HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 5TH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME

Homily for Monday of the 5th week in Ordinary time 

Saint Paul Miki and Companions

Genesis 1:1-19; Mark 6: 53-56

*God is the creator of heaven and earth

The First reading of today from the book of Genesis gives us a day-to-day narration of the account of creation. Acknowledging indeed that God is the creator of all there is. It says: "In the beginning God created heaven and earth" (Gen 1:1). Obviously, The world did not come into being by accident or chance. It was created and designed by God. Psalm 23:1-2 tells us: "The Lord's is the earth and its fullness,  the world and all its peoples. It is he who set it on the seas, and on the water he made it firm". 

The goodness of creation proceeded from God who is all good. Creation shares in God's goodness. We are told after every day of creation "God saw that it was good...very good" (Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 31)

As apparently observed in the sacred scriptures, it is fitting to say that the truth about creation is the object of our faith. In the apostolic creed, we profess: "I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth". God created "ex nihilo" meaning "out of nothing". He did not create and abandoned the world. He remains present to the world. 

The church continues to defend the faith in God as the creator of all there is.  She defends the goodness of creation and demands the need that humanity should not abuse creation but respect it as ordered by God. Pope Francis in his second encyclical "Laudato si" speaks of the care we must render towards the earth as our common home. He condemned the global warming and environmental degradation caused by the abuses . Hence, he called swift and unified global action to save the earth.

Beloved in Christ, what is your attitude in maintaining the goodness enshrined by God in creation?

God in His goodness continues to draw us closer to Him, and we see this reflected in today's Gospel that no sooner had Jesus stepped out of the boat with his disciples that people started bringing sick people to him, "and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched it were made well" (Mark 6:56). 

The goodness of God is made perfect in our lives each time we recognise the presence of Jesus around us, especially in the poor, the sick, and the needy, and we embrace Jesus in them, our lives will be transformed for the better.

We celebrate the memorial of St. Paul Miki and his Companions today. He was born in Japan between the years 1564 and 1566. He joined the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit) and preached the Gospel with success.

A great persecution of Catholics arose, and he and twenty-five others were seized and subjected to terrible tortures, and finally were crucified at Nagasaki, Japan on the 5th of February, 1597. This is what he said, and did while he was being persecuted: "After Christ's example, I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain."

Through the intercession of St. Paul Miki and his Companions, may God's goodness be made manifest in our lives by doing good always and avoiding evil through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Have a blessed day

Fr Remi osj