Homily - 30th Ordinary Sunday (Year C)

30^th Ordinary Sunday (Year C)

(The World Mission Sunday)

First Reading: Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18       Second Reading: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18       Gospel Reading: Luke 18:9-14

“GOD DOES INDEED HEAR THE CRY OF THE POOR.”

In an interview she gave just a few years before she died, Blessed Mother Teresa (of happy memory) told a reporter that she required her Sisters to spend at least one hour a day before the Blessed Sacrament in prayer prior to beginning their daily tasks or fieldwork. The reporter asked Mother about HER prayer - after all, readers would surely be interested in knowing how a then living-saint prayed. Mother simply answered. "Each day, I spend this time in front of Jesus in the tabernacle begging him for the grace to stay out of the way of the work of the Holy Spirit." The reporter was shocked. Who would ever believe that someone like Mother Teresa would actually get in the way of God's work? We marvel at Mother Teresa's humility.

Today is the 30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time and it is also 'The World Mission Sunday,' when we salute all those men and women who witness to the Gospel in so many developing countries; and we ask for God’s grace to witness to the Gospel in our homes, workplaces and communities.

Now, prayer has a prominent place in the Christian religious practice. The Liturgy of today discusses some aspects of prayer and its application to life and teaches us something about how we should pray and live. The readings tell us that God listens especially to the sinner and the humble. Often we wonder why God is partial in his dealing with human persons. The First Reading taken from the Book of Sirach tells us that the prayer of the humble man will always be answered and the best prayer is that of willing loyal service. Sirach reminds us that God knows no favorites except towards the poor, the powerless and the oppressed. In his Second Letter to Timothy, we see Paul´s humility expressed in his confidence in God´s presence and action in the face of sufferings and imprisonment. He tells us that our entire life itself is a prayer and we offer to God all we have including our lives. In the Gospel Reading, from Jesus, we learn through 'The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax-collector' that we should approach God in humility when we pray.

“THE PRAYER OF THE HUMBLE PIERCES THE CLOUDS”:

Today’s First Reading taken from the Book of Sirach tells us of God’s care for the lowly and their prayer reaches the courts of heaven. Those who serve the Lord can expect the Lord to heed to their prayers. The reading tells us that our prayer life is inevitably connected with the rest of our lives. The Lord is the judge, and within him there is no partiality. He will listen to the prayer of one who is wronged. The Lord will not ignore the supplication of the orphan, or the widow when they pour out their complaints to him. The ear of the Lord is inclined towards the needy, the poor, and those who are abandoned. The prayers of the faithful are pleasing to the Lord and are heard before His Heavenly Throne. But the prayers of the humble touch the Lord and they pierce His Heart until the Most High responds by executing judgment to bring justice to the righteous. Sirach speaks of prayer as an arrow reaching its mark where it remains until God takes note of it. The weak and the humble gain a hearing with God the Almighty. When speaking of humility, it is important to understand the proper meaning of this word. Genuine humility is the middle ground between being arrogant and having a false humility where a person is not proud, nor self- assertive. The Lord calls his people to be humble and tells that true honesty reflects real humility which is pleasing to God.

THE PARABLE OF THE PHARESEE AND THE TAX COLLECTOR:

The Pharisees really get a bad rap in Luke’s Gospel – in fact, in most of the New Testament. Somehow they get cast as the villains in most of the stories they are in. The classic parable of the Pharisee and the tax-collector which we hear today is one that is only found in St. Luke’s Gospel, but it is yet another example of negativeness toward the Pharisees.

Through the parable of the Pharisee and the tax-collector, Jesus addresses the attitude one should have in prayer. The ordinary interpretation of this parable takes its cue from the opening verse. It is addressed to those who are convinced of their own righteousness and despise everyone else. In a strange scene, in contrasting the prayer of the self-righteous Pharisee with the prayer of the repentant tax-collector, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray in humility before God. Jesus again surprises his listeners by showing the tax-collector as an example of faith, rather than the Pharisee. Remember that Pharisees were members of a sect of Judaism active in Jesus' time and highly respected members of the Jewish society. They taught an oral interpretation of the Law of Moses as the basis for Jewish piety. If anyone would be a model for prayer, a Pharisee was a likely candidate. Yet, we see the exact opposite. Jesus offers the tax-collector as a model for prayer. Tax-collectors were the outcast and despised member of the Jewish society, because they were collaborators with the Roman authorities in a system that allowed them to line their own pockets by charging in excess of the defined taxes. Yet, in this parable, Jesus offers the humility of the tax-collector as a model for the prayer of a disciple. The parable reminds us that when we pray, we must remember our need for God in our lives. If we are too full of ourselves, there is too little room for God's grace to work in us.

