Homilies & Reflections
11th Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year B, by Rev. Fr. Lucas Binnah Junior
1st Reading: Ezekiel 17:22-24/Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 92:1-2.12-13.14-15 (R. 1a) 2nd Reading: II Corinthians 5:6-10/ Gospel Acclamation: Jn. 12:31-32/ Gospel: Mark 4:26-34
Theme: Never Neglect Humble Beginnings (cf. Zechariah 4:10)
All the saints that the Christian Church has produced have their own peculiar backgrounds and personal histories to share. The multi-billionaire CEOs in the world have their own stories to tell too! The superstars, role models and celebrities in various fields of endeavour, the women and men we see in our towns, cities and countries as successful achievers have their own chronicles as well. For many of them, they did not have the luxury of an enabling environment. Some of them started with absolutely nothing; others began with just a pittance. For some others too, the circumstances surrounding their backgrounds and families were simply unpleasant, chequered, grim and inglorious. Yet, they are what they are today because they understood and aptly applied the principle of humble beginnings. This subject will inform our liturgical reflection today.
In the first reading, God, through the Prophet Ezekiel, assures us that he can make the low tree high. He says: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it out; I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it upon a high and lofty mountain” (Ez. 17:22). As well, God says of the sprig he will plant: “…It will produce branches and bear fruit and become a magnificent cedar. Birds of all kinds will nest in it and find shelter in its branches. And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish” (Ez. 17:23-24). For this reason, we are to thank God, who takes the initiative to bless humble beginnings and for all his benefits to us. The Psalmist captures this mood of appreciation vividly and sings: “It is good to give thanks to you, O Lord” (Ps. 92:1a).
Again, Jesus uses agricultural terminologies in the Gospel as well as practical knowledge about nature to drive home the message of humble beginnings. Here, he uses a tiny seed to teach us the essentials of the kingdom of God. Like the seed whose growth in the soil is imperceptible, inevitable and constant under the Creator’s ordered plan, so also God is working in our lives to fulfil his purpose even if we do not see God. Also, just as the farmer’s duty is to prepare the land, sow the seeds and monitor their growth without knowing the actual growth process and its control by the Creator himself, so also must we plan and recognise our dependency on God and our helplessness without him. This, therefore, calls for hope, patience and confident trust in God as we cooperate with him to transform our efforts, gifts and talents into successes. Also, we must embrace the principles of hard work, commitment, dedication and determination and eschew vices such as sloth, envy and jealousy which prevent us from utilising our potentials to the full.
Furthermore, just as the time of harvest is expected once the land is cultivated, so also we should expect to be judged by God in the final analysis. In other words, harvest and judgment run pari passu. In this regard, we must always be ready, ever prepared to meet our God. Just as we expect good and lasting fruits from plants, so also does God expect us to be productive (cf. Jn. 15:16). As productivity or fruitfulness is the goal of planting, we, like seeds must also be fruitful, yield good fruits and bring pleasure to God our Creator. On the other hand, knowing too well that sometimes, the desired result ends in the production of bad fruits, we are encouraged to do everything possible not to incur punishment as verdict of God’s judgment at the end of the age.
Also, Jesus, among all the seeds we can talk about, chooses the tiniest mustard seed to emphasise the point that if God can create out of nothing (ex nihilo), then, anything howsoever tiny it looks, can become the greatest in the eyes of God. With the mustard seed, we see the movement from zero to hero, nothing to something, nowhere to somewhere, small to great, nobody to somebody and from grass to grace. Our little, perhaps insignificant efforts to do God’s will, the right thing, overcome temptations, achieve something and finish the race can yield positive results if we do not lose faith and hope but keep our focus, maintain a tenacity of purpose and remain undaunted in the face of challenges. If we cherish who we are and what we have we create immense wealth.
Another important feature of a mustard tree is that its shade and fruits attract birds. We too must be attractive and generous as Christians. We must inspire, influence and draw others to Christ. It means as individuals, church and state, we should be able to accommodate others, all people, irrespective of their backgrounds and affiliations. St. Augustine once said that the Church is made up of both saints and sinners. Even as the church welcomes and accommodates saints and sinners, it is expected that sinners repent so as to become saints. The reason is that, in the final analysis, at the end of the age, there will be judgment, that is, a separation of good fruits (saints) from bad fruits (sinners). The saints will be rewarded while sinners will be punished eternally. This goes to confirm the fact that harvest time always go together with judgment and separation.
From the foregoing, St. Paul makes some eschatological statements in the second reading by admonishing us: “So whether we are at home [in the body] or away [from the body], we make it our aim to please him [God]” (II Cor. 5:9). “For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body” (II Cor. 5:10). In speaking about the life to come, St. Paul exhorts us not to think that we are on our way only to glory, but also to judgment. Therefore, he says: “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” In this regard, William Barclay has this to say about the judgment and verdict of God: “When we remember that, life becomes a tremendous and a thrilling prospect, for in it we are making or marring a destiny, winning or losing a crown. Time becomes the testing ground of eternity.” Hence, we need to understand that whatever we do in the here-and-now has consequences in the hereafter. So, why waste our time being jealous of others rather than identifying and using our own gifts and talents however ‘small’ they may look like? If we believe in God and ourselves, we will be able to dig deeper into the goldmine, the precious resources of potentials, knack and capacities that we are.
Beloved in Christ, for a moment, let us pause and ask ourselves: What gifts/talents do I have? Am I using them positively or negatively? Do I look down on myself and see nothing good in me? Am I ready to acknowledge that everybody is gifted in different ways? Will I accept to work together with my partner/sibling/colleague in order to grow the marriage/family/company? Do I cut corners, look for easy and cheap life, overnight success and quick money without effort? May God strengthen us so that we may #Never-Neglect-Humble-Beginnings# Happy Sunday!
By Rev. Fr. Lucas Binnah Junior, C.S.Sp.