HOMILY OF 12TH WEDNESDAY IN ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: HOPE BEYOND HOPE
BY: Fr. Paul Karabari
Genesis 15:1-12.17-18, Psalm 105, Matthew 7:15-20
‘And he brought him outside and said, ‘Look towards heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.’
In the First Reading of today (Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18), God promised Abram that he would have a son. It would have been easy for Abram to be rather sceptical at this, given that he and his wife Sarah were well past the age of having children. In fact, when Sarah heard about it, she laughed in disbelief (Genesis 18:12). But Abram trusted completely in God’s promise, even though it seemed impossible. Skip forward to Romans chapter 4. Paul writes ‘When there was no reason for hope, Abram kept hoping … In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises’ (Romans 4:18, 20-21).
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God ‘took Abram outside and said to him, ‘Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That is how many descendants you will have!’ It wasn’t enough to hear what God said: Abram needed to see it in his mind’s eye. And although the promise wasn’t fulfilled for twenty years, every night when Abram looked up at the heavens, the stars were a constant reminder of God’s faithfulness.
Woodrow Wilson said, ‘No man that does not see visions will ever realise any high hope or undertake any high enterprise.’ To give birth to something, you must first conceive it by seeing it through the eyes of faith and burning the image on the canvas of your mind. Jesus said, ‘If your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness’ (Matthew 6:22-23). What you ‘see’ will change the direction of your life. Like a thermostat, it dictates how high you rise or how low you fall. And the good news is, no matter how dark things look on the outside, today God can give you a fresh vision and a new future.
When we are faced with a task or situation that seems impossible or hopeless, discouragement usually isn’t too far behind, and giving up can look like the best thing to do. But God can overcome any obstacle. When you put your trust in God and ask for His help, you can hope for impossible things in those times when hope seems far away. Even if you have not got much confidence or hope in yourself and your own abilities, you always have confidence in God. And just like Abram’s faith glorified God, your confidence and faith reflect His glory, too. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God bless you and your household always through Christ, our Lord Amen. Good morning.
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