The Pharisee prays a false prayer of thanksgiving to God. He really just gloats of his own personal achievements by which he believes to be just. He has no need of God to respond to his prayer, since he has no needs outside of what he can provide himself. His 'thanksgiving' goes so far as to express gratitude for not being a worthless lout like the miserable tax collector behind him in the Temple. There is no love of God or of neighbor in his prayer. The tax collector´s prayer, on the other hand, is one of supplication and the sincerity of its expression pierces heaven. He recognizes his indignity and misery before God, and considers himself a sinner. He compares himself to no one, sure that he is the person most in need of God´s grace. He goes away justified, which is to say that God forgives his sins and renews him. The Pharisee saw no need to ask for justification, since he had perfected himself.

Also, while the Pharisee started his prayer “with head unbowed,” the tax-collector “would not even raise his eyes to heaven.” Their posture reminds us of the story of a haughty lawyer who asked an old farmer, “Why don't you hold up your head in the world as I do? I bow my head to no one.” The farmer answered, “Sir, see that field of grain? Only those heads that are empty stand upright. Those that are well-filled bow low.” So first and foremost, we are to approach prayer in a spirit of humility. This the tax-collector did but the Pharisee did not.

The cutting edge of the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is Jesus’ astounding conclusion: “I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” The conclusion alone is of interest to us: the tax-collector went home justified. The word is important, the just man is one whom God makes just; he receives God’s favor, not because he is already just, but because in his humility he believes that God can be merciful to him and forgive him his sins. Jesus in the parable did not condemn the Pharisee for his life–style and religious observance; He condemned him for his self-righteous attitude as reflected in his prayer: “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity - greedy, dishonest, adulterous - or even like this tax collector....” Obviously, the Pharisee was extolling himself before God. In spite of this many in the audience of Jesus would have expected God’s grace should go to the Pharisee and would have been shocked to hear the justification of the tax-collector. Indeed we are not the judges of who is justified and who is not. Forgiveness and justification are divine gifts which God bestows on his chosen ones. What is expected of us is the submission of the tax-collector and await mercy of God.

So, how are we to pray? First, we approach God with all humility. Then we attribute to Him whatever good we have done, thanking Him for giving us the grace to do so. As to our sins, we are to place ourselves completely in His mercy which is His alone to dispense and which we can never merit. Jesus is teaching us to follow the example of the tax collector in life as well as in our prayer. He wants us to acknowledge that everything we are and have came from God. And if we fall into sin, it is not solely because of human weakness but also because of our failure to run to God for help. One holy person, on seeing someone enslaved by his lust, exclaimed, 'But for the grace of God, there go I.' In other words, we are saved not because of our own merit but because of God's mercy. This is what the Pharisee and we often forget but which the prayer of the tax collector was able to capture. Thus even if He only asked for mercy, he ended up justified before God. With the tax collector as our model, we can begin by making his prayer our own: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Then we will not only receive God's mercy; we will also end up justified before Him.

HUMILITY OF ST. PAUL:

In today’s Second Reading from the Second Letter of Paul to Timothy, we find examples of Paul’s humility. Paul knows his nothingness. When he says that the time of his departure has come, he is stating the fact of his proximity of death. His death was imminent and his departure from this life and his return to Christ was certain. He was already in his prison and in chains in Rome. Through his words, he was not seeking pity, nor was he boasting of all he had done in the Holy Name of Jesus. On the other hand he had offered everything he had to God, his money, his scholarship, his work, his time and now his life. Paul now tells them that he has fought the good fight, he has run a good race, and he has kept the faith. Though Paul had Luke with him and he expected Timothy and Mark to come the place of his imprisonment, he feels abandoned much like Jesus. Nevertheless, Paul is very confident that Jesus is with him and will bring him safely to the heavenly kingdom. Comparing his life to that of a race, where a person looks for victory, Paul says that he had persevered and guarded the deposit of faith. The work that he had performed in his life time was not his work but the work of God that was manifested through him by the power of the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus. Death for him is an act of worship, a libation, an act of freedom and a launching into eternity.

CONCLUSION:

Humility moves God, while pride is repugnant to him. One of the lessons of today’s readings is that “God does indeed hear the cry of the poor” - the humble of heart who truly know that they depend on God for every good thing and that their happiness and success is nothing more than a participation in the perfection of God. In the Eucharist, we see how God, in His majesty chooses to remain with us under the humble appearances of bread and wine, even though nothing of bread or nothing of wine remain in the Eucharist. Christ chose to communicate himself to us under the most basic and humble of means - the one food common to all cultures: bread. And yet, it is no longer bread for us, but the living body of Christ. Our Lord sits in this tabernacle and in tabernacles like it day after day and hour after hour thirsting for our love. He is so humble and pure and so vulnerable for our sake. With a God so humble, how can we not return his humility by learning humility in our own lives, especially in our prayer.

