Homily (Reflection) for the Eleventh Sunday
of the Year (B) (17th June, 2018) on the Gospel
Ezek 17:22-24;
Ps 91:2-3.13-16 (R. cf. V. 2);2Cor 5:6-10;
Mk 4:26-34.
A mad man who was living alone measured
out some quantity of dried corn. After setting it on fire, he left the house to
fetch firewood. But on his return, he was surprised to see that the pot was no
longer enough for the corn. He thought that someone crept in while he was away
and added some to the one he set on fire. With a very loud voice he called on ‘whoever
added more corn’ to his to come and take it back. According to him, he knew the
quantity of corn he had in the pot.
Topic: Mere Instruments.
Today’s gospel is made up of two parables.
The first parable reads in part: “The kingdom of God is as if someone would
scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the
seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how” (Mk 4:26-27). Again, the mustard seed according to the gospel
pericope,
…is the smallest of all the seeds on earth;
yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and
puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its
shade (Mk 4:31-32).
It is worth noting that if the mustard seed is not sown upon the
ground, it will continue to be the smallest of all the seeds. The act of sowing
moves the mustard seed from one condition to other – from being the smallest
seed to becoming the greatest of all shrubs (two extremes). Imagine someone who has just a mustard seed. He/she
may even throw it away grudging that he/she has “nothing”.
Often, we do lack confidence in ourselves. Some find it very difficult
to believe that they are good for anything. Many dreams are thereby left
unfulfilled. Some of these dreams are capable of changing the entire world.
Whatever gift one has can be greater than the biblical mustard
seed if put in use. If not, your gift/s will rot away as the smallest of all
the gifts.
Kingdom of God is not just something the blessed will experience
hereafter. It can be experienced here on earth, hence, we pray that the face of
the earth be renewed – “Send forth your Spirit and they shall be recreated. And
you shall renew the face of the earth”. The kingdom of God is within us, cf. Lk. 17:21. If kingdom is understood as
the abode of the king, then the kingdom of God must be where God lives. And God
lives within us, cf. 1Cor 6:19. The
kingdom of God can also be seen as “… righteousness and peace and joy in the
Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17).
We are all instruments in the hands of God. Every instrument is
meant for something big. The major difference between us and other instruments
is that we can refuse to be used by God. God has right to use us as He wills
just as the potter has right over the clay, Rom 9:21. God wants us all to put all He blessed us with into work
and these will bring out others that we never knew that we have. What each of
us can become is only known to God, cf. Matt
24:36; Mk 13:32. We can become so big in the Lords vineyard if we let our
gifts out, cf. Matt 25: 14-30. Just
as the mustard seed cannot plant itself, our gifts cannot use themselves. We
are mere mortals and God works in so many ways that we might not be able to
understand through us, cf. 2Cor 4:7.
In summary, just like that mad man we saw in the introductory part
of this homily, one might think that he/she knows what he/she can do and what
he/she cannot, but God can use every instrument beyond every imagination. Let
us allow ourselves to be used by starting now to do what is good. How they will
become big and how big is in God’s hand, cf. Matt 9:38; Lk 10:2.
Bible Reading: Matt 25: 14-30; Lk 17:20-37; Rom 14: 15-21; 1Cor
6:12-20; Ps 16:1-11.
Thought for today:
Do you
know that you are just an instrument in the hand of God?
Let us pray: Lord and Master, give us the grace
that will enable us put every gift we have received from you into proper use –
Amen.
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