HOMILY FOR 23RD SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME

HOMILY FOR 23RD SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B

HOMILY THEME: JESUS IS OUR ONLY HOPE OF LIBERATION FROM EVIL AND SIN

BY: Fr. Celestine Muonwe

Isaiah 35:4-7, James 2:1-5, Mark 7:31-37

In the first reading, the Lord through Prophet Isaiah prophesies a time of salvation for the people of Isreal, which is the coming of Christ. Even though this prophesy came at the time of king Hezekiah, who was regarded as a good king, the message is about the coming of the kingdom of God in Christ. Yahweh orders the preacher of the Good news to speak to those that are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, fear not!”. Another translation of the fearful of heart is those whose hearts are racing. That is, those who are victims of domination, persecution, or violence that dehumanises and subdues people. Such dehumanisation is witnessed in the lives of the Pharisees, who used the laws to deprive the people of their God-given freedom. Jesus comes to heal the sick on the Sabbath, to open the ears of the deaf, and to get the lame to leap for joy. Where destitution is present, in Christ, richness and prosperity will reign.

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In the second reading, St. James warns us against any show of partiality in the Christian community, which should be characterised by love, humility and service of one another. Since all are equal before God, therefore, it is out of place to segregate among people based on their possession or not of financial resources.

In the Gospel, Jesus comes back to the region of Decapolis again, and they brought to Him a deaf and dumb man for healing. This area Decapolis, (Deka Polis in Greek), meaning, Ten Cities, was a federation of ten pagan cities within the area of Israel. These pagans flocked to Jesus, having realized that only Jesus can heal them, and not their pagan idols; thus, only from heaven can their true help come. Today, in our land with the rise of neo-paganism, some practitioners of contemporary paganism, now think that pagan sacrifices and activities help them achieve success in life.

Many young people believe that the backwardness of the country is because the Igbo traditional religion has been abandoned in favour of Christianity. Christianity and its ethics of love, is the backbone of development and human advancement all over the world. We were in dark before the coming of the missionaries with education, which is the backbone of Igbo advancement today all over the world. That Christianity has not been effective in changing the society as it ought to is because we have not practised Christianity the way it ought to be practised. The problem is not Christianity, but our failure to follow Christ as He ought to be followed in true discipleship.

As Jesus healed the man, He looked up to heaven and groaned. This groan or sigh of Jesus expresses His solidarity with us in our suffering and pain. Jesus suffers with us, in our daily struggles in life, that is why He came down to be with us, so that no one would say that He, as God does not feel our woundedness and pains.

Secondly, the groan of Jesus expresses the abandonment of God by man and the utmost need of humanity for healing by God. We are broken and wounded, due to the effects of original sin, and we still do not up till now, acknowledge our fallibleness and weakness without the grace of God. Jesus looked up to heaven as He sighed, because the deep healing we need can only come from heaven, not from the fetish, the occult, witchcraft, pagan practices or the ancient or any modern Decapolis. Only Jesus alone can bring about a true human development and progress. The action of Jesus in this healing is seen in the rite of Baptism, where the priest blesses the ears and mouth of the newly baptized, so that they may hear only the good voice of God in their lives, and proclaim only the truth of the Gospel with their mouths.

More still, the man’s healing came about because the people brought him to Jesus. We have to bring others in need of healing to Jesus, we are all called to the work of evangelization. We must go, out of love for Jesus, to seek out the neo-paganists and bring them to Jesus, for our help shall come from the Lord alone.

Lastly, Jesus took the man away from the crowd, he was alone with Jesus, before his healing came. We must seek private times with Jesus, silent times with Him. Holiness is as a result of personal encounter with Jesus outside of the crowd; failure to follow the crowd, living lives apart from the noise of the crowd. It is having time to stay with Jesus in the Eucharist in adoration and worship for His infinite mercy and love, in His presence, we are continually healed and restored unto His image and likeness.

Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, help us to ever recognize that all our healing and well-being comes from You, free us and our present society from the evil of neo-paganism, and bring us to greater personal relationship with you, amen.

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