘burning sand to a poor,’ and ‘thirst ground springs of  water.’ Just as some renewal takes place in parts of human body and to the nature; the Lord assures and promises to the people of Israel through prophet Isaiah that God would bring about renewal and newness in the life of people Israel. Yes, the renewal and restoration of life could take place only when we believe in the assurance of God’s presence. We have a God, who not only assures in words rather makes it a possibility in deeds as well. That’s the power and wisdom of God. Therefore, it is an opportunity to rely on God’s presence and discover the presence of God at all times.

That’s what Pope Francis, while reflecting on discovering God’s presence very powerfully proclaims saying, “We need to be confident that despite many times in life when we might be discouraged by thinking, mistakenly, that good is weak and evil is having the last word. We should not be overcome with doubts either, even if we work hard and the desired results or changes never happen. Look at ourselves and reality with eyes wide open that can see beyond appearances and discover the presence of God who as humble love is always at work in the soil of our life and that of history. We have the strength to go forward every day, patiently, sowing the good that will bear fruit. This attitude and approach is what is needed to recover and put confidence of “being in God’s hands” in order to rebuild, start again with “patience and perseverance”. Yes, we start again afresh, when we recognize the presence of God in life. Many were the times the people Israel failed to realize and recognize the presence of God. The moment they failed to realize and recognize God’s presence, they were in sin and distanced themselves from God’s love.

Something similar we find in our own lives too today. Mostly, in times of trial and temptation, we feel that God has abandoned us or God has not been accompanying us. These failures to realize and recognize God’s presence in our lives create vacuum and make us lose faith in God. Let us realize today that God assures of his help and support, but we fail to take him seriously in times of struggles and sufferings. Today, we need to understand that the presence of God is a constant reality.  In times of struggles and stillness, God is always near and cares for us. The moment we lean on God’s presence, our lives begin to change and offer chances to renew our lives in God. God is always near, so let us not fear rather we cast our fears and anxieties to God, he would grant us safety. What God wants from us is to rely on him and never to abandon him. Let us abandon all that is worldly and grip on to godly acts that move us closer God in union with him.

2. Show no partiality:

We all know what it means to be partial or favoritistic. It is an unfair support to one person or a group. Our understanding or belief that God is impartial or not favoritistic is a key principle and main purpose of divine justice and love. It just reminds us how God treats everyone equally without any prejudice and bias. Perhaps, we all our likes and dislikes towards persons, places and times, but what matters is do I accept and see others as God-given gift and as God’s children.  The failure on our part to see and accept others as God’s children is what creates conflict and division. The division leads to difference of opinion and the differences of opinion create many groups with the idea or an ideology of each group. Thus, we begin to gather with a like-minded group and do what one likes or dislikes according to one’s wishes. This is how we think and act, but God does not deal with us so, because he loves us all truly and equally. For God we are all same, whether we are in sin or grace, weak or strong, rich or poor, good or bad, do not matter to Him, because we are his creature, owning God’s image over us.

That’s what we find in the second reading of St.  James, which speaks to us the love of God that’s impartial. God does not show any partiality. He does not treat the rich richly and the poor people poorly. For God all are his children, he accepts us and respects us, because his love for us is pure and special. That’s what we hear in the second reading from St. James, “God has not chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?” Yes, the foundational measurement of God over us is ‘our love for God and love for his people.’ It is not a diluted or diverted love with likes and dislikes or with inclusion or exclusion rather accepting others as they are without any discrimination and discrepancies. 

In the same point of note, Pope Francis very aptly points out, “God does not discriminate against anyone because He loves everyone. Despite all the sufferings of this life, and even in the face of sin, God does not keep us at a distance. Instead, He draws near to let Himself be touched and to touch us, and He always raises us from death. He invited the faithful to look to the heart of God precisely because we need a Church and a society that does not exclude anyone, that does not treat anyone as impure, so that everyone, with their own story, is welcomed and loved without labels or prejudices.” Yes, we may have own struggles and sufferings; we may have our good and healthy character; we may be from different region and race; we may be different in color and language, but God does not look at our appearance rather looks at  the heart and loves us as his children.

