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 GODS 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, ITS 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.
ITS 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 WERE NOT SURE WHETHER WERE 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.
ITS AT TIMES LIKE THAT WHEN CONCENTRATION AND STAYING FOCUSED ON WHATS
IMPORTANT OR WHAT WE REALLY CARE ABOUT IS ESSENTIAL.
THE STORY OF JOB REMINDS ME OF SOMEONE WHOS 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 DIDNT 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 DOESNT 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-GODS 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 GODS PLAN FOR THEM.
IN TODAYS 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 GODS 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. IM SURE THEY WERE CAUGHT UP IN THE
EXCITEMENT. THIS WAS AMAZING. BUT WHY DIDNT JESUS STAY AND HELP THEM ALL? JESUS
KNOWS THAT IT IS NOT GOD THE FATHERS 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 GODS LOVE FOR EVERYONE. JESUS STAYED
FOCUSED ON THE FATHERS WILL FOR HIM. HIS SUCCESS IN STIRRING UP THE EXCITEMENT OF
ONE TOWN DIDNT 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 DONT HEAR HOW JOB DEALT WITH HIS PROSPERITY
BEING RESTORED BUT WE SEE TWO DIFFERENT EXAMPLES IN THE GOSPEL. SIMONS MOTHER-IN-LAW
IS CURED AND RESPONDED BY WAITING ON THEM. FULFILLING HER ROLE OF HOSPITALITY.
THE TOWNS 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 GODS 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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