Homily - 1st Sunday of Advent (Year C)

1^st Sunday of Advent (Year C)

First Reading:Jeremiah 33:14-16   Second Reading:1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2   Gospel Reading:Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

Today is the First Sunday of ADVENT and with this we WELCOME a new Liturgical year with a new cycle of prayers and Scripture readings – Cycle C of St. Luke. Last Sunday we celebrated the Feast of Christ the King and waved GOOD BYE to the outgoing Liturgical year – Cycle B of St. Mark.

Literally speaking, the term 'advent' comes from a Latin word meaning 'coming' or 'arrival' of someone, but in the Christian liturgical sense it specifically refers to 'the coming of Christ.' So, “Advent” is a Holy Season when we spiritually prepare ourselves for “the Coming of Christ.”

Now, speaking of 'the coming of Christ', we find that it is a mystery, for there is not one, but three comings of Christ: (1) Christ has already come in the past about 2000 years ago, (2) Christ will come in future at the end of the world and (3) Christ still comes today in the sacraments – very specifically through the Eucharist. Thus in a general sense, the period of Advent encompasses all time viz. Past, Future & Present. So, a Christian in this sense is always a citizen of Advent. Therefore, it is not surprising that we begin the new Liturgical Year this Sunday, with the same theme of 'the coming of Christ', where we actually ended the old Liturgical Year last Sunday.

Generally speaking, we have about 4 weeks of Advent and the 4 Sundays of Advent are supposed to immediately prepare us for the celebration of Christmas, but they have an even more important preparation in mind viz. the readiness of each one of us for the 2nd & final coming of Christ at the end of the world; and this we do by means of our constant & active involvement through properly welcoming Christ, and receiving him in our hearts who comes to us today in sacraments.

We have the First Reading of today taken from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah. Now, Jeremiah has something of a reputation for being a 'prophet of doom' and one may even refer to others who seem constantly to be miserable or pessimistic as a 'real Jeremiah.' But today’s First Reading shows that we may not always have the whole truth about Jeremiah, for it is a reading of promise that all shall be well.

Jeremiah actually wrote this when the nation of Israel was in chaos. The great kingdom of David had now been split into the Houses of Israel and Judah and the forces of Babylon were over-running the Southern Kingdom of Judah. People were being exiled to Babylon, great estates were being confiscated and the people were beginning to feel that God had finally forsaken His people.

But for Jeremiah, the cause of this catastrophe was quite simple: the infidelity of the Hebrews to their covenantal promises. And he proclaims that God is always faithful to His promises, and so, he speaks about hope. The God who raised David and made him a great king will raise up a new king from his line. The 'tree' that is the House of David may have been cut down, but from its roots a new shoot will appear. This new shoot will grow strong and in his day integrity and truth shall flourish - “I will make a virtuous Branch grow for David who shall practice honesty and integrity in the land.” This passage refers prophetically to the coming of Jesus, our King and Savior - That is the coming of the Child Jesus in Bethlehem, which we anticipate and prepare for in these four weeks of Advent. That is what we may call the First Coming.

The Gospel Reading of today according to St. Luke speaks in ominous terms of the end of the world and what we refer to as the Second Coming of Jesus at the end of time: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves... And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

Here Jesus speaks dramatically and graphically about an apocalypse, a cosmic upheaval - skies darkening, waters raging, and winds roaring – “signs” that will signal “the coming of Christ with power and glory.” We need to emphasize that the description of events is not to be understood literally as a prophecy of what is actually going to happen. Rather we are to look at the inner meaning of these happenings. The cosmic disturbances about the sun, moon and stars are traditional ways of describing manifestations of God's judgment of Israel. In ancient Israelite times, people believed that the sun, moon and stars represented deities who controlled world affairs. Israel believed that when God acted, these celestial bodies would be disturbed. So, what is being said here is that these celestial bodies which other nations believed controlled history would be shown to be helpless under the power of God.

However, there is still a third coming which forms an important and indispensable link between the First and Second Comings. That is what is spoken about in the Second Reading of today from the 1st Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians. It is the welcoming of Jesus into our lives in the here and now. This is something which takes place every day. By it we both acknowledge the First Coming of Jesus in Bethlehem and prepare for the Second Coming at an unknown future date.

