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(29th September 2024) Homily for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

READ: (Num 11: 25-29; Jas 5: 1-6; Mk 9: 38-43, 45, 47-48)

REFLECT: Let us work for Christ and not go far from Christ

My dear friends, we are in the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The liturgy of the day invites to be for Christ than far from Christ. Today, we have two groups of people with us always in every field of life; those who are for us and those who are against us. Those who are for us are always in support of us, they think and act as we think and want them act, they have our mindset, they resemble in everything like us, they will do anything for us because they believe in us and trust in us and our words and works. And those who are against us, we know them very well. They are always hostile, opposition party, they will contradict themselves in character and thought pattern, in no way they will match us, they will do anything to overthrow us or put us down into shame and disgrace, they are jealous of us and find fault always in whatever we do, because of their hateful feelings. The readings of the day present to us how we can be for Christ and how we go far away from Christ. So based on the liturgy of the word, I would like to share with you three points for reflection;

1.     Believe in God choice:

We hear quite often this phrase, ‘God chooses.’ Yes, God chooses to give us what we need or require from the abundance of love he has for us. The phrase ‘God chooses’ indicates that God has ultimate power, control and authority over our results and outcomes of any events. It also makes us realize that God’s choice or power over us for a cause and reason. The reason for God’s choice over us is for the purpose of molding, forming and giving a good shape of life. Something similar we find in the first reading from the book of numbers, where God chooses not seventy elders but the two namely Eldad and Medad. We see here that Joshua runs to Moses and says that Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp. Joshua wants to forbid them, but Moses does not encourage him to do so rather Moses asks him a question, “are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his spirit on them.”

Yes! God chooses whomsoever he feels to prophesy in his name, he has authority and power over it and we have no say over it. The Lord would put his spirit in anyone he feels or chooses. We have several examples in the bible, where God chooses as he wishes but for the good of us all. He chose the people of Israel; He chose and anointed kings, prophets and leaders to bring people closer to God; He Chose John the Baptist to herald the message of Christ and prepare the way for the Messiah; He chose mother Mary as the mother of Jesus the Son of God; God chose His only Son as sacrificial lamb for our salvation. Therefore, bible is full of episodes that present to us the choice of God for the good of humanity. We need to realize the choice of God for good and it can be anyone in his sight.

Indeed, we are not told in the first reading from the book of Numbers, why these two men remained in the camp rather than going with the group of seventy. However, we are told that they prophesied in the camp, demonstrating the fact that they have received the spirit. The ones who receive the spirit of God could prophesy in the name of God. God gives power to such people to make him known to others. Today it is a reminder for all of us, how can God choose such persons to work for him or for his ministry. God makes us realize that he could make the weak strong, the unfit as fit, and the poor as rich. So what makes us close to God is our acceptance of the plan of God without jealousy on anyone but what keep us far from Christ are our jealousy, pride, arrogance and selfishness.

That’s what Pope Francis would says, “The calling of Christ is not a privilege, ever. We cannot say that we are privileged compared to others. The calling is for a service. God chooses one in order to love everyone, to reach everyone. And this dynamic also helps to prevent the temptation of identifying Christianity with a culture, with an ethnicity, with a system. In this way, though, it loses its truly Catholic nature, or rather for everyone, universal. Christianity is not a little group of first-class, chosen people. Let us not forget: God chooses some to love all. This horizon of universality. The Gospel is not only for me, it is for everyone; let us not forget this.” Yes, God chooses some to love all. The choice of God’s spirit over Eldad and Medad is for making known the love of God to all. Sometimes, we think that we are Christians that we would obtain privileges in larger measure. But it need not be all the time. It all depends on how we make God known in one’s life by our gentle yet genuine words and deeds.

2.     Reach out to enrich others

Reaching out to enrich others give us hints to connect ourselves with others well in our sharing and caring. We reach out to people in order to enrich and enhance life with the richer that we have. Reaching out to people need not necessarily be by finance rather it could be our time and talent, resources and knowledge, kindness and compassion, love and care too. But somehow we all of us lost the feel for the same to enrich people’s life. It is not to generalize all but there are still many more, who do not reach out to people, although we have riches of wealth, power, gifts and talents. It is there that our credibility and commitment is questioned. Perhaps that’s what we hear from the Second reading from the letter of St.  James.  we hear in the letter of St. James, condemning the rich people who have no consideration for the poor and the just. They relied more on the riches of the world and not the riches of Christ; the rich people have condemned the just, they have enjoyed the luxury and pleasures of the world; they have fattened their hearts. So the rich people have surmounted riches a lot to such an extent that they forgot the poor of the society.

St. James warns against the misuse of riches and makes them aware of their failures and consequences of their living. His language calls for repentance from the part of the rich people and calls for a renewal of life in them so that they obtain the riches and wealth of Christ himself and serve the needy and the poor. St. James in his letter very clearly mentions that to accumulate treasure merely for the sake of having treasure is the root cause of sin. Such action leads to trusting in the treasure for security and power. It creates a tendency in a person that treasure is his God. The rich people cheat those who have worked for them by not giving them their wages, but the cries of those who have been cheated have reached the ears of the Lord. The Lord hears the cry of the deceived and answers them in their need of help and support.

