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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!
Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year B)
3039
17
0First Reading
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (17:22-24)
Thus says the Lord God: I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot, and plant it on a high and lofty mountain; on the mountain heights of Israel I will plan it. It shall put forth branches and bear fruit, and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs. And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord, bring low the high tree, lift high the lowly tree, wither up the green tree, and make the withered tree bloom. As I, the Lord, have spoken, so will I do.
(P) The word of the Lord.(R) Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms of David (116:12-13, 15-16, 17-8)
(R) Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to your name, Most High, to proclaim your kindness at dawn and your faithfulness throughout the night. (R)
The just one shall flourish like the palm tree, like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow. They that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. (R)
They shall bear fruit even in old age; vigorous and sturdy shall they be, declaring how just is the Lord, my rock, in whom there is not wrong. (R)
Second Reading
A reading from the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Hebrews (9:11-15)
Brothers and sisters: We are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord.
Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.
(P) The word of the Lord.(R) Thanks be to God.
Gospel
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (14:12-16, 22-26)
Jesus said to the crowds: "This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come."
He said to them, "To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade." With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
(P) The Gospel of the Lord.(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Homily
One day, a man visited a venerable monk who lived on the top of a mountain in his village. The man was looking so miserable that the monk asked him what was bothering him. The man started to complain about the lack of space in his house and said, "It is such a small house. And my wife, my three children my in-laws and myself, all have to live together in the same little hut. It is very cramped and there is hardly any space to move around. Can your please give me some advice in resolving this problem?" He asked the monk for some advice on how to deal with this problem. The monk said, "Do you keep chickens in the yard?" "Yes", ten of them," replied the man. "Good. Take them inside the house and keep them there," said the monk. "But, the man said, "My house is already overcrowded.
I do not like the idea but I am willing to give your advice a try." So he went home and brought all the chickens into the house. Next day, he met the monk again and said, "I followed your advice and took the chickens into the house. But it did not solve anything. In fact, it has made matters worse. My house is even more cramped now." "Oh, I see", said the monk, "Now take your donkey and keep it inside your house. This time the man was more troubled but the monk managed to convince him to do it. So every day the man kept coming back and the monk kept asking the man to take one animal after another inside the house.
Finally one day, the man came back very angry and deeply distressed said, "Your plan has made our lives miserable. The house is now so crowded that we are finding it difficult to even breathe. My family is upset and everyone is complaining about the lack of space." "Don't get so upset, my friend," said the monk. "Go back home and take all the chickens and all the animals back outside." The man did as he was told. Next day, when the man came across the monk, he was beaming. He said, "I must thank you. Your plan has worked wonders. Now that all the animals and chickens are outside, there is enough space in the house for all the family members. In fact, everyone is happy and content with the house now."
All of us have things we do complain about. We all have bad days. Some days we feel stressed, embarrassed, discouraged, frustrated, lonely, sad, hopeless, hurt, insecure and ill. At times we feel that what we do may not have any lasting significance or value. Sometimes we moan and groan, lose heart and faith, with all the difficulties of life, so much so that we feel like there is nothing to live for anymore. These are the times of trials in our life.
Saint Paul provides a wonderful answer for us in his second letter to the Corinthians which we read today. His remedy is not just a life of happiness and contentment but also a deep relationship with God which can get us through a crisis. Just like us, Paul along with the other apostles faced trials of every sort. In his letters to the early Christian communities Paul speaks about many kinds of suffering - imprisonments, loneliness, insults, hardships, persecutions, difficulties and illnesses. Yet through it all, Paul and others sustained an extraordinary courage. So, he says, "We are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord."
Paul points out two reasons for his good courage. One reason is, "We walk by faith, not by sight, although we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord." "At home in the body", means that we are in our mortal body, our natural state which is full of sin and suffering. "Away from the Lord", refers to not being able to see the invisible Lord or being absent from Him. As long as we are confined in this mortal body, we cannot be with the Lord who is immortal, untouchable and invisible to mortal beings. So Paul believed that even while he and others were in sin and suffering and, without the physical presence of Jesus after His resurrection, they could still experience His presence with them. It was proof enough that God had not abandoned them. But you may ask, "How can we experience God's presence with us?"
We can experience God on several different levels. One of the most powerful ways to experience the presence of God is through His Word. Yes! Our Lord Jesus' assurance of His presence gave Paul and others the strength and courage needed in times of crisis. For instance, Jesus had said to the disciples when they were anxious, troubled and feared for their lives, "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me", John (14:1). He had also said to them, "I will not leave you orphans. I'm not going to abandon you. I will come to you. By the Spirit I'll be there and my presence will go with you", John (14:18). "I am with you always, even unto the end of the age", Matthew (28:20). Paul and the other apostles "walked by faith" and, trusted in the sure promise of God's presence and therefore, they were always courageous.
The other reason is, "We would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord." "Leave the body and go home to the Lord", simply means to die and join the Lord. However, what Paul meant was that he and the other apostles were willing to be absent from the mortal body, and go into the presence of the Lord where they were certain to see Him physically whom they had loved and served during their earthy life. Yes. Paul looked on to the future with absolute joy that God would see all believers through every trial and hardship until the day they get to see Him face-to-face.
That is to say, it made no difference with Paul whether he lived or died; whether he was on earth or in heaven; whether in the body or out of the body, he just wanted to live a life that was pleasing to God. As a matter of fact, in the same letter, in Chapter 12, Paul speaks of being taken up to the third heaven into the very presence of God. He says, "I didn't know whether I was in the body or out of it. I couldn't tell. I felt so much at home it didn't make any difference." ,2 Corinthians (12:3).
Paul's instruction to the early church is a great encouragement to us even today.
As Christians, let us not simply be happy and content with blessings being bestowed upon us including blessings of suffering, but also be courageous in all circumstances and believe the promise of our Lord Jesus that he would be present with us through the Holy Spirit. Let us remember that we have a full supply of love and peace and joy to sustain us and encourage us no matter what our situation may be, and keep us strong in the midst of any trial. Let the images, icons, statues and pictures of our Lord Jesus and crucifixes remind us of God's presence in our lives. Of course, if we develop a close personal and intimate relationship with God, we do not need the pictures and statues to remind us of His presence. If we take courage and fix our eyes on Jesus Christ, he will lead us through the waves and storms of this life.
What we are heading toward is not somewhere dreadful or so terribly different that we need to be afraid of. We will be at home with the Lord, in his very presence, seeing him no longer only in spirit but face to face. Therefore, let us look joyfully and confidently to the future and to the sure hope of meeting the Lord in heaven. Meanwhile, whether in the presence of the Lord or absent from him, that is, whether we are in this world or in heaven, wherever we are, or may be, let us always seek to please the Lord in our thoughts and words and deeds so as to secure His favor. Let us live this life consistent with our confession of faith and, God our Father who sees in secret what we do, will certainly reward us with good things in this life and put us in heaven in the afterlife.
God Bless You!
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