REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR THE 25TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B

REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR THE 25TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: SIMPLICITY IN CHRISTIANITY; SIMPLE AS A-B-C
BY: Fr. Ade
Wisdom 2:12, 17-20 / James 3:16-4:3 / Mark 9:30-37
A little girl was once holding two apples in both hands. Her mum came in and softly asked her little daughter with a smile “my sweetie, could you give mummy one of your two apples? The girl looked up at her mum for some seconds, then she suddenly took a quick bite on one apple, and then quickly bit the other one too. The smile on the face of the Mum froze. She tried hard not to reveal her disappointment. Then the little girl handed one of the bitten apples to her mum, and said “mummy, take this one, this is the sweeter one of the two”
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In the Gospel of today, Jesus advances with determination towards the Cross, but none of his disciples take consideration to or compassion for the suffering the Master will endure. Neither did any of them offer him support or consolation. They went on selfishly discuss among themselves what they will benefit from following Jesus. How slow they are to understand?! Jesus’ anger should have been kindled against such selfish and self seeking lot. Nevertheless, the Merciful Jesus still handed to them the kingdom he founded.
“What does all this tell us?” Benedict XVI asks. “It reminds us that the logic of God is always ‘other’ than ours, just as God himself revealed through the mouth of Isaiah: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways’ (Is 55:8). Therefore following our Lord always demands of us a deep conversion, a change in our way of thinking and living. It demands that our heart be opened to listening, to letting ourselves be illuminated and transformed from within” (Angelus, 23 September 2012).
Jesus treats with patience the defects of those followers of his, he explains to them his “logic,” the logic of a love that manifests in service to the point of total self-giving: “if anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” And to engrave this teaching on their hearts, “he took a child, and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me’”
He teaches them the doctrine and then, to enable them understand it, he gives them a living and practical example. He calls a little child and he lovingly embraces him. How eloquent Our Lord’s silence is! With just an action he already said everything. He loves those who become as little children; those who become childlike. He then adds that the reward for this simplicity, for this humility of spirit, is the joy of being able to embrace him and his Father who is in heaven.”
God, who is truly great, who is the fulness of all perfection, has no hesitation in lowering himself to the lowest depth for our sake. Jesus identifies himself with a child. In this manner Jesus teaches us to lower ourselves in order to be great. The simplicity of a child becomes the mark by which we can also inherit the kingdom. The way up is down and Jesus teaches us greatness lies in doing little things with great love. The child in our opening story showed great love but the muddled mind of an adult (her mum) could not sense the great love behind the girl’s action. We are called to clear our minds of all the cobwebs that blinds us from being simple in our approach to one another. The prejudices and sentiments that becloud our thinking will only hinder us from being able to fully embrace God’s kingdom.
Today, Jesus says to you and I “Christianity is as simple as:
A -Adults
B- Becoming
C- Childlike/Christlike
PRAYER: Grant us simple hearts O Lord 🙏🏽 Amen
HAPPY SUNDAY
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