Yes, today we need to understand that having wealth is not a crime or sin in itself, because there were many rich people in the Bible and they have  reached out to people in  need and have obtained their reward from  God. But what God condemns is our accumulation of wealth and riches for one’s own benefit and selfishness, without even having a little consideration and mercy on the poor and needy. The message is very clear that misuse of wealth and not sharing our wealth for the benefit of others is not the essence and substance of Christian living. It demands that we share with one another as first Christians in the Acts of the Apostles shared with one another, selling everything, even their own property for the good of others.

That’s what Pope Francis beautifully pointed out, “that wealth, no matter how much or how little, becomes a sin when it overpowers a person and robs him of his freedom. This is what happens to those who are greedy.” Yes, It is a reminder to all of us today, being rich is not to enrich oneself rather to reach out to the other in need of help and support. If God could make us rich, He could make others as well rich. If God could make us rich, He could make you as well poor within a fraction of a second. Most of us think that we will always be rich but the fact is that everything is transitory, it can change at any moment. The ultimate manifestation of the rich people is their trust in wealth and not in God. They could never get satisfaction and never be satisfied with what they have, because their greed for power and wealth is beyond measure. The more they have, the more the feel like possessing for themselves. It becomes sickness and they can’t live without it. Today we need to realize that true wealth of Christians is Christ himself. He makes us rich and he makes us reach out to people in compassion and kindness. Let us then posses the true riches of Christ in our lives.

3.     Work for Christ and promote Christ:

Working for Christ and promoting Christ lays the foundation to the life of Christians. We followers of Christ do not work for ourselves rather work for Christ; it is not that we promote one’s own self, arising out of selfishness, pride, hatred and boastfulness rather we need to promote Christ, who is the centre of life. That’s what Jesus says and does in the Gospel reading. He invites his disciples to accept others who propagate Christ’s words and works genuinely; he lays invitation to his disciples not to harm the little children and treat others with dignity and love. That’s why Jesus says, “The one who is not against us is for us.” Yes, those who are for Christ will always be happy to love and serve Christ and others; they would dare to do anything for Christ and for his work. Indeed, the first part of the Gospel of the day, Jesus tells John and other disciples that those who are  not against us for us and the second part of the Gospel of the day, Jesus shares with them the concrete ways how we can work for Christ and make known Christ meaningfully.

The words of John to Jesus are very clear, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus tells John not to stop such persons, because they do everything in the name of Christ and for Christ. The significance lies in doing work in the name of Christ and for Christ. Such persons would acknowledge the work of God and love others too. Soon after, Jesus’ words as not to stop those who work for Christ, Jesus speaks of ways and means working for Christ and bearing  witness to Christ. That’s why Jesus says, those who give a cup of water because he or she belongs to Christ would obtain rewards; Jesus tells the disciples and the crowds not to harm the little ones and gives us a clear cut indication of how we need to use our senses and feelings of human emotions in a balanced and healthy way. That’s why Jesus says if your hand, foot, eye causes you to sin cut it off and remove them. Therefore, we need to be kind and compassionate, loving and tender-hearted to one another in working for Christ and promoting Christ in our lives, with our senses, body parts and our entire life itself.

Perhaps, the reason why John reported about the other casting out demons in Jesus’ name could be because the one casting demons was not the disciple or chosen apostle of Christ. It could be also because the one who is not with Christ is able to cast out demons in the name of Jesus but the one’s remaining with Jesus and having been chosen as twelve to be part of Jesus’ ministry could not cast out demons. But Jesus very aptly tells them that one who works for Christ works for good and goodness. It is in the name of Christ we find victory. It is the name of Christ that’s mighty and powerful; it is the name of Christ that brings out healing and wonders in life; it is the name of Christ that saves us all. Jesus tells us today, “Do not cause or inflict pain on those who believe in Christ. Help the people who have faith in God. let it grow more and bear fruit in abundance; Do not use your hand, leg and eye to sin rather keep the entire body pure and holy. So what keeps us closer to God is purity and sinlessness but what keeps us away from God is our acts of impurity and sinful passions. The life of impurity and sinful passions drown us deep down, devoid of God’s grace in life. The sinful passions create a vacuum that cares for no one around us. Today, we all need to connect ourselves as children of God, because in the name of God and in the name of Christ we are all one family.

So in what way we can practically work for Christ and promote Christ’s work in life is by making Jesus as the foundation of our life. When Jesus becomes the foundation of life, our lives reflect Christ to the world; when we reflect Christ in life, we live Christ; when we live Christ, Christ lives in us and our lives become the testimony of love, peace, harmony and happiness in our world. This is what Jesus expects from us that we don’t go against the plan of God in life rather abide in God’s plan and love everyone in purity of heart. When we don’t sin; when we don’t cause another to sin; when our hands, legs and eyes serve the purpose for which God has created, we make known Christ to the world. Today, we all have hearts, hands, legs and eyes, still people go hungry, naked, unloved and uncared, live in misery and pathetic state of life. What do we need to do is to work for and promote Christ by the life of love and service to one another. Jesus said in the Gospel of John, “By this shall all know that you are my disciples, if you love one another,” (Jn 13:35).  Yes, let us love and serve the humanity and see Christ in them all and make known Christ to all.

RESPOND:

Do we understand that God chooses to show his love for us and to execute his plans for the humanity?

Do we reach out to people with the riches of Christ that we have and not the riches of wealth and worldly wisdom?

Do we work for and promote Christ in everything that we do or say or do we work for one’s own promotion and glory?

Let us believe in God’s choice, reach out to people in need and work for and promote Christ in life. Amen.

God bless us all… Live Jesus!