Actually, the early Christians believed that Christ's Second coming would take place in the quite near future – and so, they very eagerly waited for it, neglecting their current duties. So, Paul strongly urges them not to so anticipate the 'world to come' that they forget how to live and behave here and now in 'this world.' Yes, Paul says, care for one another, pray earnestly, please God in your everyday behavior, and be ready when the 'Day of the Lord' comes to you and me in the mystery of death. Paul might as well ask us: 'What would we do differently today if we knew that this was indeed our last day?'

A bunch of navy men were returning from a long voyage in the seas and as the boat approached shore, the men were all looking for their wives and girlfriends on the shore ... eager to see them again! As the men looked over the crowd of women lined up, the air of excitement and expectancy grew. One man however was all alone as all the other men found their wives and girlfriends and they all embraced ... his wife wasn't there! Worried, he hurried home and found a light on in his house. As he entered he was relieved to see his wife, she quickly turned and said, "HONEY, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU!" His response showed his disappointment however, 'The other men’s wives and girlfriends were watching for them!' The difference between waiting and watching was only too clear!

The Scripture Readings of today teach us that we are to be 'watching' for the return of Jesus, not just 'waiting' for it. Those who watch for it will keep themselves alert and self-controlled; those simply waiting may slip into sloppy business with other things and let their priorities slip! Are we just killing time 'waiting' for Jesus to return, or are we really making time productive while 'prayerfully watching' for his return? We are to understand the days in which we live. In the gospel Reading of today Jesus exhorts his disciples and also us: “Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.” We have to be a sentry! We are to be on guard duty. We have to be alert at all times. We have to be watchful.

Again, we are told of the 'judgment' at the Second Coming of Christ. We are therefore to be prepared for this judgmental moment when we stand before the Son of Man. Surely we do not want Christ to chide us in judgment: “I was hungry and you bought a Lamborghini car. I was thirsty and you hoisted your tenth Bud Lite. I was naked, and you bought the best in clothes. I was a beggar, and you passed me by like a leper. I was sick in a lonely hospital, and you were over-committed.”

So, as we begin today the Holy Season of Advent, it calls each one of us to be watchful, to be ready & prepared and not just to keep waiting for the Lord - and, this is the Good News of today.

                                                  

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Homily - 34th Ordinary Sunday (Year B)

                 34^th Ordinary Sunday (Year B)

                         (CHRIST THE KING)

First Reading: Daniel 7:13-14         Second Reading: Revelation 1:5-8         Gospel Reading: John 18:33b-37

“THE LORD IS KING; HE IS ROBED IN MAJESTY.”

 

Some years ago, an American soldier on a bus in Sweden told the man sitting next to him - “America is the most democratic country in the world. Ordinary citizens may go the White House to see the President and discuss things with him.”

The man said - “That's nothing. In Sweden, the King and the people travel on the same bus.”

When the man got off the bus, the American was told by other passengers that he had been sitting next to King Gustav Adolf VI.

Yes, Jesus Christ too, the 'King of the kings' travels in our 'life bus,' with us towards heaven, our ultimate destination. He is our Lord and King and in him we live and move and have our very being. He is not just part of our life, but he is at the very center of all our living, and also the beginning and the end, 'the Alpha and the Omega' of our life and all life.

Today is the 34^th and the last Sunday in Ordinary time and traditionally on this Sunday we solemnly celebrate the feast of “Christ the King,” a feast of God's Kingdom – God's Rule. With this we also come to the grand finale of the Liturgical Year B. Next Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent and with that we go on to the new Liturgical Year C. And as we come to the end of this liturgical year, and as always, we look to the future; the ultimate future when Christ the King will return in glory for the final judgment: “The Lord is King; he is robed in majesty.”

Now, the word 'king' evokes all kinds of images, while it is true that kings and kingship belong to the past – they are extinct and if at all they exist, they could be found in history books. And whatever image of king comes to our mind may influence subconsciously our thoughts about this feast. But what really is this feast of “Christ the King” all about? Is it still relevant to call Christ – the King? Why is it celebrated at the end of the liturgical year?

