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Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 6, 2000

Homily Code: H-2

READINGS:    1ST Job 7:1-4,6-7    2ND I Cor. 9, 16-19,22-23    3RD Mt 13: 1-23

PURPOSE:    TO REMEMBER TO STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT GOD’S PLAN IS FOR US AND NOT BECOME DISTRACTED BY ADVERSITY OR PROSPERITY.


I SAW A SIGN IN A BUSINESS OFFICE LAST WEEK THAT MADE ME LAUGH AND NOD IN AGREEMENT AT THE SAME TIME. IT SAID, “ IT’S HARD TO SOAR WITH THE EAGLES WHEN I AM BEING PECKED TO DEATH BY THE DUCKS OF TRIVIA. “ THERE HAS BEEN MORE THAN A FEW TIMES WHEN I FELT LIKE THAT. IT REMINDED ME OF ANOTHER SAYING I HEARD YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS DOWN SOUTH. “IT’S HARD TO REMEMBER THAT YOUR JOB IS TO DRAIN THE SWAMP WHEN YOU HAVE TO KEEP BEATING BACK THE ALLIGATORS.” IN EITHER CASE I THINK MOST OF US HAVE BEEN IN SITUATIONS WHEN THINGS HAVE GOTTEN SO HECTIC WE’RE NOT SURE WHETHER WE’RE COMING OR GOING. IN THOSE SITUATIONS TEMPERS CAN FLARE. WE CAN SAY THINGS WE LATER REGRET. OR WE CAN MAKE SNAP DECISIONS TO DO SOMETHING THAT WE LATER WISH WE NEVER DID. BOTH CAN LEAD TO PROBLEMS IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS AND EVEN DISASTER IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. IT’S AT TIMES LIKE THAT WHEN CONCENTRATION AND STAYING FOCUSED ON WHAT’S IMPORTANT OR WHAT WE REALLY CARE ABOUT IS ESSENTIAL.

THE STORY OF JOB REMINDS ME OF SOMEONE WHO’S NOT JUST HAVING ONE OF THOSE DAYS, BUT HE IS HAVING ONE OF THOSE LIVES! JOB WENT FROM EVERYTHING GOING HIS WAY, TO WHERE HE COULD NOT CATCH A BREAK. HE LOST EVERYTHING HE LOVED OR HAD OF VALUE. HE WAS DESTITUTE. INITIALLY HE KEPT FOCUSED ON HIS FAITH IN GOD AND DIDN’T WAVER, BELIEVING GOD WOULD DO RIGHT BY HIM. BUT AS WE SEE IN THE FIRST READING, HE STARTS TO SOUND LIKE SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN BEATEN DOWN TO WHERE HIS FOCUS IS STARTING TO BLUR AND HE DOESN’T EXPECT THINGS WILL EVER GET BETTER. IN THE END, JOB NEVER TURNS AWAY FROM GOD AND GOD RAISES JOB NOT JUST BACK TO HIS FORMER STATE BUT TO ONE OF EVEN GREATER PROSPERITY.

IN THE SECOND READING, PAUL REFLECTS ON HIS MINISTRY-GOD’S PLAN FOR HIM. IN DOING THIS HE SHOWS US HOW TO REFLECT UPON WHAT GOD CALLS US TO DO. HE HOLDS UP FOR US NOT JUST THE NECESSITY TO DO WHAT GOD HAS PLANNED FOR US, BUT THAT IF WE EXPECT “RECOMPENSE” WE MUST DO IT “WILLINGLY”. WE MUST EMBRACE IT. PUTTING THESE TWO IMAGES TOGETHER WE SEE THAT THE FAITHFUL BELIEVER STAYS FOCUSED, NOT ALLOWING LIFE SITUATIONS TO DISTRACT ONESELF FROM COMMITMENT TO GOD, AND IN RESPONDING THE DISCIPLE WILLINGLY EMBRACES GOD’S PLAN FOR THEM.