May we thus approach our Lord in humility when we pray - fully recognizing our sinfulness and our inadequacies and our shortcomings and yet fully trusting in His infinite mercy and compassion and desire for our sanctity. An awareness of our sins, too, can help us in our lives to be far more compassionate and understanding towards others in their sinfulness and weakness. In the depths of our sinfulness we must never lose sight of the God who is always standing by, ready to come at our merest signal. We must also realize that all good gifts come from God and our humility requires that we give God credit for them and share them with others. On this Mission Sunday we can thank God for the many gifts with which he has blessed us personally and as a country. But we are reminded that those blessings have been given to us to share with those who have far less than we. As we pray for our country and the missions we ask the grace from God to give us the spirit of humility and sharing so that we bring to people the merciful love of God. And this is the Good News of today.

                                                         ***************************

Homily - 29th Ordinary Sunday (Year C)

29^th Ordinary Sunday (Year C)

First Reading: Exodus 17:8-13      Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2      Gospel Reading: Luke 18:1-8

PERSISTENCE IN OUR PRAYER AND IN OUR LIVING FAITH

An elderly lady was once asked by a young man who had grown weary in the fight, whether he ought to give up the struggle. "I am beaten every time," he said dolefully. "I feel I must give up."

"Did you ever notice," she replied, smiling into the troubled face before her, "that when the Lord told the discouraged fishermen to cast their nets again, it was right in the same old spot where they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing?" Jesus tested the persistence of his disciples. They obeyed him and the result was astounding – they caught 153 large fishes, so much, that their nets almost tore.

Today is the 29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time and the dominant theme that pervades in all three of today’s Scripture Readings is persistence in our prayer and in our living faith. Prayer is efficacious - in fact the most effective activity - and therefore, prayer that is constant and persisting is a guarantee of success. The First Reading from the Book of Exodus and from the Gospel from St. Luke confirm this truth by showing Israel´s victory occurring when Moses had his hands raised in prayer and through Jesus´ story of the insistent widow and the unjust judge. In the Second Reading from his Second Letter to Timothy, St Paul exhorts us to persevere in the faith we have received and transmit it faithfully, fulfilling our Christian vocation whether easy or difficult.

MOSES' HANDS RAISED IN PRAYER FOR VICTORY:

In the First Reading of today, the author of Exodus narrates a strange and surprising war story. After their deliverance from the slavery of Egypt, God ordered Moses to lead His people to the Promise Land. During their long march from Egypt to Palestine the Israelites had to go through land controlled by other people. Some of these resisted this invasion. The Israelites had to fight to gain passage. Exodus 17:8–13 tells us of the first of such battles. They are attacked by desert tribes called Amalekites. Moses sent Joshua to do battle while he himself, accompanied by Aaron and Hur, stood on the top of the hill with the staff of God in his hand. There he stood in the traditional stance of prayer, arms raised and palms opened. As long as he kept his hands raised, Israel was winning. But when he lowered his hands for rest, Israel began to lose. After a while, Moses was tired of keeping his hands up in the air. So Aaron and Hur put a stone under Moses so he could sit on it. Then they went on each of his sides, each one holding one of Moses’ hands up until the sun set. Finally, the Israelites won and put their enemies to the sword. What made the Israelites win the battle? Moses at prayer. He did not only pray, he persevered in his prayer - throughout the battle.

Healthy intercessory prayer is really prayer for divine justice; i.e. God’s Will. Moses’ arms were extended in prayer in his plea for a just victory over pagan Gentiles who opposed the freedom pilgrimage of God’s Chosen people. His extended arms were not magical gestures, but a posture of prayerful request.

PAUL URGES TIMOTHY TO BE PERSISTENT IN LIVING FAITH:

In the Second Reading of today, the text from 2^nd Timothy is a continuation of pastoral advice from Paul, the Apostle, to Timothy the local Church leader. In essence, St. Paul is exhorting a youthful Timothy to be persistent, to stand fast, and to remain faithful to the Tradition he had received. St. Paul is encouraging him to proclaim the word as the principal activity by which to be faithful to the Gospel message.

Paul urges Timothy to continue in what he had learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom he had learned it and how from his childhood he had known the sacred writings that are able to instruct for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Even though Timothy had learned from his Jewish tradition particularly his parents much about the faith, it was from Paul that Timothy had learned about Jesus Christ. Now Paul solemnly charges Timothy to announce the word of God in all circumstances and to proclaim the message of Jesus, by challenging and encouraging people. He asks Timothy to be persistent in this work whether the time is favorable or unfavorable, with the utmost patience in teaching. In other words, the Word of God is always in season. Christians must persevere in their baptismal promise to reprove, entreat, and rebuke in all patience and doctrine, be it in the winter or in the summer, be it at home or at work, be it with family or with friends. Called to be God's children, the Lord has chosen to manifest His glory through us. If we remain idle, when the Lord returns, He will not know us. If we persist in our living faith, when He returns, He will welcome us to His eternal Kingdom.