Today, we find lots of discrimination in our human world based on various structures, systems, disciplines and denominations. All these point to a division and not unity. We need to break such barriers in order to experience true love from God and manifest the same with our brothers and sisters in our world. By the treatment of everyone as equal before God, God manifest his perfect justice and love. It reminds us that God is for all and loves all, his judgements are based on truth, justice and not based on external factors or appearance that could deceive us. Thus, we know that we are all equally valued in the eyes of God for salvation. That’s w hat we precisely read at the end of the second reading, “God has not chosen those who are poor to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him.” Yes, those who love God, God loves them unconditionally. Those who do not love God, God gives them every opportunity to love him. So let us then love God and love others as God loves us in Christ equally and generously.

3. Be open to God’s grace:

Being open to God’s grace would means that we allow ourselves to receive his love, guidance, blessings, favors and support by way of complete faith, humility, self-surrender and trust in God. It is an attitude complete trust in God, wherein we realize and recognize that grace is a gift from God and not something that we earn on our own. Openness to God’s grace requires our receptivity to the ways God calls to grow, change and fulfill God’s grace. It involves that we let go ourselves of selfishness, pride, anger and boastfulness. This openness to God’s  grace is obtained by relying on God’s  grace, seeking God in our daily lives, through discernment and reflection about God and his blessings on us and a total surrender to God’s will. Perhaps, God’s invitation or grace can come to us in any moments of life. It could be the moments of inspiration, challenges, and opportunities and even though others. It all matter how we remain open to God’s plans and spirit in our lives. That’s what we see in the Gospel reading of the day from the Gospel of St.  Mark.

The Gospel reading of the day presents before us the healing of a deaf and dumb man, who was brought by the people to Jesus to lay his hands on the man for cure. As we all know in the scripture that Jesus never hesitated to glorify God, here too Jesus immediately looks up to heaven as a sign of prayer to his heavenly Father and heals the man. We see in the episode of the Gospel the following; People bring the deaf and dumb man for healing; they proclaim the healing and goodness of Jesus zealously; they were astounded and acknowledged Jesus that he has done all things well. So the people were open to Jesus’ grace and healing for the deaf and dumb man. In addition to this, we see the deaf and dumb man allowing others to be taken to Jesus and be healed; He was open to Jesus’ healing as well. Thus we see the openness of the people to bring the deaf and dumb man to Jesus; the openness of the deaf and dumb man to be touched and healed by Jesus and ultimately Jesus too was open to heal the deaf and dumb man as per the request of the people.

That’s what Pope Francis would say, “Jesus revealed to us the secret of a miracle that we too can imitate, and becoming protagonists of “Ephphatha”, of that phrase ‘be opened’ with which He gave speech and hearing back to the deaf and dumb man. It means opening ourselves to the needs of our brothers and sisters who are suffering and in need of help, by shunning selfishness and hardheartedness. It is precisely the heart that is the deep core of the person that Jesus came to “open”, to free, in order to make us capable of fully living the relationship with God and with others. He became man so that man, rendered internally deaf and mute by sin, may hear the voice of God, the voice of Love that speaks to his heart, and thereby in turn, may learn to speak the language of love, transforming it into gestures of generosity and self-giving.” Yes, this is what would happen to us too, when we open and allow ourselves to be healed and touched by Jesus. The physical healing and spiritual healing could take place. The healing touch of Jesus would push us forward in bringing healing to others and proclaim the goodness of the Lord to one another.

Today, the reason why we don’t obtain the healing touch of God is our failure to open ourselves to the plan of God and his love over us. We are open to the principles of the worldly desires and dreams, plans and projects, but for God’s principles and plans we refuse or fail to understand. It is because, the pleasure of the world hides the eternal happiness we would endure. Today we need to realize that being open to God’s grace is an ongoing process of deepening faith and relationship. That’s what we see in the gospel reading of the day. The people brought the deaf and dumb man with their willingness to heal and the deaf and dumb man too willingly accepted the move of the people for healing and grace. It is their sign of faith and trust in God. Our faith and trust in God grows larger, when we open and allow ourselves to the grace and blessings of God. Let us deepen our faith and trust in God by being open to God’s grace and thus restore and renew our lives in God for holiness and happiness.

RESPOND:

Do we realize the assurance of God’s presence in our lives or do we doubt the presence of God by disbelief and doubts?

Do we show partiality or do we consider everyone as children of God and thus promote justice and peace in our world?

Do we open ourselves to the grace of God for healing or open ourselves to the allurements and attractions of the world to desolation in our lives?

Let us restore and renew our lives in God by recognizing and relying on God’s presence, treating others equally as God's children for justice and open ourselves totally to the grace of God for healing and wellness. Amen.

God bless us all! Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh George MSFS

rameshvkmsfs@gmail.com

9500930968