Homily on Friday, 30th Week in OT, 3 November 2023, SPD Chapel
It is the First Friday of the month and we are gathered here in your own chapel to celebrate this Eucharist, the sacrament of God’s love manifested thru the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The gospel passage we have heard today gives us a glimpse of who Jesus really was – a person truly human and truly divine as well.
Makatawo siya kay una sa tanan, ganahan kaayo siya nga makigbonding sa iyang isigkatawo… He is very human indeed because he eagerly likes bonding with his fellowmen whether good or bad, rich or poor, learned or ignorant. Bisan gani makaduda ang mga Pariseo sa tanan niyang gisulti o gibuhat ug kontrahon siya nila, gidawat gihapon niya ang invitation sa usa kanila nga manihapon sa ilang balay. Even though the Pharisees were suspicious and critical of everything he said and did, Jesus still accepted the invitation to dine with them in his own home that day. I guess Jesus saw in that invitation not only a gesture of kindness but also a big opportunity to be able to win their hearts and convince them that the Kingdom of God was truly in their midst.
And so, while he was sitting at table with them on that Sabbath day of rest, he was suddenly approached by a man suffering from dropsy, his arm badly swollen. While the sick man stood in front of him waiting to be noticed, the eyes of all were focused on Jesus observing carefully what he would do next. It was right at that moment that Jesus humanity stood out very clearly. He looked at the man with the eyes of compassion, unmindful of the watchful eyes of the Pharisees. Then he spoke in defense of what he would do for the person in pain, anticipating what his critics would comment about his action. And then, with no semblance of fear or hesitation he granted what the man had been longing for, that is, an instant cure; a total healing and recovery God alone can bestow. With this amazingly miraculous cure Jesus is therefore revealed to us even more clearly as a good person, fully human and fully divine… tinuod nga makatawo ug tinuod nga makadios.
How about us who are following Jesus? Is there anything that is hindering us from helping someone in need especially in these difficult times? Are we so easily swayed or discouraged by what others might comment when we do something good for the poor and the weak, the sick, the suffering and the needy?
In our life as religious, I noticed that many times, the temptation that comes to us is not so much about hurting someone or doing evil to others, but about OMITTING the good work we are supposed to do for someone in need. There comes a time when we get so used to doing the daily routine particularly of our rituals that we become numb to the extent that we fail to notice the urgency of responding to someone crying out (silently) for help. It seems we do not really have a heart sensitive and compassionate enough to let our comfort be disturbed in order to comfort the disturbed.
However, there is still a much bigger temptation than that, and this I guess is level two of the temptation. It is when we always find fault in people who are doing so much good, especially the good works we ourselves OMIT doing. Instead of affirming and supporting them, we find all the means to criticize the good they do so that they will soon feel discouraged and give up doing good. At the end what we really want to achieve (sometimes unconsciously) is simply to justify ourselves, and to show the “goodness” of NOT doing any good at all.
In this Eucharistic celebration let us pray that our hearts may be kindled by the flame burning in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. May we grow in both our humanity and spirituality esp. in the way we respond and relate with the poor, the needy and the suffering. And through the prayers and examples of St Martin De Porres, a Dominican lay brother who did so much good to the needy, may we persevere in our service of both God and neighbour despite the disturbing comments and criticisms we might hear from other people. GiGsss!
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