THE PERSISTENT WIDOW AND THE UNJUST JUDGE:

In the Gospel Reading of today, the evangelist Luke explains that the parable of the unscrupulous judge and the importunate widow, which Jesus addressed to his disciples, is about “the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.” The widow has been wronged and she is looking for justice. We are not told what actually her case involved against her adversary. Anyway, she takes her case to a judge to get it, but the corrupt and unjust judge ignores her plea. In those days, a widow was the personification of powerlessness and she hardly had any chance to get justice. She had only God as her protector and care taker. However, she relentlessly pursues him and goes on pleading and nagging until he could no longer tolerate her presence, until finally, he accepts to intervene and decides the case in her favor. He helps the widow not because he is good but because she is persistent. Jesus concludes that if a corrupt judge can do justice to someone who keeps on asking, God, the most just judge of all, will certainly listen to those who persist in prayer. That is to say that if we are persistent, we can wear down even God.

Obviously, the parable is a lesson in persistence in prayer. But there is a problem also with this interpretation of the story. It is difficult and theologically incorrect for us to see anything of God in the judge himself. For, while the parable seems to present prayer as nagging God for what we want, such a reading misses the point. God is not like the judge in the parable, worn down by requests and coerced to respond. The judge in the the parable is corrupt and unjust. Since God can be neither, we must understand Jesus to be saying that if even an unjust judge responds to the persistence of the widow, how much more so will God listen to our prayers. God truly wants to hear our needs and respond generously. It is the final lament of Jesus that gets to the point of the parable. The lesson is about the persistence of the one who prays. God wants us to be like the persistent widow, staying in relationship with God, confident that God hears and answers prayers.

But there can be another way of reading the parable and interpret it. When we read this parable about perseverance, we usually think of it in these terms: God is the judge and we are the widow. This means we should persevere in pestering God until we are given what we want. But what happens if we turn that around and say that we are the judge and God is the widow? In some ways, this interpretation makes more sense. We, like the judge, are basically unjust. Sometimes we, too, have no fear of God; that is, we do not allow God to scare us into being good. Similarly, like the judge we persist in refusing to listen to the cries of the poor all around us. But God is the persistent widow who will not go away, an interesting turn on the story. God keeps badgering us, refusing to accept as final our no to love. God will persist until we render a just judgment, that is, until we let the goodness out, until we learn to love. Moreover, when one sees the widow as God-like, the meaning of the parable is that when one fights injustice, and keeps fighting it, and fights it until justice is achieved, then one is like God. Jesus own fight against injustice, even to his death and resurrection, is the model of a God-like fight to end the world of injustice and create the kingdom of God. An interesting turn on the widow’s story! We are like Jesus, like God, when we fight injustice without ceasing, nagging and fighting till justice is achieved. It may seem that people don’t listen to us, but if we keep it up, don’t relent, justice may come by the sheer force of our persistence.

Finally, Jesus concludes the parable by asking, "And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" It is interesting that it is after he speaks of the persistent widow that Christ then moves on to speak of the coming of the Son of Man, the great event of the end times, the establishment of an everlasting kingdom where the rule of God orders all things. In a world that is full of the frenzy of activity, it seems impractical and useless to take time to pray. What does it accomplish, after all? The truth is that there is little faith in the power of prayer to bring about real, palpable results. In the end, it all depends upon what results we are seeking. If we are only trying to have success in temporal affairs – money, promotions, vacations and the like – then it is much more practical to just ambitiously seek our goals without regard for prayer. Therefore, to obtain our salvation, we must persevere in our living faith, in our adoration of God, in our love towards others, in our righteousness, in our obedience to God, in our servitude, in our humility, all of these being the food that feeds our souls to assure our salvation through Jesus Christ.

CONCLUSION:

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples about the need to pray continually without losing heart. The parable is meant to show the importance of perseverance, even when God seems to delay in coming to their aid. Just as prayer requires faith, it also requires perseverance. Persevering prayer is a way of keeping alive what we hope for. It means to cling to God specially when we are in darkness. When Jesus tells us to pray always and never to lose heart - to persevere in prayer - He wants us to trust in His Father who always listens to us and who will never abandon us. He wants us never to doubt that our prayers - though not answered immediately - are heard for His Spirit is always with us.

