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(22nd September 2024) Homily for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

READ: (Wis 2: 12, 17-20; Jas 3: 16-4:3; Mk 9: 30-37)

REFLECT: Be humble to be great in the sight of God and with one another…

Dear friends, we are in the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. We all know that greatness is understood and evaluated in the world differently, with different attitudes and aptitudes. The following are some of the lists that determine world’s greatness; money, power, talent, higher ranking, higher posts, degrees in education, one’s appearance and associations with many people etc. Is this a real greatness? Perhaps, the world has grown in such a way to term one or call someone great based on the power, positions, professions, rankings even at times if there is no quality. However, the word of God never consents to the worldly standards or worldly values like influence, power, talents, ability, money, as great in the sight of God, rather Godly values of justice and righteousness, love, sacrifice, humility, charity are set as standards of godly values. The liturgy of the word invites us today to understand and to take heart that greatness is not money or power or positions or higher rankings and professions as the world sets its standards rather the quality of life one lives and leads in the world according to God’s plan with godly values. Therefore, I would like to share with you three points of reflections.

1. Be righteous till the end:

Being righteous till the end would mean giving emphasis to moral integrity and manifesting ethical behavior in life always. It does not matter how hard pressed we are with sufferings or how happy we feel elevated but we always maintain and sustain the moral integrity till the end. In the midst of challenges and difficulties, we still persevere till the end to be righteous. That’s the greatness of life and that will really make or feel great. Thus, righteousness is being right and just at all times and always.  No compromise is made or no comparisons are done to downplay such values. Righteousness gives the due of a person. It treats others equally without any bias. But people those who are righteous are most of the times tormented and tortured, taken for granted or not valued. That’s what we find in the first reading from the book of wisdom. The godless people plan out how the righteous can be put into difficulty and suffering, testify the faith, put insults and shame, condemnation, test his patience and gentle whether he will be strong or give up being righteous

Yes, just as gold is tested in the fire, so also the just and righteous persons are tested, tempted, tormented and tortured, blamed and branded. But a righteous person does not worry about it rather pursues after good works and just ways. It is like the gold is always gold even if someone tries to steal it or hide it. Gold has its own value, in spite of being stolen, hidden or given. Similarly, the righteous people remain always righteous even if they are tested or tempted, because they know that being righteous is a rare quality and people are rare to find such too. Although they suffer a lot, inflicted pain upon pains yet his/her value will never be lost. For, God will never abandon the righteous people for he is always close to those who stand for truth, justice and righteousness. That’s what Evangelist Matthew would record in his Gospel as said by Jesus, “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they shall be satisfied,” (Matt 5:6). Therefore, righteousness has its reward but we need to firm in it till the end.

That’s what Pope Francis, while speaking about the righteous person examines several characteristics of those who are righteous and so he says, “The righteous person reveres laws and respects them, knowing that they constitute a barrier protecting the defenseless from the tyranny of the powerful, and does not think only of his own individual wellbeing, but desires the good of society as a whole.” Yes, righteous persons do not think of one’s own welfare or well-being rather the good of others as a whole. Righteous people always believe in reaching out to others than themselves. They undergo pains at times to make others happy. Such is their commitment and attitude. Today, we need to ask ourselves, what is our attitude and approach towards righteous people.  We need not just look at them with an eye of wonder or we need not look at them with an eye of contempt or Jealousy but we need to admire them and imbibe in us such approaches and attitudes to make life happy for oneself and for others. Most often, we think that we are righteous but we become self-righteous, judging others and praising one’s own tale and condemning others. Today, it is an opportune time to understand what  it means to be righteous and be firm in being righteous till the end, so that righteousness may prevail all over the  world. God loves the righteous, because God himself is righteous and just in all ways and always to us.

2. Have genuine passions:

Passion is nothing but strong enthusiasm or desire for doing something. It creates in us the energy to pursue what we like with dedication and deep desire. It can be personal and collective too. Passion is connected to what one likes and is interested in more, because it gives them sense of purpose and fulfillment. We most often willingly and joyfully invest on passions with time, effort, commitment even at times are faced with challenges and difficulties. Indeed, it all matters what passions we have. All of us have passions to do something or the other. If these passions are good or if channelized properly and appropriately, it brings out desired results in a healthy way. If our passions are not healthy then things end up in failure. It is a mishap or meaningless or can lead to dangerous zones of life. Therefore, we need to be cautious and safeguard with proper measures to channelize them for right cause.

That’s what we find it in the second reading from the letter of St. James, as he says, what causes wars and fighting among us is the passion. For what we are passionate about or what we desire is not right as there is jealousy and selfish ambition, which leads to disorder and every vile practice. The passions and desires are at war within us. They try to overpower or dominate with one over the other. It is there we get confused or deceived. We fail in our discernment and decide wrongly with the evil passions or desires. So, it is necessary that we understand that desire is not wrong but wrong desires and evil passions are wrong. Yes, today we need to understand and realize that desire is not the root cause of all evil rather wrong desires and passions are wrong. They lead us to desolate state of life and wrong passions and desires, deviate our attention and focus, and make us fall into the pit of darkness and danger. So we need not only be watchful or careful about the desires that we have or wish rather we need to take practical steps as well, how we could get rid of wrong passions and desires and be away from desires and passions that mislead or misguide us.