IN TODAY’S GOSPEL WE SEE HOW JESUS REALLY CARES FOR THOSE IN NEED; THE ILL, THE TROUBLED, THE POSSESSED, THOSE WHO ARE CAUGHT UP IN THE TRIALS AND SUFFERINGS OF LIFE. HE IS THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD, AND WANTS TO RELIEVE US FROM THOSE ILLS. HE ALSO SHOWS US THE NEED TO PRAY. AND IN THAT PRAYER TO STAY FOCUSED ON GOD’S WILL. JESUS HEALED MANY PEOPLE IN CAPERNAUM THAT DAY. THE WHOLE TOWN WAS EXCITED AND WAS CLAMORING FOR JESUS TO DO MORE. HE WAS A SUCCESS IN GETTING THEIR ATTENTION. IT WAS OBVIOUS HIS NEW FOLLOWERS SAW THIS SUCCESS AND WITH IT VISIONS OF PROSPERITY. I’M SURE THEY WERE CAUGHT UP IN THE EXCITEMENT. THIS WAS AMAZING. BUT WHY DIDN’T JESUS STAY AND HELP THEM ALL? JESUS KNOWS THAT IT IS NOT GOD THE FATHER’S PLAN FOR HIM TO CURE EVERYONE IN THE WORLD AT THAT TIME. HE COULD HAVE SPENT YEARS GOING ABOUT JUST CURING PEOPLE. IT WAS THE WILL OF THE FATHER THAT JESUS SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD’S LOVE FOR EVERYONE. JESUS STAYED FOCUSED ON THE FATHER’S WILL FOR HIM. HIS SUCCESS IN STIRRING UP THE EXCITEMENT OF ONE TOWN DIDN’T DISTRACT HIM. THERE WERE MANY TOWNS TO VISIT, MANY PEOPLE TO TOUCH, MANY SYNAGOGUES TO PREACH IN, AND THEY ALL WERE LEADING TO JERUSALEM. HIS SUCCESS IN ONE PLACE WAS NOT GOING TO DISTRACT HIM ANY MORE THAN HIS EVENTUAL FAILURE TO WIN OVER THE JEWISH LEADERS.

JOB STRUGGLED WITH THE DISTRACTION OF ADVERSITY AND FAILURE, JUST LIKE THE TOWNS PEOPLE WHO STRUGGLED WITH THEIR ILLNESSES. WE DON’T HEAR HOW JOB DEALT WITH HIS PROSPERITY BEING RESTORED BUT WE SEE TWO DIFFERENT EXAMPLES IN THE GOSPEL. SIMON’S MOTHER-IN-LAW IS CURED AND RESPONDED BY “WAITING ON THEM”. FULFILLING HER ROLE OF HOSPITALITY. THE TOWN’S PEOPLE DEALT WITH THEIR PROSPERITY BY CLAMORING FOR MORE HEALING. THE QUESTION REMAINS, DID THEY HEAR JESUS’ MESSAGE? WERE THEY FOCUSED ON JESUS OR ONLY ON WHAT HE WOULD DO FOR THEM - HIS HEALING?

JESUS TELLS US, “LET US GO ON TO THE NEARBY VILLAGES THAT I MAY PREACH THERE ALSO. FOR THIS PURPOSE HAVE I COME”. THE QUESTION REMAINS FOR US TODAY. IS OUR LIFE ONE OF ADVERSITY OR PROSPERITY OR A MIXTURE OF BOTH? CAN WE STAY FOCUSED ON OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND HIS WILL FOR US? OR WILL WE GET CAUGHT UP IN THE DISTRACTIONS OF ADVERSITY AND PROSPERITY IN OUR LIVES?

TO STAY FOCUSED ON GOD’S WILL FOR US, WE NEED TO PRAY REGULARLY AND WE NEED TO BE FED WITH HIS BODY AND BLOOD. IN A FEW MOMENTS WE WILL BE FED AT HIS TABLE.

HERE IS A PRAYER TO HELP YOU STAY FOCUSED ON GOD IN YOUR LIFE:

LORD,YOU KNOW THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD BECKON ME, AND CONSUME ME MORE AND MORE UNTIL THEY HAVE REPLACED ALL BUT THE FAINTEST SPARK OF YOUR DIVINE LIFE IN ME. IF I WOULD BUT GIVE THEM UP, THE MORE AND MORE I WOULD BECOME CONSUMED INSTEAD BY DIVINE LOVE, DIVINE PRESENCE, YOUR DIVINE BEING WITHIN ME. EITHER WAY, I NO LONGER LIVE; WITH ONE IT IS THE WORLD THAT LIVES IN ME; WITH THE OTHER IT IS YOU, LORD. THIS IS THE CHOICE OF MY WILL. THIS IS MY FREEDOM. NOT WHETHER I LIVE OR DIE, BUT WHICH WAY I DIE - TO SELF. OH LORD, HELP ME CHOOSE YOU !

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