Now, many of us may say that we have tried prayer and have given up on it after a while. Why? Because we didn't get what we prayed for. Why? Because in these days of instant coffee and instant results, we may have the mistaken notion that prayer works automatically, that when we pray for something, God will grant it and immediately. But God is not like that. He always answers our prayers but in His own way and in His own time. God knows our hearts and our thoughts. He knows our wants and needs. So why does he so often seem to delay in helping us? Perhaps the difficulty here is that, while he knows our needs and hears our prayers, it is often the case that we don't know our own needs. Very often we need time to have the requests and desires of our hearts clarified for ourselves, and very often this can only happen over a period of time.

Moreover, the loving and compassionate God does justice for the poor and the oppressed. He wants us also always to be concerned with justice for the rich and the poor. After all, God cares for all peoples equally. For aren't we all His children and therefore embraced by His providence?

So today, as we continue with the celebration of the Holy Mass, let us ask God to bless us with all the perseverance that we need to live our faith in Christ. Some of us may need perseverance in our baptismal promise to preach the Gospel. Others may need perseverance in prayer. And yet others may need perseverance in faith, or in loving one's neighbor. No matter what spiritual need we lack, by persevering in prayer, we can be assured that it will be granted to us by the grace of the Heavenly Father and the power of the Holy Spirit so we may be sanctified in Christ. And this is the Good News of today.

                                                       *******************************

Homily - 28th Ordinary Sunday (Year C)

28^th Ordinary Sunday (Year C)

First Reading: 2 Kings 5:14-17          Second Reading: 2 Timothy 2:8-13          Gospel Reading: Luke 17:11-19

“IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, LET US GIVE THANKS.”

One day, so says an old legend, God gave a banquet for all his servants, and a really grand feast it was. All the virtues came and had a fine time. Humility was there, sitting in the lowest place at the table. Patience was there and didn't mind at all being served last. Faith and Hope sat together on one side, while Justice and Peace sat together on the other side. Everyone was having a wonderful time.

At the height of the banquet, Charity noticed that two of the virtues were strangers to each other. He was surprised because he thought they were always together and he had purposely placed them side by side for that reason. He came down to them and asked each one whether she had met her partner before. When they said they had not, Charity introduced them, “Kindness, I want you to meet Gratitude.” Both the virtues were so surprised to find out who the other was. Kindness said to gratitude, “We are supposed to be together always. Where one of us is, the other should be. Isn't it a pity that we have never really met before.”

Yes, Kindness and Gratitude are supposed to be together always. Where one is, there the other should also be.

Today is the 28^th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Now, there are a number of concurrent and related themes running through today’s Scripture Readings; but the main theme they present is the theme of gratitude that should come spontaneously from the heart of every individual. A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues. Gratitude is like a rare flower found in a wintry landscape. It is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul. But our human nature tends to take for granted favors and gifts, especially those that come from God. Today we are called to be a grateful people; “In all circumstances, let us give thanks.”

BOUNDLESS GRATITUDE OF NAAMAN, THE SYRIAN:

In the First Reading of today from the 2^nd Book of Kings, we have the cure of Naaman, the Syrian, from leprosy and we see the expression of his boundless gratitude to God for giving him the healing through the Prophet Elisha. Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram (Syria), was a great man and in high favor with his master. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy; and as a gentile pagan he thought he had the gods at his beck and call. But none of them could cure his chronic skin disease. Seeing her master's desperation, an Isrealite slave girl belonging to Naaman’s wife, told her that she knew of a prophet in Israel named Elisha who could cure her husband’s skin infections. Hurriedly, Naaman got permission and a letter from his king to go to the king of Israel and find this prophet. When he finally talked to Elisha, Elisha told him to go wash himself 7 times in the waters of the Jordan. Now the Jordan was a small dirty river at that time. Naaman was not happy with this. Because he was an important general, he expected that Elisha could just wave his hand and cure him and he wouldn’t have to do anything. However, having first despised the simple action of washing 7 times in the river Jordan, he was convinced by his servants to try it, since he had nothing to lose.

He was so desperate - the skin disease, his leprosy, threatened to consume him - that he did something courageous. He swallowed his pride and did go and bathe 7 times; and he was rewarded with health, his skin becoming soft and clean like a child´s. This is where our First Reading today begins.

Full of joy and boundless gratitude, Naaman sought to bestow upon Elisha, God´s prophet, the treasures that he had brought with him. But Elisha refuses payment, knowing full well that his power to heal was totally God's gift. However, Naaman is so grateful that he asks for two mule-loads of dirt with which to set up an altar in his own homeland to the God of Elisha and promised he would make no offerings to any god but the God of Israel. The Lord used this miracle to attract Naaman to the true religion. This was a much greater gift than health of the body. The cure made him a believer in the God of Israel. As soon as Naaman realized he was cured, he exclaimed, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.” Thus a foreigner becomes a model of faith to God’s chosen people.