The feast of Christ the King fits very appropriately into the liturgical year – a cycle which begins with Advent, then moves on to Christmas or the actual birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem, then to the dying and rising of Jesus at Easter, and finally, after the Sundays in Ordinary time, to the end of the liturgical year where Jesus Christ comes in glory at the end of time in today’s feast of Christ the King.

But to call Jesus Christ “King” is a paradox – and in this is the central paradox of our faith. The Gospel Reading of today from St. John does present Christ as a king, but he is “King” in a different sense. It speaks of a strange confrontation between Pilate, the Roman Governor, and Jesus. An encounter between a man who feels, as the chief authority of a colonial regime, that he has unlimited power and Jesus, a traveling preacher who seems to have none.

In the Gospel text, Pilate asks Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus answers him, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over…but as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Then Pilate asks him again, “So you are a king?” and Jesus answers, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.”

Although Jesus does not explicitly respond by saying 'I am a king', he does speak very clearly about 'my Kingdom' or 'my Kingship'. He says it is 'not of this world'. In fact, the gospel of St. John presents him as king exactly in his humiliation, standing bound and scourged before Pilate. He is King because he witnesses to the truth, that God is love and that it is by the force of love that God rules the world, that God has loved us from all eternity. Jesus as king is quite different from the conventional image. It is very different from the image that Jesus’ own people had of the Messiah-King they eagerly awaited. In front of Pilate at this moment he looks anything but a king.

So, Jesus' kingdom is not to be compared with the kingdom of the earth. His kingdom is not about ruthless power, or royal attendants, or all those things we think of when thinking of kings. He has no ministers, no servants, he has no royal mantle, no scepter. On the contrary, his crown is of thorns, his mantle bloodstained. He stands alone, condemned, despised & crucified and on his cross, which is his throne, the inscription on it reads - “Jesus of Nazareth, king of the Jews.” We call Jesus 'King' because of his value, and because of his authenticity – and in him we recognize a different kind of power than is normally associated with kingship. This kingship stands in stark contrast to what we often call leadership in the world as it is. His power is from everlasting, and will last forever. It’s characteristic is its eternal spiritual quality. It will be victorious, and it often brings surprising victories against all the odds, against the principalities and powers of this world: “The Lord is King; he is robed in majesty.”

 

In the First Reading of today from the Book of Daniel, once again we share the visions of the Prophet Daniel, whereby he inspires hope in the Jewish people who are experiencing hardships and cruelties. In particular, the author speaks about a visionary experience at the end of human history where the forces of good and evil will engage in a final apocalyptic struggle. But ultimately, the author writes, good will triumph over evil. And in the midst of this struggle appears the figure of a man – “One like a Son of Man” - a mysterious biblical man, who comes upon the clouds of heaven. And this mysterious figure goes before God, the Ancient One. This Messiah king receives from God the Father power and kingship over all nations. His rule is universal and it lasts forever. No one can take it away from him: “The Lord is King; he is robed in majesty.”

The Book of Revelation is yet another book full of apocalyptic visions and mystical imagery and the passage chosen for today's Second Reading brings together the Gospel and First Reading. In the vision, Jesus is the First-born from the dead who, through his blood has washed away sin and rendered us a royal and priestly people. He is the one who is to come from the clouds, and everyone - including those who condemned him to death - who pierced him will see him in his majesty.

At that point - at the closing of history - everyone will be confronted with an eternal reality – the one who is the 'Alpha' and the 'Omega' revealed as Son of Man and Son of God. Then they will be faced with a choice - how do they react to this revelation? Will Pilate bend his knee before the one whom he condemned to death? Will Caiaphas? Herod? The soldiers who crucified him? And what of Judas? This is the moment foretold by St Paul: “The day when every knee shall bow - every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is indeed Lord.” “The Lord is King; he is robed in majesty.”

