What the Lord expects of us! Homily for Friday of the 8th week in ordinary time JUNE 2023

HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR 1 (JUNE 02, 2023)

Sirach 44:1,9-13; Ps.149; Mark 11:11:25

What the Lord expects of us!

On two different grounds, Jesus was disappointed in the gospel reading of today. In each of these occasions, the agents of Christ’s disappointment did not go unpunished. Expectation precedes disappointment. Christ expected fruitfulness from the tree and attitude of prayer from those who rather sold and bought in the temple. For Jesus to have cursed the tree means that all that was necessary for the tree to be fruitful was provided for the tree. For Jesus to have driven the buyers and sellers in the temple means that the people were very much aware that it was wrong to buy and sell in the temple. That explains why Jesus who was always teaching in order to emancipate ignorance, took up a decisive action.

Beloved, the God who created us and saved us, has done so with so much expectations from us. He expects us to remain connected with him in prayers and he also expects us to continually bear fruits so that through our fruits, we may impact the world positively. When we fall short of any of these, we disassociate ourselves from the fountain of life.

Reflecting on Jesus’ encounter with the fruitless tree, it was clearly stated that it was not the season for figs. Ordinarily, this is a sufficient excuse for the fig tree. However, the message here is that the Lord does not expect us to be seasonal in bearing fruits. Do not say because you have done good yesterday, you can afford to relent today. To be always fruitful is also a way of being vigilant because we do not know when the master will come.

It surprised the disciples that the cursed tree was found withered on their way out of the city. The Lord who blesses, is also capable of cursing; that explains why he gave his disciples power both to forgive sins and to retain sins. While we continue to ask the Lord to bless us, let us be careful not to attract curses through our actions and inactions.