DEEP GRATITUDE OF THE SAMARITAN LEPER:

In the Gospel Reading of Today, St. Luke presents a similar story of the ten lepers who were cleansed by Jesus. We are touched by the mercy and kindness of Jesus who reaches out to the outcasts of society such as the lepers and at the same time we are reminded of the insensitivity in human persons while receiving a favor from a benefactor. Actually, the problem is more than skin deep. In the ancient world, leprosy was considered a dreaded disease. The person with leprosy was segregated from the community and had to live outside the village or town in isolation. They had to keep a distance from people at least fifty feet whenever they came out and if they saw anyone, they had to shout 'leper, leper, ...' lest the other person be contaminated.

a) “Ten lepers were cured.”

The story is set on the borders of Judea and Samaria. Nine of the lepers seem to have been Judeans, while one was a Samaritan. This is a religious difference as well as a racial one. It is interesting to note here that while the Jewish people normally did not mix with the Samaritans, misery brings them together. Here is an example of a great law of life: A common misfortune had broken down the racial and national barriers. In the common tragedy of their leprosy they had forgotten that they were Jews and Samaritans but people in need of help.

In this story of a miraculous healing, Jesus encounters the ten lepers and when they see Jesus they stand at a great distance and shout for help. Jesus cleanses them all without discrimination. Jesus does not touch them as he does elsewhere and work the miracle. Instead he sends them to the priests to perform the necessary ceremony and get a declaration to be accepted back into society. Their disease did not disappear on the spot as was the case with other cures. He tested their faith and they received the healing as they went along the road.

b) “Only one returned, and he was a Samaritan.”

Finding himself cured, one returned “praising God at the top of his voice,” threw himself at the feet of Jesus and expressed his deepest thanks for what had happened to him. And “The man was a Samaritan.” Much of the punch of the story is in those five words. As a Samaritan, he belonged to a hated and despised group. In this case, he was an outcast twice over. His primary response was not first to thank Jesus, but first to glorify God and then thank Jesus. Even though Jesus did not look for gratitude from them, yet as any human person he feels the ingratitude of the other nine who seem to have forgotten the blessings they received.

c) “Where are the other nine?”

No story in the gospel shows so emphatically the ingratitude of human persons. 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?” This alien, this outsider and, by implication, this godless pagan, a person who is presumed to be far from God, is the one who is most deeply aware of God’s action in his life. Here the Lord appreciates his faith and the sense of gratitude. He is now told to go his way and need not go to any one because of his great faith and trust.

d) “Rise up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.”

The Gospel account of the healing of the Ten Lepers presents us not only with another compassionate act of Jesus’ healing, but also an example of a faith that leads to gratitude, glory and praise. Jesus points out that the Samaritan leper has gained something far more important than a physical cure; he has gained his eternal salvation. So he says to the grateful leper, “Rise up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.” The man is called to resurrection, to new life and to walk the Way of Jesus. His deep insight into his healing has been a saving experience for him. There is far more here than physical healing. The whole person has been fully restored in his relationships both with God and with his neighbors and the community.

ALL-TIME GRATITUDE OF ST. PAUL:

St. Paul is another example of a man who was on the wrong path in life, persecuting Christians, but who received the infinite gift of faith because of the Lord´s mercy. He is never remiss in giving thanks for his conversion, his faith and experience of God´s love and the promise of eternal life in Christ.

In the Second Reading of today from his Second Letter to Timothy, St. Paul demonstrates his gratitude for God´s gift of faith through his suffering to the point of being cast in prison in fidelity to Jesus Christ. He exhorts Timothy to have confidence in God and persevere in the work of preaching the Gospel. He offers all that he undergoes for those whom God wants to save through Christ, that they too might receive the gifts for which he is so grateful. St. Paul teaches us that gratitude to God is more than just a sentiment. It is an attitude that leads us to action; i.e. to share our faith and knowledge of God with those who don´t know him or have not experienced his love. Truly, an apostolic heart is the natural flowering of the virtue of gratitude.

St. Paul concludes by saying that if we die with him we will also be raised with him, if we deny him he will also deny us and our fidelity to him is essential to live the fullness of life. The Lord is faithful to us even if we are unfaithful to him. Our perseverance in the living faith, in whatever the Lord God permits to come our way for our sanctification, will be our assurance of salvation. Our perseverance is one of the many ways of saying thanks to God for what He has given us.

CONCLUSION:

Are we grateful people? The word of God today tells us that we all need to be grateful to God every day of our lives for the graces and good gifts we have received in and through him. “In all circumstances, let us give thanks.” God has not only given us our life with all its joys and sorrows, but He has prepared for us a future life of joy and happiness. We often fail to acknowledge the good He has done for us. What is needed in our life is recognition of the good and expression of gratitude towards God and all persons who come to us as instruments of God.