To conclude – A famous actor once gave this crisp bit of advice to a group of young actors: “The king sits in every audience, play to the king.” And the King of kings stands in the midst of all the common things in life: Let us play to the King. There is no point in celebrating the feast of CHRIST THE KING, unless we bring ourselves under his Kingship. It is he who rules our life with LOVE. We await his final coming at the end of time and we have no complete understanding of what the end of time will be like. But, to know how it is to happen is of less importance than how we prepare for the moment. How will each one of us react and respond whenever he comes and calls our name, and calls us home?

                                                         

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Homily - Thanksgiving Day (Year B)

Thanksgiving Day (Year B)

First Reading: Sirach 50:22-24         Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9         Gospel Reading: 17:11-19

“ LORD, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS AND LOVE.”

Two men were walking through a field one day when they spotted an enraged bull. Instantly they darted toward the nearest fence. The storming bull followed in hot pursuit, and it was soon apparent they wouldn't make it.

Terrified, the one shouted to the other, "Put up a prayer, John. We're in for it!"

John answered, "I can't. I've never made a public prayer in my life."

"But you must!" implored his companion. "The bull is catching up to us."

"All right," panted John, "I'll say the only prayer I know, the one my father used to repeat at the table: 'O Lord, for what we are about to receive, make us truly thankful.'"

Today is the 4^th Thursday of the month of November, a national holiday, when we joyfully celebrate the “Thanksgiving Day” with customary 'turkey dinner.' The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. These bounties are so constantly enjoyed by us that we are prone to forget the source from which they come and are often insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. Today is the day kept aside to remember, in a special way, all God's gifts & blessings, which he has showered upon each one of us and to come to him and offer him our hearts laden with gratitude, and to fervently pray, saying - “Lord, I thank you for your faithfulness and love.”

All the three Scripture Readings of today and also the Responsorial Psalm are accordingly centered around the theme of 'thankfulness' and we all are called to be a people of thanksgiving. This means that we recognize that all that we have and all that we are is not so much our own doing, as it is a free and generous gift from the ever faithful and loving God.

 

Now, thankfulness is at the heart of salvation. And salvation has two parts - the first part, we can say, is gold and the second part is silver. The golden part, obviously the most precious is God's action, his initiative, which we sometimes call 'grace.' The First Reading from the Book of Sirach describes God's initiative on a natural level. The author invites us to "bless the God of all, who has done wondrous things on earth." Then he mentions that precious gift, the gift which makes all other gifts possible, the gift of life. He further says, "God fosters people's growth from their mother's womb, and fashions them according to his will!" God created the universe, and formation of a human being is the most marvelous part of the universe. God's initiative in bringing us into the world and calling us to a new birth is pure gold. That is the first and most important part of our salvation. There is a second part, the silver part. Even though it is not as precious as the first part, it is still necessary. The silver part of our salvation is our personal response. And we all have to respond to God with gratitude - "Lord, I thank you for your faithfulness and love."

 

The blessings of God are many and are in abundance. But the greatest gift God has given us is the gift of his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we obtain salvation and eternal life. In the Second Reading of today, in his First Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul focusses on the importance of giving thanks in our lives. First, we are privileged to give thanks for the way God has called us into a relationship with himself and with each other. Second, we are privileged to give thanks for five specific God-given gifts mentioned in the Reading, viz. 'grace, riches, spiritual gifts, forgiveness & faithfulness.' He reminds us to give thanks above for this - that the good God we serve is our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and everyone to come to the knowledge of the truth. "Lord, I thank you for your faithfulness and love."

In the Gospel Reading of today from St. Luke, we hear about Jesus cleansing the ten lepers. No story in all the Gospels so poignantly shows human ingratitude. Ten lepers came to Jesus with desperate longing and Jesus cured them. Out of the ten lepers cleansed of the deadly and socially incapacitating disease, only one of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. In astonishment and obvious hurt, Jesus asked – “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” And then he said to the grateful leper - “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” Today we are called to model our lives after the leper who returned to give thanks. So, we say -  "Lord, I thank you for your faithfulness and love." 