Indeed, how we can get rid of these deviating factors is what given to us at the start of the Second reading from St. James. St. James says very clearly, “the wisdom from above is first pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere (Jas 3:17). And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” In the second reading, St. James classifies two sorts of wisdom. The opening verse of James 3:16 begins with human wisdom that can lead us astray with our evil desires and passions but in James 3:17, he speaks of divine wisdom or godly wisdom that can bring us peace. Therefore, what we need to obtain in life godly wisdom, the knowledge and wisdom to know God and understand his wise plans for us. The quality of God’s wisdom is pure, brings peace, gentle, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial sincere. So what can create genuine passions and bring us peace is the wisdom of God. Our tendency to think at times that we are knowledgeable or wiser than God makes us fall and fail in life. Today, we shall ask the Lord to bless us with his wisdom, so that we discern life well, desire for good things and good deeds; have genuine passions that lead us to be committed to God’s work and plan. So let’s desire for the wisdom of God, all that is godly, all that is good, and all that is joyful , I am sure good things will begin to germinate in life, good things will pervade everywhere with the wisdom of God at work in us.

3. Be humble:

Humility is the most often reflected topic. So most of the time, we fail to be humble and simple. We need to understand as well that humility is not slavery, it is not inferiority complex rather it is a space that we provide for one another to accept others and oneself. When one humbles, it means he or she accepts oneself as he or she is or accepts the other as they are. Today’s Gospel reading presents to us that Jesus is making an important assertion to the disciples that he would suffer, be killed and will rise after three days later. It points out the divine plan of God for humanity and the humility of Jesus. Although, Jesus was Son of God, he humbled himself to live like us, suffered and died and rose again to prove the world the plan and wisdom of God. Jesus was like us in every way except in sin but the disciples did not realize this good news and truth instantly rather they learnt it gradually. Perhaps, Jesus was communicating to the disciples the plan of God’s redemption for humanity but they were not attentive, they were light-hearted and so they were discussing on the way, among themselves as who would be first or last.

The reason perhaps why the disciples did not pay attention to Jesus’ teachings is their lack of prayer and communion with God; they were probably in fear about their position who would be close to Jesus; they have become worldly with the sense of pride as who shall be great among them; they had their personal mission, ambition and goal at their forefront and not Jesus’ mission as the center of their heart. The disciples were still driven by worldly powers and position. They have not yet been driven by the spirit of God that gives them access to understand Jesus’ mission and redemption for humanity. They were still in the world of dreams and fantasy. Jesus makes use of this as an opportunity to teach them a prominent lesson on humility to be great in the sight of God and one another. Jesus, having known what the disciples were arguing about says emphatically that the first will be last and the last first.

As an example of simplicity and humility, Jesus takes the child and asks them to be childlike and not childish. Jesus exhorts the disciples to be Child-like in attitudes and approaches with acts of dependency and trust, innocence and docility, purity and without pretence. Jesus tells them to be childlike in confidence, trust, simplicity, humility and not to be childish in immaterial or immature thoughts. We need to have a childlike faith in God and not childish faith. Childlike faith is holding father’s hand, leaving everything to him; Childish faith is doubting father’s love and credibility; Childlike faith is allowing what God wants of us; Childish faith is wanting to do what we desire; Childlike faith is living life in humility, simplicity, purity, gentleness and tenderness to one another but childish faith is living life in arrogance, want of power, positions, name and fame.

One of the most admired qualities of little in our common experience about children is humility. They are themselves with the virtue of simplicity, purity and humility. They keep nothing in heart; they are very spontaneous because they know no malice. Pope Francis speaks so well of humility in this regard, the importance and greatness of humility life. So Pope Francis says, “Humility is the golden rule. Advancing for Christians means lowering themselves. It is precisely on the humble path, chosen by God, that love and charity proceed. The whole history of faith is made of humility and speaks of humility to us all. This likewise applies to the historical event of Jesus’ Birth. It seems that God wanted every event to be concealed, that it not be made public, that it be, as it were, overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. Everything happens on the road of humility. God, humble, lowers himself: he comes among us and lowers himself and he continues to humble himself even to the Cross”. Yes, the nature of God is the path of humility.  The great God humbles himself in every way, but we his creatures wish to be always great. Let us realize that humility will raise us high; humility will open ways for relationship with God and with one another; Christian understanding of greatness is based on the virtue of humility. Let us tread the path of God in humility and serve the human family with humility.

RESPOND:

Do we make efforts to be righteous till the end or we give up when we are faced with difficulties?

Do we have genuine passions that elicit in us love for God or do we engage in worldly desires and go astray from God?

Do we understand that the greatness of life lies in humility or do we feel that the sense of pride leads to great height of life?

Let us make effort to be righteous till the end, have genuine passions by the assistance of God’s wisdom and reach to great heights of life by virtue of humility. Amen.

God bless us all… Live Jesus!