Care for the Earth and for your Neighbour! (HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 6TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 6TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME,

Gen.9:1-13; Ps.102; Mark 8:27-33

Care for the Earth and for your Neighbour!

After the fall of man and the wickedness that reigned in the world thereafter, the destruction by flood followed. Today, in the first reading, we read of a new world after the flood. This new world is starting with Noah and his household. Like Adam and Eve, God charged Noah to be fruitful, to multiply and to fill the earth. Also, He gave Noah dominion over everything created. Doing this a second time speaks of God ardent desire and expectation of man to care for the earth He (God) had created. At this point, we need to ask ourselves if we are agents of love/care or agents of destruction. Are we preserving the earth or destroying it? Whatever joy/satisfaction/benefits that is derived from the destruction of the elements of earth is rather self-destructive. We should not expect to be happy when we act irresponsibly.

Moving on, God gave Noah rules on how to live henceforth. Notice that it was the disobedience to the rule given to Adam and Eve that ruptured their relationship with God. Couldn’t God have prevented such from happening again by recreating a world without rules; that there may be no transgression? While this may not be impossible, it is unrealistic. We cannot live without rules and regulations. We cannot live life just as it pleases us; without consideration for the presence, feelings and well-being of the other.

At creation, God asked that we take dominion and utilize all that He had created. This injunction is given to man towards other things created. It was not given to man towards his fellow man. God rather gave man rules to guide him in his relationship with God and his fellow humans. We are not meant to use others but to love others.

In the gospel reading, Jesus asked his disciples: who do you say that I am? Since we cannot know Christ except we have first known him in our neighbour, we can extend the question to include: who do you say that your neighbour is? Our answers to these pertinent questions informs our philosophy of life. With a wrong philosophy, life can never be meaningful.

Have a blessed day!