Now, gratitude may seem obvious and easy, but it is not. 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 ingratitude. 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. It is sad that to our hurt and the disappointment of God, many of us travel through life without a thankful heart towards God and others.

Again, the  way of  faith  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.  So,  let  our  faith  in  Jesus  be  shown  by  what  we   do,  by  what we  ask,  and  by  how  we  thank.  Do  we  have  the  faith  of  the  Samaritan?  Do  we believe  that  by  going  to  Jesus  we  are  going  to  God,  and  do  we  thank  God  for  all  that  we  have  been  given?  We  call  our  Liturgy,  ‘Eucharist' -  it  is  a  Greek  word  for  thanksgiving.  Let's  thank  Him  during  this  Eucharist  then  for  being  who  He  is  for  us,  and  for  our  being  who  we  are  for  Him.  “IN   ALL  CIRCUMSTANCES,  LET  US  GIVE  THANKS.”  And  this  is  the  Good  News  of  today.

                     ********************************

Homily - 27th Ordinary Sunday (Year C)

27^th Ordinary Sunday (Year C)

First Reading: Habakkuk 1:2-3, 2:2-4      Second Reading: 2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14     Gospel Reading: Luke 17:5-10

“LORD, I BELIEVE; HELP MY UNBELIEF; INCREASE MY FAITH!”

Was it Archimedes, the ancient Greek scientist, who said, “Give me a lever, long enough, and a place to put it on, and I will move the world?” What a claim! Surprising of course.

Theoretically, the claim of Archimedes is perfectly sound. But evidently, in the physical world, it may seem an impossibility. However, in the spiritual realm, it is definitely possible. For, there IS such a lever, and it is called 'FAITH'; there is a place to put it on, and it is called 'GOD'; and there is a power that can swing that lever, and it is called 'MAN'.

Another claim we also find in the Gospel Reading of today from St. Luke: “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.” Is it really true? Can it really happen? ...........?

Today is the 27^th Sunday in Ordinary Time; and the Scripture Readings focus on the virtue of faith. Faith is a cardinal virtue and is the most basic of all. It is that virtue which makes us hold on to God's hand. It is about belief, and it is about trust and loyalty. Do we really have faith in God? Today we are called to be faithful servants of God.

“WHERE IS GOD IN ALL THIS?”:

Habakkuk is one of the lesser known prophets. From indications in his short, three-chapter book, we glean that he ministered in the years immediately before the fall of the Southern Kingdom of Judah when Babylon was at the apex of it’s imperial powers. He was witnessing the overwhelming destructive power of that pagan empire.

In the First Reading of today we see Habakkuk is in a situation of distress and he cries out to the Lord in his distress. He laments the mistreatment of the chosen people by the invaders. His view is that evil and destruction are without sense, without justifiable reason. Even God's faithful ones have been trampled on by their enemies. He pleads with God for an explanation. Why doesn't God help them? He perceives that his outcry to God remains unheeded. God then speaks to the prophet, telling him to write down a vision that reveals how God will intervene in the future. The violent ones will, by their sinfulness, bring about their own defeat. The just ones, by their fidelity to God, will enjoy lasting happiness.

Sometimes we may have the same feelings as the prophet in today’s First Reading. Why is there so much injustice and tyranny and oppression everywhere? Why so much outrage and violence? Often, in these situations, people are reduced to a sense of helplessness and hopelessness. One might begin to ask, 'Where is God in all this?' Why does he not protect his children, especially the most defenseless? And the answer is, if we are a just person and act justly to others with integrity, our faith will be strengthened as a result of our living, and even though the rewards are delayed, we can be sure they will come.

“THE FAITHFUL SERVANTS OF GOD”:

In today's Gospel Reading from St. Luke, we hear Jesus teach about faith and service to God. The context is a continuing dialogue between Jesus and his followers about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. The two sayings of Jesus in today's gospel make us wonder about the other side of the story. When the apostles ask, "Lord, increase our faith," are they secretly quite satisfied with their record of faithfulness? Jesus tells them that if they really have faith they can tell a tree what to do, and it will do it! The story about the faithful servant tells us that Jesus' disciples should be grateful to God. When we do God's will, we should not expect to receive a gold medal. We have, after all, done no more than "what we were obliged to do."

a) “Lord, increase our faith!”

