Homily: CycleC06


Cycle C 6th Sunday in Ordinary time
Jer 17:5-8; I Cor 15,12.16-20; Luke 6:17.20-26
Leo Tolstoy’s story “How much land does a man need,” tells about man’s insatiable greed for wealth.
Pahom is a poor man who proclaims to himself that if he had enough land he would not even fear the Devil. The Devil, of course, hears this and decides to give him land without him knowing. Pahom took the chance for land and wanted more.
Finally he came to the Bashkirs, a family with a huge amount of land. They tell him that, if he pays, he can have all the land he likes, provided he can walk the perimeter of it before sunset.
The Chief took off his fox-fur cap, placed it on the ground and said:
“This will be the mark. Start from here and return here again. All the land you go round shall be yours.”
Pahom took out his money and put it on the cap. He started walking neither slowly nor quickly. After having gone a thousand yards he stopped, dug a hole, and placed pieces of turf one on another to make it more visible. Then he quickened his pace.
Pahom went straight towards the hillock, but he now walked with difficulty. He was done up with the heat, his bare feet were cut and bruised, and his legs began to fail. He longed to rest, but it was impossible if he meant to get back before sunset. The sun waits for no man, and it was sinking lower and lower.
He looked towards the hillock and at the sun. He was still far from his goal, and the sun was already near the rim.
Pahom walked on and on; it was very hard walking but he went quicker and quicker. He pressed on, but was still far from the place.
Pahom looked at the sun, which had reached the earth: one side of it had already disappeared. With all his remaining strength he rushed on. He took a long breath and ran up the hillock. It was still light there. He reached the top and saw the cap. He fell forward and reached the cap with his hands.
Pahom’s servant came running up and tried to raise him, but he was dead!
In his sermon on the mount Jesus tells his listeners who were struggling like Pahom to amass wealth and make their life comfortable, “Blessed are those who are poor for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
A poor man is one who is devoid of something. Those who are poor in spirit are genuinely convinced of their own weakness and sinfulness. The tax collector came to the temple, stood at a distance, feeling unworthy to look up to heaven. He prayed, “Lord have mercy on me for I am a sinner.” The tax collector recognized his need for God and for forgiveness as he was poor in spirit.
“Poor in spirit” means to be humble. Humility is the realization that all our gifts and blessings come from the grace of God. Whatever we possess: life, intelligence, health and wealth are given by God. In the book of Job we read that Job was a humble man. When he received blessings and material prosperity he praised God and thanked Him for his bounty. When he lost all his fortunes He saw the divine plan of God in his misery. He humbled himself before God. And Job’s life shows that humility brings an openness and an inner peace, allowing one to do the will of God.
Jesus calls the poor happy, “because theirs is the kingdom of God.” It is pride the opposite of humility that brings misery. For pride brings anger and desire for revenge. Pride and desire for revenge destroys ones peace “Anger is a killing thing: it kills the man who angers, for each rage leaves him less than he had been before - it takes something from him.” Says Louis L'Armour. The psalmist advises us to “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil (Psalm 37:8). And “A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult “(Proverbs 12:16).
In the opinion of Jesus, those are poor who are happy with what they possess, grateful to God for it all, all are not over anxious to obtain what they do not have, cherish humility and put their trust in God. Jesus trusted God the Father and cried out at the most agonizing moments of His life, “Father, let Thy will be done.” This trust strengthened Him.
Let us listen to the words of Jeremiah in the first reading:
“A curse on the man who puts his trust in man,
Who relies on things of flesh?
“A blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord.”
Jeremiah declares that those who put their trust in God are like a tree by the water side. And they never cease to bear fruit.
Satish