HOMILIES

Dear Audience,
For better understanding of the spiritual message behind this homily I kindly remind you to first read and contemplate the biblical texts before reading or listening to my preaching - a human reflection on the Word of God!

Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C)

Jun 23, 2013

3789

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First Reading

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Zechariah (12:10-11, 13:1)

Thus says the Lord: I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and petition; and they shall look on him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a firstborn.

On that day the mourning in Jerusalem shall be as great as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

On that day there shall be open to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a fountain to purify from sin and uncleanness.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms of David (63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9)

(R) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

O God, you are my God whom I seek; for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts; like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water. (R)

Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary to see your power and your glory, for your kindness is a greater good than life; my lips shall glorify you. (R)

Thus will bless you while I live; lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name. As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied, and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you. (R)

You are my help, and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy. My soul clings fast to you; your right hand upholds me. (R)

Second Reading

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians (3:26-29)

Brothers and sisters: Through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendant, heirs according to the promise.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Gospel

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (9:18-24)

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" They said in reply, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, One of the ancient prophets has arisen." Then he said to them. "But who do you say that I am?" Peter said in reply, "The Christ of God." He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief of priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised." Then he said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lost it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."

(P) The Gospel of the Lord.
(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

In a forest intersection a snake and a rabbit bump into each other. They quarrel and blame each other at first. Then the rabbit asks, "Who are you?" The snake apologizes, "I am so sorry my friend for the mishap. I have been blind since birth. In fact, the greatest regret is the loss of my identity. I have never been able to see my reflection in the water, and for that reason do not know exactly what I look like, or even what I am." The rabbit in reply, says, "I am sorry too because I am blind and I have the same problem as you." Seeing a way that they could help each other, the rabbit proposes that they touch and feel each other from head to toe, and then try to describe what the other is. The snake agrees, and starts by touching and feeling himself around the rabbit, and then says, "Oh! You've got very soft, fuzzy fur, long ears, big rear feet, and a little fuzzy ball for a tail. I think you must be a rabbit!" The rabbit is much relieved to find his identity, and proceeds to return the favor to the snake. After feeling about the snake's body he says, "Well, you're scaly, you're slimy, you squirm and slither all the time, and you've got a forked tongue. I think you're a lawyer!"

Today's gospel speaks about Christian identity. Who is Jesus for us? And who are we for Jesus?

While in prayer with his disciples, Jesus asks them about his own identity. Jesus asks his disciples about himself not because he does not know who he is but to test how well others know him, understand him, believe in him and accept him for who he is. It is important we know the events preceding today's text. In the first part of this 9th chapter, Jesus sends the twelve disciples out to cure people and to proclaim the Good News. Meanwhile King Herod also hears about Jesus and he is told that it is John the Baptist who has risen from the dead. He says, "John? But, I beheaded him. So who is this I hear such reports about?" And he is anxious to meet him. The disciples return and report everything to Jesus. Then Jesus feeds a crowd with five loaves of bread and two fish. In the midst of these events Jesus puts the questions to his disciples.

But he draws out different answers from the crowd to those of his disciples. He begins with, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" The disciples perhaps recalling conversations with people say in reply, "John the Baptist; others Elijah; still others, One of the ancient prophets has arisen." Obviously they are not wrong. They mention John the Baptist because some believe in the resurrection of the dead. Others think that Jesus is Elijah because he works miracles like Elijah. Some others see him as one of the ancient prophets because of his teaching and prophetic skill. So they respect Jesus and acknowledge him as the greatest of all the prophets and a mighty man of God but they do not yet see Him as God.

Jesus then asks his disciples their own personal understanding and experience of him. He asks, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter says in reply, "You are the Christ, You are the Messiah." Indeed, Jesus is the Messiah. But Jesus tells his disciples not to share this information with anyone. Because Jesus knows that Peter and the other disciples have not yet fully understood what kind of Messiah Jesus would be. Their understanding comes from their Jewish tradition and belief. As promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David, the Israelites have been waiting for Christos or the Messiah or an anointed king who would first conquer Israel and restore power and glory to them. But Jesus' warning to the disciples strongly suggests that their understanding is inadequate and it is not the full truth. So Jesus tells them who he really is. He says that He is a suffering messiah, and that he must suffer grievously, will be rejected and put to death, and be raised up on the third day. In other words, he tells them that he will bring the salvation promised to Israel only by freely choosing the way of the cross. The description of Jesus Himself shatters the expectations which they have of him. But Jesus further shocks them by telling them that they are being called to walk the same path as well.

Friends, how do we and many others see and identify Jesus? Who is Jesus for you? You may read or hear from your parents, friends, the church and others that Jesus is just a great prophet, a good teacher, a compassionate miracle worker, a spiritual leader, the Saviour of the world or simply God. But what is your personal understanding and experience of him? Who do you say that He really is? The answer to this question is the core of your Christian faith. What other people believe or say is not so important but what we believe is essential. How and what we really think and believe affect how we live for Christ and how much we love Christ. So who is Jesus for us?

Jesus is the Christ. Jesus is the Son of God. The Son of God has come with a special purpose. He has come so that we may have everlasting life and peace. He has not just come to teach us and perform miracles but to bring the Good News of God to us. The Good News, first and foremost, is neither about Jesus nor about us but about God, God's will and God's love for us. His Son Jesus has come to share with us the incredible love of God from the time of creation and show us how to share this love with one another. Jesus manifests God the Father's love through his teaching and acts of kindness and compassion. Moreover, he shows God's supreme love through his own sacrifice on the cross. On the cross he suffers by taking our suffering and sinfulness on himself. Let us therefore, like Peter and other disciples, courageously confess that Jesus is our Savior and that we believe in him, his Word and his testimony. Let us always beware of the crowds - Christians as well as non-believers, who try to discourage our faith in the power of Jesus our Lord and Savior. Let us not yield to people who want us to give up our Christian thoughts, attitudes and beliefs.

Who are we for Jesus?

In the text Jesus says who we are for him. He says, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." We must not only confess Jesus is our Savior but also deny ourselves. Self-denial does not necessarily mean depriving oneself of things and people but putting the teachings of Christ first in our life. Let us deny ourselves of whatever is harmful to our faith in Christ - envy, anger, hatred, selfishness, greed, ambitions etc. And then let us imitate Jesus in His crucifixion. Let us walk the way of the cross. Suffering is central to our faith in Jesus. Without suffering, we would never grow in our faith. God may or may not work miracles in your life for your faithful observance of religious practices and righteousness but He will surely work wonders and accomplish great things in your life if you even in suffering, trust him and avoid sin against Him and others. He may not alleviate your suffering immediately but he will surely give you the necessary strength and courage to endure the suffering and bring redemption. If Jesus is our Savior and Lord, we are called upon to become God's obedient and faithful children.

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

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