 

Now, gratitude may seem obvious and easy, but it is not; for, it not only involves going out of our way, but it requires humility. This Gospel story of 'the forgetful lepers' - challenges us with how easy it is to fall into the ways of unbelief. We may not be physically suffering from leprosy; but our ingratitude to God and others is a sign of our spiritual leprosy. Unfortunately, the problem of ungratefulness, our spiritual leprosy , is universal. One of the first things we teach our children is to say 'Please' & 'Thank you,' yet we ourselves who are God's children, forget to say 'Thank You, my Lord' to God. It is sad that to our hurt and the disappointment of God, many of us travel through life without a thankful heart toward God and others.

The way of faith, instead, is to ever return, glorifying him for what he has given, and we will find that he always has even more to give, and that leads to more thanksgiving from us. The grateful leper when he realized that he was cured, returned to Jesus and Jesus gave him more, viz. salvation - “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” Jesus wants thankfulness to be an endless cycle and the very joy of our life. He wants finally to give us nothing less than Himself. That's why he keeps asking - “Where are the other nine?”

What we need then is a 'Copernican Revolution' in our way of thinking. Copernicus was the Polish astronomer who posited that the sun does not make a circle around the earth, but that the earth revolves around the sun. Our lack of gratitude comes when we think that things revolve around us; we can even view God as one more object out there orbiting us. We need to recognize the truth that God is the center and everything we have comes from him. When we do that, our stance is simple gratitude.

 

Today, as we celebrate “Thanksgiving Day,” let us remember that it is not a day's affair, to be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of every November. Actually, for a believer – everyday is to be a thanksgiving day. It is to be a way of life for a child of God. It should never be for us 'once in a year matter,' but a daily sending of our thanks to God, out of a heart full of gratitude - for God, who is the source of all goodness that ever comes our way, loves us so much that he keeps holding out his hand and showering us with gifts and blessing each and every day.

In order to be thankful, must we be reminded, what to say, every time God gives us those things for which we pray? No! we shouldn't have to be told to say, 'Thank you!' It should come naturally, as an echo when we're given something great. Thanks should be like the shadow, which cannot be separated from the gifts and blessings we receive from God or others. Thanks should always grow like flowers when showered from above and they should always flow like kisses which follow upon love.

Moreover, 'thankfulness' is more than a mere word. Actually, it is a positive mental attitude, focused on God and grateful for all the benefits that are ours as believers. It is a lifestyle rooted in the disposition of our hearts! Someone has said, 'Thanksgiving is good but thanks-living is better.' So we say - "Lord, I thank you for your faithfulness and love." 

 

Finally, we should remember that “Thanksgiving Day” is the most unique among our feasts & holidays, also in many ways the most religious, not because it is about 'Turkeys,' but because it is about 'Thanksgiving.' We call ourselves a 'Eucharistic People.' Do we know what that means? “Eucharist” is a Greek word, which means “thanksgiving.” So, we are a 'Thanksgiving People,' and the main thing for which we come around the table of the Lord is to offer thanksgiving sacrifice to God, our Father, at the Eucharist.

So, during this Eucharistic celebration let us pray that we shall always be thankful to God for all his gifts and blessings, which he, each and everyday, so lovingly and graciously showers upon each one of us. God is always faithful. Great is his love. Amazing is his grace. And we pray fervently, saying - “LORD, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS AND LOVE.”

 

Wish you all a beautiful Thanksgiving Day!

                     

 

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Homily - 33rd Ordinary Sunday (Year B)

33^rd Ordinary Sunday (Year B)

First Reading:   Daniel 12:1-3         Second Reading:   Hebrews 10:11-14         Gospel Reading:   Mark 13:24-32

A lector at a Eucharistic celebration was a bit nervous, and ended her reading with the emphatic statement, “This is the end of the world.” And the whole congregation dutifully responded, “Thanks be to God!”

Today is the second last Sunday of the Liturgical year. Next Sunday we will celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. So, as we come to the end of the liturgical year, the Church focuses our attention on the last things. On this Sunday the Scripture Readings traditionally speak about “the end of the world,” “the end of time,” “the final coming of Jesus” and our ultimate future. The readings are more ominous with more apocalyptic language. They give us a warning of events that are yet to come.

