Homily for Monday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle II
Theme: Come that she may live
By: Fr Emmanuel Muodebelu C.s.sp
Homily of Monday July 6 2020
(Hosea 2:14bc.15cd-16.19-20; Matthew 9:18-26).
There was a story of a woman who was sick for many years. The doctors did all they could but she was not healed. One day, one of the doctors visited the woman’s son, and met the woman healthy and very happy. The doctor decided to know the secret. It happened that the woman reconciled with her unfaithful husband who cheated on her. As a result of that they separated for years. Since then, the woman never had peace and was always sick until the children grew up and reconciled them. Her joy returned when she forgave the man and they reconciled again. She then came back to life and became healthy oncemore.
In the first reading of today, prophet Hosea was telling us that healing comes from forgiveness, using his marriage as an example. The prophet married an unfaithful woman, showed her all the love he could yet, she was after men outside her marriage. Despite all these, the prophet always looked for her and brought her back. He loved her despite her infidelity. God used their marriage to explain the relationship between Him and the Israelites, between Him and us.
The Gospel presented how Jesus resurrected the daughter of ruler through the faith of the father. He also healed a woman who suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years through her faith. She went to all the doctors she could but was not healed until she encountered Jesus.
Brethren, what type of healing do you need from Jesus. The Jesus of old is the Jesus of today. Is there any part of your life that is dead? Jesus can resurrect it. The healing you need from Jesus is not too far from you. Can you think about how your problem in your life and family started? Can you remember how you started having a broken home and became sick? It was the moment you refused to forgive and let go. Your marriage is not smooth therefore you keep sleepless night. Your marriage partner is unfaithful therefore you want to kill yourself and sway never to forgive him or her. You prefer divorce as a solution. Your brothers and sisters or friend offended you therefore you are keeping malice. Malice and anger can cause us restless, sickness, downfall and even death. Jesus said, come to me all you who are heavy and overburdened, and I will give you rest(Matthew 11:28).
Our healing begins when we recognize Jesus in our life and let go of all the burdens. Hand it over to Jesus and let it go. Let us forgive and forget. The question is, how forgiving are we towards our loved ones when they sin against us? Hosea forgave the unfaithful wife and had peace in his home. Is it possible to do the same to our unfaithful partners so that we can heal our homes? Forgiveness heals, warms and cools the sting. Recognizing Jesus and letting go is the best healing and resurrection we can experience in life. Do we really recognize Jesus in our marriages and homes? If so, let us forgive and let go so that, we can experience peace of mind and sweetness of love in our life oncemore. Either Jesus or nothing. Jesus is our all.
Fr Emmanuel Muodebelu C.s.sp