HOMILY FOR 2ND SUNDAY - ORDINARY TIME/YEAR B

HOMILY FOR 2ND SUNDAY – ORDINARY TIME/YEAR B

THEME: Lost and Found

BY: Deacon Bill Frere

Capernaum

A young married couple are sitting in the kitchen of their brand new home having breakfast. The wife looks out the window and sees her neighbor hanging her laundry on the clothesline. That laundry isn’t clean, she said, it’s still dirty. Someone should teach her how to wash her clothes. She has a lot to learn. This happens again a few days later, and again a few days after that. Each time the wife complains about the neighbor and her dirty laundry.

Finally one morning she looks out the kitchen window and, in surprise, she says, Wow, someone must have taught her how to wash clothes; someone must have finally said something to her. Her husband looks up at her and says, No dear, actually I got up early this morning and washed our window.

Sometimes we get so focused on one thing, we lose sight of what is right in front of our eyes, we miss what is really important in our lives. Think about it! Have you ever lost something, something really important like your wallet, wedding ring, checkbook? It’s not a fun feeling. I remember sitting at my desk on the phone with a good friend and it suddenly dawned on me – where’s my cellphone?? So I frantically scour my desk, all the drawers, the floor, my pockets, all while I’m trying to focus on the phone call. And only then do I realize the cell is right in my hand, its what I’m using for my phone call!!

John the Baptist doesn’t have that problem. As soon as Jesus appears at the Jordan River, John stops his baptizing and focuses on Jesus, focuses on what is most important!

Even though there is a crowd, even though they have never met, John immediately recognizes Jesus as the Anointed One, the Son of God, the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world. John sees clearly and he proclaims the good news.

Jesus then asks a question in today’s Gospel – what are you looking for? John the Baptist has just pointed out Jesus to two of his disciples and they began to follow Jesus. So He naturally asks – what are you looking for! And their response – zip! Nothing, they don’t answer Jesus’ question. It’s as if they aren’t sure; they haven’t made up their mind yet. There is doubt and uncertainty! All they do is respond with a question of their own – where are you staying? It’s a tentative reply, kind of “I’m not sure” but let’s at least check Him out!” They aren’t sure what they are looking for, much less decided who Jesus really is. That will take time! And Faith!

This is not the only time in John’s Gospel that Jesus asks this or a similar question – what are you looking for? Or “Whom do you seek?” Jesus asks this of the soldiers who come to arrest Him in the Garden of Gethsemane – whom do you seek? Their response – Jesus of Nazareth. And when He says “I am He”, they fall to the ground. They came in the middle of the night looking for a rabble-rouser, a trouble-maker. What they found was someone to be reverenced and paid homage to.

And then early in the morning on the first day of the week after Jesus’ Crucifixion, Mary Magdalene came and found an empty tomb. And Jesus appears and asks her – who are you looking for! Mary came looking for the body of Jesus, her friend and teacher, to anoint with oils. What she found instead was her Risen Lord!

Sometimes this journey we call life isn’t really about what we are searching for; it’s about what we find! We search for a lot of things we think are so important, so critical for our happiness. But in the end what and who we find in the midst of that search are what’s truly important and valuable. We look for success, popularity, financial or career success. We look for awards and pats on the back! We look for happiness in many of the wrong places.

So instead of asking, what are we looking for, maybe we should ask what have we found! I was looking for some ordinary financial documents; what I found was a reminder of a lifetime of love and affection. Those 2 disciples of John were looking for a new teacher; they found the Messiah. The soldiers were looking for a criminal to arrest; they found someone to bow down to. Mary Magdalene was looking for the body of her teacher, Jesus; what she found was the Risen Lord.

Throughout our lives, we search for meaning, for purpose. And so in the midst of that search, let us pray that we find Jesus, right by our side, particularly in those moments of doubt, those moments of trial!

And that is what we are all called to do as well: to see things clearly, to not be distracted, to focus on what is important in life. To see the Son of God in others and to live a life where others can see God at work in ours!

FOR SIMILAR HOMILY, CLICK HERE >>>