HOMILY FOR THE 11TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A.
THEME: SET APART FOR MISSION.
BY: Fr. Gerald M. Musa.
Victor Hugo’s renowned novel, “Les Misérables,” published in 1862, stands as one of the greatest works of 19th-century literature. This historical fiction delves deeply into the profound disparities and societal injustices prevalent in France during that era, shedding light on the immense suffering endured by the impoverished and marginalized. At its core, the story follows the journey of Jean Valjean, a former prisoner who had been unjustly sentenced to 19 years of hard labour for the petty crime of stealing a loaf of bread. Released from captivity, Valjean grapples with anger and resentment due to the injustice he endured and the scars left by his imprisonment. Nevertheless, he embarks on a tumultuous quest to transform himself from a criminal into an upright and compassionate individual, ultimately becoming a saviour to many and a trusted confidant to those in peril.
In “Les Misérables,” Hugo passionately asserts that love and compassion constitute the most valuable gifts that one person can bestow upon another and that embodying these virtues should be the ultimate objective in life. The novel vividly portrays the harsh realities faced by the destitute, who are often subjected to harassment, rejection, and the tragic consequences of an unjust legal system. Within this narrative, the central character, Valjean, confronts the challenge of turning a new leaf and dedicating himself to the service of others. Despite the weight of his past transgressions and the emotional scars inflicted by his imprisonment, he refuses to allow bitterness to hinder his transformation into a force for good in the world around him.
There is a similarity between the life of Valgean and the people of Israel. After many years of suffering in Egypt and a tortuous journey in the wilderness, Moses called them to break away from their sinful past and become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. God established a covenant with the people of Israel after they were set free from Egypt and when they were about to get settled in the Promised Land. God chose them and called them to be different from other people and nations. He reminded them about how he liberated them from Egypt, “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself’ (Exodus 19:4). He chose them when he said, “…You shall be my own possession among all peoples” (Exodus 19:5). He entrusted them with a mission to be different, “And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). They were called to a vocation of holiness. God’s choice of the Israelites as his people was a privilege and the mission of holiness which he entrusted to them was a duty because every privilege has a corresponding responsibility.
Likewise, Jesus called the twelve disciples who are to form a new people of Israel. He empowered them with the authority to cast out the unclean spirit and heal the sick. Just as the people of Israel were chosen despite their imperfections, so were the 12 disciples chosen even with their evident weaknesses, and glaring frailties. God has always chosen people, not for who they are, but for what he could make out of them. “…For the LORD sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
Furthermore, all the selected scripture readings for this Sunday demonstrate God’s infinite and unconditional love for his people. The first reading speaks eloquently about this love, when God says to the chosen people, “You shall be mine.” The second reading mentions another dimension of the love of God: Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man—though perhaps for a good man, one will dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The Gospel goes further to say how deep God’s love is for his people. “When he (Jesus) saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). He had compassion on the crowd who are the masses (the great mass of the population), ordinary people. These are people commonly called Talakawa in the Hausa language, the biblical Anawim Yahweh (Poor of Yahweh), those whom Fantz Fanon refers to as the Wretched of the Earth, whom Karl Marx refers to as proletariat (also a word used for the poorest of the poor in ancient Rome), and whom the Greeks refer to as the hoi-polloi. The crowd who are harassed and dejected are a reflection of Les Miserables of Victor Hugo.
RELATED: HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS
We are also chosen by God, called to be holy, and we are expected to proclaim the good news of salvation to all, especially to the poor and needy. He sends us out to go out and be compassionate ministers who understand the plights and the social, economic, and political conditions that suffocate the people. We are called to imitate Jesus who saw the crowd and was moved with deep pity for them. This compassion involves identifying with the suffering, the broken-hearted, and those harassed, dejected, marginalized, and ostracized. Like Jesus, we can be compassionate, and helpful, and be in solidarity with people around us who are wounded, weak, and worried. We too are broken, wounded, and weak, but we share in the mission of the wounded healer Jesus, who did not allow his wounds to deter him from reaching out to others. Let us learn from Jesus “who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:4-5).
We are chosen by God despite our unworthiness, and given tasks of various degrees, assignments, and responsibilities by God. He calls us to be his own possession, he calls us to be his people, he calls us to be special, and he sets us apart to be holy and to proclaim his name and goodness among other people. He counts on our co-operation to be his labourers who work selflessly in his vineyard with a rich harvest and enough work for anyone willing to serve. Working in his vineyard is not an exclusive reserve for experts, professionals, clergymen, and religious, but for all who are willing, ready, and able. Anyone who is chosen, set apart, and invited to the vineyard must share in the work of planting, cultivation, harvesting, and feasting. Likewise, all who are baptized have a role to play in proclaiming and building the kingdom of God in the world. The harvest is rich and the labourers are few. Therefore, we need more workers, more volunteers, and more hands to advance the kingdom of God in the world. Here are some questions for reflection. Are we willing and ready to give our time, talent, and resources to serve in the vineyard, reach out to the lonely and unloved, and bring about a just society? Are we willing to be instruments of God’s love, mercy and compassion to those who are in need? Are we willing to bring the light of the Gospel to a world that is filled with brokenness, division, and despair? As a people chosen and set apart, do we cherish the value of making a difference in a world that is full of confusion and greed? Are we ready to face the challenges encountered by those who are called to be different?
++++++++++++++++++++
Exodus 19:2-6a; Romans 5:5-11; Matthew 9:36-10:8;
FOR MORE HOMILIES CLICK >>>>>