Homily for Tuesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle II
Theme: REPENTANCE…….” Alas for you Chorazin and Bethsaida!”
By: Fr. Damien LIN Yuanheng
Homily for Tuesday July 14 20202020
Today, Christ upbraided two Galilean cities, Chorazin and Bethsaida, for their incredulities: «Alas for you Chorazin and Bethsaida! If the miracles worked in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have repented» (Mt 11:21). Christ himself bore witness that the Phoenician cities, Tyre and Sidon, would have done penitence in great humility, if the wonders of the divine power had been done in them.
Nobody enjoys a good scolding. It must however be especially painful to be upbraided by Christ, who loves us with his most merciful heart. There is simply no excuse, no immunity when one is reprimanded by Truth itself. Let us receive humbly and responsibly God’s call to conversion each day.
We also notice that Christ did not mince his words. He placed his audience face to face with truth. We too have to take stock of the manner we speak to others about Christ. Often, we too have to fight against our human respect to put our friends before eternal truths such as death and judgment. Pope Francis wittingly described St. Paul as a “trouble-maker”, he said: «May we not take refuge in an easy-going life or in an ephemeral structure (…). Paul, preaching the Lord, caused trouble. But he persisted, because he was a zealous Christian. He had apostolic zeal. He was not a man of compromise». Let us not shun from our duty of charity.
Perhaps, like me, you may find these words of St. Josemaria Escriva enlightening: «(…) It’s a question (…) of speaking words of wisdom in clear Christian speech that all can understand». We should not just rest on the laurels because we are understood by many; rather, we have to beg for the grace to be the humble instrument of the Holy Spirit, in order to put each man and woman squarely before the Divine truth.
Fr. Damien LIN Yuanheng
(Singapore, Singapore)