Homily (Reflection) for the Twenty-Fourth
Sunday of the Year (B) (16th September, 2018) on the Gospel
Is 50:5-9;Ps 114:1-6.8-9 (R. V. 9);
Jas 2:14-18;
Mk 8:27-35.
Little Tommy’s parents had tried everything to help him with
his math grade: tutors, flash cards, ‘Hooked on Math’ special learning centres,
everything. Finally, they enrolled him in the local Catholic school. The very
first day, he came home with a very serious look on his face, went straight to
his room, and started studying. His mother was amazed. Books and papers were
spread out everywhere, and Little Tommy was hard at work. As soon as dinner was
through, he marched right back up to his room without a word and studied more.
This went on for weeks until Little Tommy proudly brought home his report card
and showed it to his parents: And ‘A’ in Math!
“‘Tommy! This is great! I’m so
proud of you! Son, what was it? What helped motivate you? Was it the nuns?’ his
mother asked.
“Little Tommy shook his head.
“‘Well, then, was it the books? The
discipline? The structure? The uniforms? What?’
“Little Tommy
looked at her and said, ‘Well, Mom, it’s like this. When I saw that guy out in
the lobby nailed to a plus sign, I knew they weren’t kidding around!’” Culled
from Thomas,
T. (2010). Spice up your homilies. Mumbai: ST PAULS, pp. 115-116.
Topic: Look Beyond the Present.
In the gospel according to Saint John,
when Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother found his brother (Simon Peter) he said to
him: “‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means Christ)” (Jn 1:41). And in the gospel according to Saint Matthew, Peter and
his brother, Andrew “left their nets [their source of livelihood] and followed”
Jesus (Matt 4:20; cf. Mk 1:18).
At a point, Peter even put this question to Jesus: “Lo, we have left everything
and followed you. What then shall we have?” (Matt 19:27; cf. Mk 10:28; Lk 5:11).
In the same vein, sons of Zebedee made this request: “Teacher, we want you to
do for us whatever we ask of you.... Grant us to sit, one at your right hand
and one at your left, in your glory” (Mk
10:35,37; cf. Matt 20:21). And
“when the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John” (Mk 10:41) which is a serious indication
that they all fixed their eyes on what they would get.
And in today’s gospel we read that after Peter’s declaration about
Jesus, Jesus went on to teach His disciples what would come: “...the Son of Man
must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests,
and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again” (Mk 8:31). Peter took Jesus aside and
began to rebuke Him, (cf. Mk 8:32) after
all “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”.
We read further, “But turning and looking at his disciples,
he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things”
(Mk 8:33). And sad enough, many
Christians today, both the laity and the clergy set their minds on human things
instead of on divine things. Many have forgotten completely those important
questions Jesus daily asks each and every one of us: “what will it profit you
if you gain the whole world but forfeit your life? Or what will you give in
return for your life”, cf. Matt 16:26?
You can also personalize these questions in this or similar manner: ‘what will
it profit me if I gain the whole world ....’ Hence,
He called the crowd with his
disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny
themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save
their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the
sake of the gospel, will save it (Mk
8:34-35).
Little Tommy’s grade in Mathematics changed for good because
of his understanding of the image of Jesus Christ crucified on the cross. Similarly,
unless we understand our call as Christians correctly, we will never cease seeing
God as a political leader thereby looking forward to seeing only what we will
get from Him here and now. This is because “... where your treasure is, there
will your heart be also” (Matt 6:21; Lk
12:34). Our call goes beyond the
present. We must therefore look beyond the present to be able to see “What
no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared
for those who love him” (1Cor 2:9).
Bible Reading: Matt 16:24-27; 19:13-30; Lk 5:1-11; 1Cor 2:6-16.
Thought for today:
How do you
see God and your call to be His child?
Let us pray: Lord, help us to understand what it
means to be your children – Amen (cf. 1Jn
3:1; 1Cor 2:14).
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free to share this reflection with others if you consider it worthy.
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