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HOMILIES ARCHIVE
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!
Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C)
4714
9
7First Reading
A reading from the Book of Genesis (18:20-32)
In those days, the Lord said: "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave, that I must go down and see whether or not their actions fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me. I mean to find out."
While Abraham's visitor's walked on farther toward Sodom, the Lord remained standing before Abraham. Then Abraham drew nearer to him and said: "Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty? Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city; would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to make the innocent die with the guilty, so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike! Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?" The Lord replied, "If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."
Abraham spoke up again: "See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though I am but dust and ashes! What if there are five less than fifty innocent people? Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?" He answered, "I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there." But Abraham persisted, saying, "What if only forty are found there?" He replied, "I will forebear doing it for the sake of the forty." Then Abraham said, "Let not my Lord grow, impatient if I go on. What if only thirty are found there?" He replied, "I will forbear doing it if I can find but thirty there." Still Abraham went on, "Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord, what is there are no more than twenty?" The Lord answered, "I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty." But he still persisted: "Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time. What if there are at least ten there?" He replied, "For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it."
(P) The word of the Lord.(R) Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms of David (138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8)
(R) Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart, for you have heard the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name. (R)
Because of your kindness and your truth; for you have made great above all things your name and your promise. When I called you answered me; you build up strength within me. (R)
The Lord is exalted, yet the lowly he sees, and the proud he knows from afar. Though I walk amid distress, you preserve me; against the anger of my enemies you raise your hand. (R)
Your right hand saves me. The Lord will complete what he has done for me; your kindness, O Lord, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands. (R)
Second Reading
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians (2:12-14)
Brothers and sisters: You were buried with Christ in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And even when you were dead in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross.
(P) The word of the Lord.(R) Thanks be to God.
Gospel
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (11:1-13)
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test."
And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, "Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him," and he says in reply from within, "Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything," I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence."
"And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"
(P) The Gospel of the Lord.(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Homily
Two women were attracted to the same young man. But the man was interested in only one of them. The woman who felt ignored was obviously annoyed and asked him, "What makes you choose the other over me?" The man said, "The day I saw her walking into my mother's home gracefully in a beautiful dress, I knew then that God exists." Then looking at the man, the woman said, "Hmmm, and what do you feel when you see me?" He says, "Oh! I feel God can also make mistakes."
With our limited knowledge and wisdom, it may appear to us that sometimes God can make mistakes. Even Abraham, our Father in Faith, wondered whether God was doing the right thing when He wanted to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. So with dismay, he asked God, "Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?" But the act of God in the end proves otherwise. God does not make mistakes because He is omniscient, all knowing. Anyone who understands and believes the truth about God knows that God never makes mistakes. The Lord says in the Book of Isaiah (55:8-9), "For my thoughts are not your thoughts and your ways are not my ways. For as the heavens are high above the earth so are my ways above your ways, my thoughts are above your thoughts."
In last week's readings, you may well remember the story of how Abraham recognized God who appeared to him with two other men while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent and contemplating the past. He joyfully welcomed them and served them with food. And then when he was asked about his wife he poured his heart out to them. In return for his goodness and faithfulness, God promised him a son. Today's reading is a continuation of last week's story. Towards the end of the encounter, God said to Abraham what He was about to do to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah for their sinful and wicked life. The cry for justice against the inhabitants of these two towns was so great because their sin was so grievous that God wanted to do something about it. So while God was speaking to Abraham, the two angels went to the towns to see it.
What was their sin?
According to the Bible, Sodom and Gomorrah were situated on the plains of the river Jordan. It was a fertile land. It brought a lot of wealth and fortune to the people there. They had plenty to eat and drink. Their appetite for decadence grew. They began to lead an immoral life. They became indifferent to the basic needs of the poor. They were exploiting the weak and vulnerable. They had denounced God's law. All of their sins were of the heart as well as the flesh. As God was speaking to him about the wickedness of these towns, Abraham saw the anger and wrath of God. At the same time Abraham also understood God as one who would act justly and righteously. So he prayed earnestly that the towns might be spared, if a few righteous persons could be found among them. He bargained with God, starting from fifty down to ten righteous people. God affirmed each time that He would not destroy the towns for the sake of the few righteous dwelling there.
However, we know how the story ended. The inhabitants were so wicked that they even wanted to have sex with the two angels who were staying at the home of Lot, a nephew of Abraham. God could not find even one righteous person to prevent the destruction, and so reigned down fire and brimstone in fierce judgment upon all the inhabitants of the two towns and completely destroyed them except for the family of Lot who was standing righteous before God. Abraham's pleading for at least ten righteous people to be spared perhaps was meant for Lot and his family.
What does the story teach us?
- Relationship with God means sharing everything with others. When God appears in any form we should be able to recognize, should welcome and serve Him wholeheartedly. He is then pleased not only to establish a personal relationship with us but also reveals what He intends to do with us in our life. He does not hide anything from us even though at some level He remains mysterious. He teaches us to think as He does and to act with Him and He wants us to seek Him with our requests. He also reminds us of our responsibility in the world.
- Like Abraham we must also understand the significance and seriousness of the covenant or our relationship with God. We can converse with God just as we would do with a friend. Because He has promised to bless us forever; to be faithful to those who are faithful to Him; to be merciful to those who treat others with mercy, let us courageously appeal to God for His mercy and kindness. However, let us not think that if we are persistent in our prayers, He will grant us whatever we ask for. If what we are asking for is not good for us, God will not grant it. But pleased with our determination and persistence, God may give us, in His mercy, what we ask for. Therefore, let us pray trusting in God's grace while at the same time submitting to His will.
- God is patient with sinners and yet, when his wrath is wrought, he will judge us. However, He will give us an opportunity to plead with Him for ourselves and others. God's promise of not destroying the towns for the sake of a few righteous people in them implies that He would forgive all of our sins if we repent because God is infinitely merciful and kind. He is always waiting for us, calling us into a closer relationship with Him. Let us therefore earnestly pray for ourselves and intercede for others particularly those in our families who are in sin. God may not grant us all our requests but he would certainly save those who are righteous. For this end we must not only pray, but we must be righteous, innocent and pure because only the righteous can make a plea before God for a righteous person.
God Bless You!
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