15TH TUESDAY HOMILY OF ORDINARY TIME: YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: “WOE TO YOU, CHORAZIN! WOE TO YOU, BETHSAIDA!”
BY: Fr. Mike Lagrimas
Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum: ‘Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.’ For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
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The Gospels often tell us about the tender love and care of Jesus for all people wherever He goes. It is very unusual for Him to say something harsh to anyone. This, however, happens only in the case with the scribes and the Pharisees, invariably due to their hypocrisy and pride. The Gospel today is another instance when Jesus uttered, not a blessing but a curse. And this is directed to the three towns in Galilee: Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum.
Capernaum is the town that Jesus chose to be His place of residence. It is possible that He stayed in the house of Peter and made it His base for His apostolic activities. So it is just reasonable to believe this town has witnessed many miracles done by Jesus more than any other town. Near Capernaum are Chorazin and Bethsaida, two flourishing towns on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus did very many miracles there too.
Where are these towns now? They have all been erased from the face of the earth. What remains in Capernaum are ruins; as to the other two towns, not a trace of their existence remains.
Why did Jesus curse these towns? The problem is not that they have done evil. Jesus could have forgiven them right away. The real problem is their refusal to heed the call of the Gospel to repentance and conversion. In spite of all the blessings and signs done by Jesus in their midst, the people did not change their ways. Surely they have seen much more than enough signs and proofs of the divinity of Jesus. Anybody would have already reformed immediately, but not these people. Jesus lamented: “For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.” In the eyes of Jesus, Sodom, the biblical image of the worst immorality and depravity, even fares better than them: “But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
It must be noted, though, that in saying “Woe to you”, He is not expressing anger or resentment towards the inhabitants of these towns. Rather, it is an expression of lament and deep regret that they have squandered the golden opportunity before them to receive God’s forgiveness and salvation. We may recall a similar incident in the Gospel when Jesus wept while looking at Jerusalem from a distance (Mt 23:37-39).
The big question now is, why did they refuse the call to repentance and conversion? Perhaps, one reason is that they must have already grown used to their sins and learned to live with it. Their consciences are dulled by their constant exposure to sins. As we say it in Tagalog, “Sanayan lang ‘yan!” (It’s just a matter of getting used to. No big deal).
We may shake our heads in disbelief at the behavior of these towns. Unfortunately, however, this is the reality in our days. With the avalanche of sins and evil in the world brought about by selfishness, materialism and hedonism, people have become accustomed to all kinds of sins, even to the point of losing the sense of sin. Hence, like the people of these three towns, they do not anymore see the need for repentance and conversion. This explains why the sacrament of Confession has lost its popularity and value among the majority of the faithful.
But all is not without hope. The Lord never stops calling us to conversion. He never loses the desire to forgive us. He will never give up on us. And He will never run out of graces to help us shake off the grime of our sins. For as St. Paul tells the Romans, “where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through justification for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 5:20-21).
May we always and promptly heed the call of the Gospel to repentance and conversion, before it is too late. And may we never lose courage and hope in our struggle for perfection and holiness. Let the words of St. Augustine be our source of consolation and inspiration: “There is no saint without a past, no sinner without a future.”
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