HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 33RD WEEK IN THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II/the fortitude of the church

Homily for Saturday of the 33rd week in the ordinary time year II

Revelation 11:4-12; Luke 20:27-40

The first reading speaks of two olive trees and two lampstands. It reads: "When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the streets...for three and half days" (Rev 11:7-9). "But after the three and half days, the breath of life from God entered them, they stood on their feet,..then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, 'come up here's. And they went up to heaven in a cloud while their enemies watched them" ( Rev 11:11-12).

The details above are expression of the fortitude of the church as she witnesses victoriously to the kingdom of God here on earth. God is so gracious to the church such that no power in the world or under the world can destroy the church and its members. It is a fulfilment of the prayer of Jesus: "The gate of Hades will not prevail against it" (Mt 16:18).

Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, The church over time and history has suffered so much even to the verge of extinction. However, from the verge of death, the church has always risen to new life. The fortitude of the church is rooted in Christ Jesus, the eternal and solid rock of ages. 

In the Gospel reading of today, Jesus vindicates the resurrection from the dead. He said to the Sadducees: "And the fact the dead are raised, Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead but of the living; for to him all are alive" (Lk 20:37-38).

A vivid example was that on the Mount of transfiguration, we are told that there appeared Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus (Mt 17:3). This was indicative that they were alive. 

By the words: The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Jesus expressed the truth that God is not a distant or cold God but the God of history, who is near and close to humanity even via his incarnation. 

By the expression "is God not of the dead but of the living" (LK 20:38).  Is indicative that God wants us to alive. He came that we "may have life and have it abundantly" (Jn 10:10). Alive in all aspects: physically, spiritually, intellectually, morally and otherwise. 

Hence in the church, we must dedicate ourselves to give fullness of life to our brothers and sisters. May we never be instruments that causes death rather than life to humanity. For when we detract, calumniate, ignore, abandon, continually find fault with people, we end up killing them rather than giving life to them.

We pray that God will grant us the grace to constantly contribute towards the development of our neighbour by seeing that person's around us are filled with life. 

Have a joyful day 

Fr Remi osj