YEAR B: HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 15TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (1)

YEAR B: HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 15TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

HOMILY THEME: LEARN TO BE CHILDLIKE

BY: Fr. Benny Tuazon

 

HOMILY:

(Mt.11: 25-27) Wednesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

In today’s Gospel Jesus seems to indict the wise and the learned and gives preference to the childlike. Jesus was referring to many leaders of His Time who were educated and experienced. They were so full of themselves that they could not accept Jesus’s teachings. Their righteousness blinded them from the revelations brought by Jesus. The childlike attitude is an apt response to Jesus’s teachings. To be childlike mean to be humble, dependent, obedient, and open. In fairness, Jesus’s teachings were radical. Jesus was bringing back the original commandments given to Moses to their basic messages.

The commandments underwent a lot of expansions and variations that it multiplied more than forty times. Specific situations needed to be addressed. Unfortunately, the essence of the commandments was enveloped by externalities. The Sabbath was a perfect example. It was meant to encourage the faithful to set aside a day in prayer. In the process, so many restrictions were made. The restrictions became the concern and the essence, sacrificed. The statement of Jesus was actually one of thanksgiving. He thanks the Father for entrusting the message to the childlike where it will be accepted and imbibed. Whereas the wise and the learned can grasp the meaning, they are prone to abusively question and doubt anything. Jesus’s teachings challenged what they were taught and handed on. The result is a fierce battle and conflict of ideas at the expense of formation and spiritual growth.

Wisdom and education must be combined with childlike values like humility, openness, and faith. God gave them to us not only for this world but for our salvation. We use them not only to get rich, famous, powerful, and intellectual excellence. It should lead us to be loving, charitable, forgiving, patient, just, and faithful. Bottom line is, let us be childlike. When we do, we get to experience and benefit the fullness of God’s gifts.

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