Certainly being a disciple of Jesus requires faith, and the apostles were discovering that. They must have been impressed by the assurance that Jesus had, by the way he spoke of God as Father‚ with a conviction and an intimacy that they had not met before. And understandably they wanted to have the same conviction and intimacy; they wanted to see things the way Jesus did and share his outlook. It is often said that 'faith is caught, not taught,' and they must certainly have caught it from his assurance and conviction. But they realized that their faith was still weak and fumbling. They had a long way to go before they could know the Father as he did, know His will and purposes. And so they said, “Lord, increase our faith!”

Rather disconcertingly, Jesus does not answer their question, at least not directly. Instead, he seems to give a mild reproach, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed...you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it would obey you.'” It's not the 'quantity' of faith, but the 'kind' of faith, that matters. Even a tiny speck of a faith that is sincere and wholehearted, that totally trusts God, can achieve amazing and seemingly impossible things.

But why does he give this bizarre example of the mulberry tree, which has an extensive root system, and it would be difficult to uproot, let alone plant in deep water? And what would be the point anyway? To impress people by showing miraculous powers? So it is not a saying which should be taken quite literally. Instead it is surely one of Jesus' typically Hebraic exaggerations to emphasize his point. He is saying that by faith you can do the difficult, the unexpected, the unlikely‚ if this chimes in with God's purposes. With his metaphor of the mustard seed, a very tiny seed, Jesus tells them that even with a small amount of faith, God will hear them and answer their needs, even if it was something that needed a miracle. But Jesus also tells them that their faith at this point is very weak. He doesn’t mean this as a put down. Jesus explains that the Apostles do have faith and that with the amount of faith they already have, they can do impossible things.

Perhaps our faith may be smaller than the already small mustard seed; i.e. it is not big enough to move mountains. But it should be big enough to enable us to reach out to God's hand so that He will help us walk up the mountains of problems confronting us. To have faith is to acknowledge our inadequacies as we place ourselves entirely in God's hands.

b) “What we were obliged to do”:

The next part of the Gospel Reading of today presents 'the parable of the dutiful servant,' who is expected to go about his ordinary tasks in a responsible, devoted and self-giving way. Luke often uses the roles of the master and the servant or slave to talk about discipleship, faith and faithfulness. Here the point is that you can't expect a reward if all you are doing is your duty. The bottom line is that obedience is not a means to some reward. It is simply what being an apostle and a disciple is about. Christ, in the Gospel, reminds his followers that they are 'the faithful servants of God' and that their humble submission is necessary to grow in faith. Therefore, the quality of our relationship with God must accord with what the Gospel says at the end, “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.”

“LOYALTY TO THE GOSPEL”:

In the Second Reading of today St Paul exhorts Timothy to remain firm in his vocation, to preach the truth without being inhibited by human respect. To preach the Christian faith at a time of terrible persecution requires great courage. 'Loyalty to the gospel' always involves a certain amount of hardship for any disciple. Anyone who teaches or preaches the faith must also be true to the tradition handed down by Jesus through the apostles. St. Paul encourages Timothy to place his faith in the Holy Spirit, which will enable him to be a courageous witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. While it is true that we are merely servants, the Holy Spirit can do wonders with those who place their faith and trust in him.

The 2^nd Timothy text is a powerful reminder of what Gospel faith is and what it is not. It is not passive, disengaged, groveling and diminishing. It is, rather, the fruit of God’s Holy Spirit, the Spirit of power, love and self-control. Power here connotes strength to engage and to do something; love is that profound compassion which is larger than all other emotions; and self-control is that prudent self-discipline which allows one the best of responsible freedom and integrity; in a word, wisdom.

CONCLUSION:

Faith is not faith if kept in reserve for emergencies. Faith is lived daily and shapes the way we think and behave. It is about receptivity to God's presence in our daily lives and it is seen in our faithful behavior. Someone has said, 'Charity means pardoning what is unpardonable, or it is no virtue at all. Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all. And faith means believing the incredible, or it is no virtue at all.'

It is easy to say that we have faith in Jesus when everything is going fine. But when there are big problems, crises, calamities, well.... But Jesus wants us to have faith in him, even and especially in moments of crisis so that we can triumph over them. Today’s message is an invitation to many of us who have found life to be unbearable because God seemed to have abandoned us or God seemed to be silent. Faith is trust, not certainty. Our commitment to God’s sovereign Will will enable Him to forge for us a solution beyond our expectation.

In conclusion, sometimes people say that, in response to the tragedy they have encountered, they have lost faith, as if they have lost their house keys or their wallets. The truth is, we can never lose our faith. We may be struggling to allow faith to shape our lives according to God’s sovereign Will. In the light of the apostles asking the Lord to increase their faith, we ask that He will grant us the grace of insight on how to allow our lives to be more and more shaped by our trust in Him. Let us then today humbly pray to God and say, “LORD, I BELIEVE; HELP MY UNBELIEF; INCREASE MY FAITH!” And this is the Good News of today.

                                              **********************************