In the First Reading of today, we hear from a very special and different book of the Old Testament. The Book of Daniel is filled with special images of what the 'future' will be like. This passage gives the first hint in the Bible of the resurrection from the dead. It is not a description of what will happen; it is only a 'vision,' like a work of poetry. Daniel in a visionary experience says: never give up your faith; good ultimately will triumph over evil. He challenges us to continue to trust in God, despite the everyday doubts we experience. He then speaks about Michael, the Archangel of God, who will lead the just and those who work for justice into the everlasting life of heaven. Heaven is our future, where we will be with God forever. There every tear will be gone; we will have fullness of life forever with God and all those whom we love.

Again, in the Second Reading of today from the Letter to the Hebrews, we reflect on the meaning of our future with God. The author recalls the saving work of Jesus Christ. Jesus, the High Priest has offered himself in sacrifice for sin, once and for all, and has given us eternal salvation. Now he sits forever at God's right hand. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God gifts us with his grace or divine life and we can grow in that life with God by living out a life of discipleship.

And in the Gospel Reading of today according to Mark, we hear about the end time, the day of gloom & doom and about the Second and Final Coming of Jesus. How do we look at it? And what does the Gospel say about it?

A cosmic upheaval:

Jesus speaks about an apocalypse, a cosmic upheaval (darkened sun, unlit moon, falling stars) that will usher in the glorious kingdom of God in all its fullness. We need to emphasize that the description of events is not to be understood literally as a prophecy of what is actually going to happen. Rather we are to look at the inner meaning of these happenings. The cosmic disturbances about the sun, moon and stars are traditional ways of describing manifestations of God's judgment of Israel.

In ancient Israelite times, people believed that the sun, moon and stars represented deities who controlled world affairs. Israel believed that when God acted, these celestial bodies would be disturbed. So, what is being said here is that these celestial bodies which other nations believed controlled history would be shown to be helpless under the power of God.

No time frame given:

While all these things are being forecast, there is no time frame given. There is no immediate link being given between the destruction of Jerusalem and the final coming of Jesus as King and Lord of all.

Even so, the early Christians did expect that Jesus would come in their lifetime. This is reflected in the words, "This generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place."

The parable of the fig tree:

Jesus then gives a short parable or lesson from the fig tree. Fig trees were a prominent and well-known feature on the Mount of Olives, where Jesus is speaking. This tree only sprouts its leaves in late spring. When they appear one knows that summer is near. So Jesus, in effect, is saying that although the end of the world is being described in calamitous terms, his disciples are to respond with faith, with hope, with anticipation. The end of the world means good times, summer, for them. They are not signs that God has lost control of history but that he is bringing things to a triumphant end. It is indeed the victory of God and the twilight of all the lesser gods which men have created for themselves over the centuries.

No one knows how or when:

Finally, in spite of the warnings that some people love to give, the 'when' of the 'doomsday' is completely unknown. As we came to the end of the millennium and entered a new one, there were many who warned that 'the end is near'. There are those who warn – on the basis of various apparitions – that God, offended by so much evil, is going to take a terrible vengeance on our world.

The Lord is very clear about what will happen leading up to the Last Day, as well as what will happen on that Day. What He does not state is when the Last Day will be; He does not tell us when He will come again. But He does tell us that He will. He tells us to be watchful, to be ready for His return, whenever it may be.

Delay and getting ready:

It is hard for us to understand Jesus' delay in his coming.

God's time clock is certainly out of sync with ours as Little Jimmy learned one day as he was lying on a hill in the middle of a meadow on a warm spring day. Puffy white clouds rolled by and he pondered their shape. Soon, he began to think about God.

"God? Are you really there?" Jimmy said out loud. To his astonishment a voice came from the clouds. "Yes, Jimmy? What can I do for you?" Seizing the opportunity, Jimmy asked, "God? What is a million years like to you?"

Knowing that Jimmy could not understand the concept of infinity, God responded in a manner to which Jimmy could relate. "A million years to me, Jimmy, is like a minute.”

"Oh," said Jimmy. "Well, then, what's a million dollars like to you?"

