Pray about that mockery Homily for Wednesday of the 9th week in ordinary time JUNE W2023

HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 9TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME,

Tobit 3:1-11a.16-17a; Ps.25; Mark 12:18-27

Pray about that mockery

Two days ago we read of how Tobit’s neighbours mocked him. Yesterday, we also read of Tobit’s wife mocked him. Even though Tobit was an upright man, being human, these mockery got to him. In like manner, today’s first reading presents us with the predicament of Sarah, the daughter of Raguel who was also mocked by her father’s maid because the evil demon Asmodeus had consecutively slain seven of her husbands before they could be with her as wife. Ordinarily, these maids would not dare talk back at Sarah but because of her predicament, they dared to mock her before her face.

Both Tobit and Sarah decided to cry to God with their pains of mockery. Their sufferings were of no fault of theirs; yet, it became a cause for their ridicule. Sometimes, when we find ourselves in the situation of Tobit and Sarah, we make the mistake of focusing on those who mock us. We try to get back at them, or at least, plan to do so as soon as we can. In such state, we become more embittered in our situation. But then, we remember that Jesus too was mocked during his passion, down to while he hung on the cross. Jesus never gave a face to those who mocked him, because that would amount to distraction.

Tobit and Sarah refused to be distracted by mockery. They rather went into deep prayers to God. They talked to God about their individual predicament and how their dignity had been trampled upon. They wanted God to fight for them and restore their joys. We too should learn from this! The prevalent practice of Christianity is such that people are using their problems to search for the enemies that caused the problems. Some others are counting those who did not assist them to survive or solve the problems, and so on. The result is, our problems, because we are not handling them well, are causing more problems for and amongst us. At such, rather than getting solution to what troubles us, the problem multiplies.

Beloved, only God can truly and completely heal us as He did for Tobit and Sarah in today’s first reading. Like the psalmist, let us learn to always lift up our souls to God. Remember: those who leave everything in God’s hands will always see God’s hands in everything. The cause of our problems may vary; the impact of our problems can be relative; the duration of the pain also varies; but the common solution to them all is effective prayer. Tobit prayed for more than four years; teaching us the need to pray until something happens.