5TH SUNDAY HOMILY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B

5TH SUNDAY HOMILY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B

THEME: The Myth of Sisyphus, The absurdity and meaninglessness of Life

BY: Fr. Justus

(a) In the Greek mythology, a man called Sisyphus defied the order of the gods and chained Death so that no human being would die. When the gods caught him, they gave him punishment. He would have to push a rock up a mountain and upon reaching the top, the rock would roll down again, leaving Sisyphus to start all over again and again and again. Sisyphus is condemned to repeat forever the same meaningless task of pushing the rock up the mountain, only to see it roll down again, no end except to begin again in futility. No rest. Albert Camus compares the absurd task of Sisyphus to the toiling and moiling of man in this world in his factories, schools and offices, where pretending to work and toil for tomorrow which brings him closer to his death. He takes no material for which he had laboured, toiled and moiled out the world. The life and world for him is thus absurd and meaningless.

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(b) The ordeal of Sisyphus is likened to that of Job 7, who sees life as nothing but as a drudgery, toiling, moiling, “ndoli ndoli” and after all, man leaves everything and dies. He cries, “I have months of futility assigned to me, nights of suffering to be my lot” (Job 7:3) “Swifter than a weaver’s shuttle my days have passed, and vanished, leaving no hope behind.” (Job 7:6). No rest, no meaning.

(c) In God alone is relief and meaning to life. A lot of people like Sisyphus are dying of drudgery, like Job are depressed and over burdened due to the fatigue of their Job, besieged by sicknesses and tormented by demons. If life ends in this form, of what good is it? If nothing survives of us after the toils and fatigue of this life, what is the meaning of living? God makes Life worth living. “Life is worth living” (Fulton Sheen). He makes the burden light, He heals the sick and saves lives tormented by the devils. In Jesus, all our toils and labours are reconciled, saved as a treasure here on earth and eternally in Heaven. In Him, all we do survives. No one lives in Him and is depressed. “If we live, we live for the Lord, if we die, we die for the Lord” (Rom.14:8), serving God and Humanity. St Paul claims, ‘I am all things for all men and all this I do for the sake of the gospel, that I may share its benefits with others. This is the meaning of life for the Christian. In the rest in Christ we appreciate our toiling and moiling. In Christ every good thing has value. Jesus now invites us to rest in Him and to add value and meaning to our lives; “Come to me all who labour and are overburdened, I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). My yoke is easy and my burden is light, not like that of Job and Sisyphus. And “everyone is looking Him” (Mark 1:37). And now everyone is going to Him”. (John 3:26). What about you?

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