24TH WEDNESDAY HOMILY ORDINARY TIME: YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: REBELLIOUS GENERATION
BY: Bishop Gerald M. Musa
If you sit, they say you’re lazy; if you run, they say you’re running away. A leader who waits for universal approval will wait forever at the bus stop of opinions. It was Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, who said, “If you want to make everyone happy, don’t be a leader, sell ice cream.” Jobs may have heard about the experiences of two prominent leaders in history: John the Baptist and Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
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Generally, people laugh at and criticise others and the things they do not understand. Therefore, neither of these leaders could please everyone. John lived a simple life in the wilderness. He passionately preached to the people about repentance. The people accused him of having a demon (being a lunatic). Jesus had a different lifestyle. He lived with his people, related freely, visited them, and shared their meals. He was called a drunkard, a glutton, and a friend of tax collectors and prostitutes. Consequently, Jesus describes the people as a generation that cannot be satisfied by anyone or anything — a generation that is inconsistent, unstable, erratic, and constantly complaining, who find fault in everything and everyone.
Jesus concludes with a proverb, “Her deeds justify Wisdom.” This means that even though the wisdom and methods of God appear ridiculous to the people at the beginning, the result is amazing. Are there times when we become afraid of being ourselves, asserting our beliefs, or even doing the right thing just because of what people may say? Do we sometimes fear that people around us will laugh at us?
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