"A million dollars to me, Jimmy, is like a penny," God answered him.

"Wow!" remarked Jimmy, getting an idea. "You're so generous... can I have one of your pennies?"

God replied, "Sure thing, Jimmy! Wait just a minute."

Little Jimmy wasn't ready for that response, was he?

Nor are we. It is a story about being prepared, getting ready. Are we ready to meet Jesus today should he suddenly come to us in the mystery of death? The true fools will be those who are caught unaware of the Lord's return when He does indeed come, for they will not have been watchful, nor will they have been ready to receive Him as He comes in all His glory. The Lord cautions us in our text, "Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.”

Lastly, the Second Coming is never to seen as a 'threat' to our well-being, but as the 'fulfillment' of our hopes and dreams for a world of peace and harmony, a world in which we are no longer at war or at odds with each other. So, when Christ will come again in glory to judge us, we're to look forward to that with joyful anticipation. To those who believe in Christ, such an event is seen not with fear but with joyful anticipation … It is not that he will come to us but that we will enter into a deeper relationship with him when we pass through death to a different kind of life.

Let us pray in today's Liturgy then for ourselves and for the whole Church, that the Lord may find us ready when he returns. May we not be doing foolish things or be living in fear, but be awaiting the kingdom with hope as we strive to do God's will.

                                                 

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Homily - 32nd Ordinary Sunday (Year B)

32^nd Ordinary Sunday (Year B)

First Reading: 1Kings 17:10-16 Second Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28 Gospel Reading: Mark 12:38-44

“WHAT WOULD SUIT A CHRISTIAN'S GIVING?”

In a certain parish, the church was in terrible shape. The paint was peeling; the lawn was bad—there wasn't enough money to plant grass seed. The hymn books were torn and tattered. Plaster had fallen from the ceiling. So the Pastor called a meeting to raise money to do something about it and he invited, among others, the richest man in town.

He worked on the rich man and others too, but couldn't get any response. Finally he said, “Let us all go to the Church and pray.” And the Pastor fervently prayed to God to give them a sign that would melt the hearts of these stony people, especially the rich man. Well, the Lord accommodated him. Just then an enormous piece of plaster fell off the wall directly onto the head of the wealthy man. He instantly leaped to his feet and said, “I'll give $2000.” Evidently, the Pastor was very excited and said under his breath, “Hit him again, Lord, hit him again!”

In the three Scripture Readings of today, the central theme that runs through them all is 'generosity and sacrificial giving' and we all are called to participate.

Now, it is often the case that it is not those who have in abundance, but those with the least who are the most generous people. Perhaps, it is their own plight that sensitizes them to what real need means - if you have gone hungry yourself, you are likely to have greater compassion on another than someone who has not experienced it. You will also be aware of how little it can take to make a difference: a hungry person will welcome a simple scone; a naked person will welcome anything that keeps him/her warm; a lonely person will welcome even a smile.

Today, we have double stories to show this to be true – one from the OT and the other from the NT – of two unlikely champions, both poor widows, both of whom were heroes of faith and generosity, who have played their roles in anonymity, unknown and forgotten by history, were it not for the recording of their stories in the pages of the Scripture. They have shown much generosity in little things and their sacrificial giving is recognized as great in the eyes of God. And we may ask ourselves today - “What would suit a Christian's giving?”

In the Gospel Reading of today from St. Mark, we have a very interesting scene of Jesus sitting down opposite the temple treasury and observing how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also comes and she puts in only two small copper coins not worth very much. But Jesus is moved by what she has done and draws the attention of his disciples to the action of the poor widow who put in 'more than all who have contributed to the treasury ... everything she possessed.' She precisely did just as Jesus had advised the rich young man to do, who had sought his advice on how to inherit eternal life earlier in Mark's Gospel, by giving everything she possessed.

The point of Jesus' commendation is that the true measure of gifts is -

            - not how much is given but how much remains behind.

            - the percentage of one's means which the gift represents.

            - the self denial involved, the cost to the giver

In short, the point of the story is that a true gift is to give everything one has. True gift is a sacrifice. So, we may ask ourselves today - “What would suit a Christian's giving?”

