An Impressive Faith-HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 12TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 1ST JULY 2023

Homily for Saturday of the 12th week in ordinary time 

Genesis 18:1-15; Lk.1; Matthew 8:5-17

An Impressive Faith

For every examination, the extent to which a student will pass is dependent on the extent to which he/she is able to impress the examiner. Ordinarily, the examiner has expectations from the students. The closer a student is to the examiner’s expectation, the more marks the student will get. Should it happen that a student beats the examiner’s expectation, that student definitely will attract a very high mark and commendation.

We can picture the gospel reading of today with the lens of the above scenario. A centurion came to Jesus with a matter of urgency. His coming to Jesus was a sign of faith; he believed that Jesus could heal the servant. However, Jesus wanted to test the strength of the centurion’s faith. To say to the centurion “I will come and heal him”, means that Jesus was not going to give an immediate response to the centurion.

As an examiner, Jesus was testing the faith of the centurion. Will the centurion be patient with Jesus believing that Jesus is above time such that Jesus can never be late, or will he be discouraged that Jesus is not taking the matter at hand serious? Will the centurion go home expecting Jesus or will he go and seek for help elsewhere?

Beyond expectation, the centurion did not take any of the above positions. He asked that Jesus should just say a word and his servant will be healed. This means that his faith not only assures him that Jesus is beyond time but also not limited by distance. His faith told him that Jesus’ Word alone is enough. Jesus marveled because this man went beyond his expectation and so the centurion’s faith became an epitome for emulation.

Beloved, the whole essence of Faith is to acknowledge the greatness of God and our nothingness before Him such that in our conception of him, we do not subject him to human limitations. The more we acknowledge the greatness of God, the better we are able to relate with Him as God. Our faith is weak when we relate with God as though He is man. We are the students, God is the examiner, and our faith is our script. The greater our faith, the more impressive our script will be to the examiner. Those without faith are like those who never sat for the examination. Thus, without faith no one can please God.

OR

Homily for Saturday of the 12th week in ordinary time  

Genesis 18:1-15. Luke 1:46-47,48-49,50,53,64-55. Matthew 8:5-17.

What is our attitude towards strangers,

particularly in a country like our ours that is full of insecurity? In the first reading, Abraham saw three men standing in front of him. He ran to meet them and offered to feed them. In fact, he provides a sumptuous meal - cakes, meat, curds, milk - and all with the greatest courtesy (cf.Gen.18:6-8).

What came out of Abraham's kind gesture was least expected. These three men brought him the good news that he would be a father through his wife Sarah, though both were very old.

We must imitate Abraham's spirit of hospitality. When we are hospitable, we show that we are civilised people.

St. Paul tells us: "Extend hospitality" (Rom.12:13). We must not neglect to show hospitality to strangers (cf. Heb.13:2). Hospitality must be a characteristic of every Christian, especially a bishop and a priest (cf. 1 Tim.3:2; Tit.1:8), and of course, religious also.

In today's Gospel, we see in the centurion who was a non-believer, a man of great faith, humility, and above all, he truly loved his servant. Being a centurion, he had a hundred soldiers under his authority, such that if one was sick, he could call on the service of ninety-nine others. In the midst of all these, he approached Jesus in humility, begging him to come and heal one of his sick servants.

With Jesus accepting to come and heal his servant, he said, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed" (Matt.8:8). It is this great confession of faith of the centurion that is repeated at every celebration of the Holy Mass just before the reception of Holy Communion. His faith brought healing to his servant. Jesus marvelled at his faith and said, "Truly, Isay to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith" (Matt.8:10).

Here was a man considered to be a non-believer being granted his heart's desires simply because of his faith and humility. We have to understand that once there is a mouth to pray, there is a God who answers. And miracles from Christ are preceded by faith. Faith in God is best expressed in action like the centurion. Faith accompanied by love moves God.

May God grant us the virtue of humility and an increase in faith accompanied by good deeds through Christ our Lord. Amen