HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME-Discipline as part of Christian growth

Homily for Wednesday of the 4th week in the ordinary time 

Hebrews 12;4-7, 11-15; Mark 6:1-6

"Discipline as part of Christian growth"

"The danger of familiarity syndrome"

The first reading of today's liturgy speaks to us on the place of discipline in Christian growth. It says: "My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose heart when you are punished by him. For the Lord disciplines those whom he loves and chastises every child whom he accepts" (Heb 12:56). 

Discipline is an indispensable character in the life of every Christian. We must via discipline and training learn how to submit to the demands of the Gospel values. We must overcome our evil inclinations and faithfully embrace with constancy the precepts of God.

Beloved in Christ, there is no vocation without difficulty. However, we mustn't be discouraged. Just as drivers stick to the rules of the road in other to avoid calamity, so also we, in other to stick to the rules of our vocation must be disciplined at all time. We must keep awake and maintain the laws of our Christian vocation to avoid disaster as well. Remember, it is through discipline, suffering that God gets the most out of us, for his glory and for the good of others. 

In the Gospel reading we are told that Jesus along his disciples visited his hometown (Mk 6:1). He arrived his hometown as a Rabbi, where he lived almost thirty years of his life. Unfortunately, they did not accept him nor his teachings. They questioned: where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? Is this not the carpenter? We are told they took offence at him...and he was amazed at their unbelief (Mk 6:2-6).

Obviously,  they were prejudiced against him which was rooted in their familiarity of him. He was a mere carpenter (Mk 6:3) so to say, whom they didn't expect after having left the town, would return in such a magnificent way. Familiarity they say breeds contempt.  

Jesus said to them: "Prophets are  not without honour, except in his own hometown, and among their own kinsmen" (Mk 6:4). 

Friends in Christ, have we become so familiar with the things of God, to have lost the sense of the sacred? Have we become too familiar with the sacrifice of the mass, to have lost the liturgical guidelines for the celebration? Many a times we do not value the gifts and talents of others around us due to the familiarity syndrome. We become jealous of their growth and ambition because we have a stereotyped mindset about them. When they exceed our expectations we develop prejudice against them and most probably work to mitigate their growth. This was the attitude of the kinsmen of Jesus, which never fostered growth and development. We must certainly abrogated this vice in our relationship with our neighbour. 

We pray this day that in our frequent encounter with God, we may never lose the sense of the sacred rather may it grant us the regular opportunity to constantly grow in faith and steadfastness in Christ Jesus.

May God bless his words in our hearts both now and forevermore.  Amen

Fr Remi osj