The First Reading from the First Book of Kings has a similar story. It also features a poor widow. Reduced to absolute penury, she is on her way to get firewood to cook probably the last meal for her son and herself from a handful of flour and a tiny bit of oil, all that she has left. She sees nothing but death by starvation before them. Then Elijah, the prophet, himself hungry, comes and asks her for a cup of water and a bit of bread. When she tells him her situation, he still asks her to make a small scone for him. In a generous act of sharing, she does so and she is rewarded by there being enough for all three of them and the jar of flour and the jug of oil do not empty until rains come and the drought is over. The generosity of this widow touches us strongly and fills us with great admiration. And we may ask ourselves today - “What would suit a Christian's giving?”

 

The common denominator between the story of Elijah above and the story in Mark's Gospel is 'a widow' - in both instances a 'poor' widow. In the Jewish tradition, widows and orphans were regarded as the poorest people without any family support. But they were special people under the protection of the God who executes justice for them.

The two widows in question have in common - their willingness to give everything they had to help others. It was in a daring act of trust in God's providence that they gave away everything they owned. Their extraordinary, self-denying, generosity is rooted in a recognition of God's prodigality, God's generosity first towards Israel. Their gifts are grounded in his gift of life in his image and likeness, of the covenant, and the protection extended to the poor through the Mosaic Law and the cry of the prophets. If to some extent they are gamblers, staking everything on the final card, it is because they are first lovers, in love with God who has graced their lives thus far, and this is not a dicey game of chance, but a journey in faith.

Does the world always take notice of these heroes? No. But that doesn’t matter. For they play out their roles for an audience of One. And He notices. God notices. And that is enough. And we may ask ourselves today - “What would suit a Christian's giving?”

What the widows could not know, of course, is that the divine prodigality has now been made manifest in Christ, his incarnation and passion, for - “He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.”

In the Second Reading of today from the letter to the Hebrews, the author makes it clear that we have in Christ the perfect 'High Priest' - no human can offer a sacrifice which surpasses his own. He also contrasts the actions of the Jewish high priest with Jesus' priestly office. Each year the Jewish high priest entered the sanctuary of the Temple of Jerusalem with the sacrifice of animals' blood. In contrast, Jesus entered the sanctuary of heaven and offered the sacrifice of himself to take away our sins.

So, the total renunciation of self of the the two widows could be seen as an analogy with Christ's own total self-renunciation, as the sacrifice needed to save sinners. Jesus comments on the widow's gift at the Temple knowing that he himself will shortly make his life an offering to the Father, making of death upon the cross a self-sacrifice. This story in Mark thus forms a bridge between the teaching life of Jesus and the Passion narrative which is soon to follow. So, if either widow is at all foolish, their folly is Christlike. Their action makes only as much sense as Christ's gift of his all, his life, makes sense. And we may ask ourselves today - “What would suit a Christian's giving?”

Today therefore, when we attend the Holy Eucharist, let us remember Jesus' sacrificial self-giving for the forgiveness of our sins. And as he generously gave everything for his people, he invites us all today into a new generosity with the gifts we have received from God. Admittedly, it's not always easy, for, God GIVES & GIVES... and FORGIVES, while man GETS & GETS... and FORGETS. It is hard to learn that we and our gifts are not in competition. In a sense, gifts are like virtues and they need to be practiced, perfected in relationship and dialogue with the family members, friends, strangers, and enemies. During this Holy Mass then, let us fervently ask for the forgiveness of our sins, especially for not being generous in forgiving one another.

To conclude: The story is told that one day a beggar by the roadside asked for alms from Alexander the Great as he passed by. The man was poor and wretched and had no claim upon the ruler, no right even to lift a supplicant hand. Yet the Emperor threw him several gold coins. A courtier was astonished at his generosity and commented, "Sir, copper coins would adequately meet a beggar's need. Why give him gold?" Alexander responded in royal fashion, "Copper coins would suit the beggar's need, but gold coins suit Alexander's giving."

And we may ask ourselves today - “WHAT WOULD SUIT A CHRISTIAN'S GIVING?”

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