The Secrets of the kingdom of Heaven!-HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE SIXTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 27TH JULY 2023

The Secrets of the kingdom of Heaven!-HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE SIXTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 27TH JULY 2023

Exodus 19:1-2.9-11.16-20b; Daniel 3; Matthew 13:10-17

The Secrets of the kingdom of Heaven!

The will of God is that all men should be saved. But this will respects the freewill of every individual. God brings about the salvation of man through interaction/encounter. In the Incarnation, God fully and substantially encountered man in his existential condition. In the first reading of today, the Lord expressed this innate desire for the salvation of humanity through encounter. He said to Moses: “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak, and may also believe you for ever”.

Here, we find that the Lord wanted to be heard not only by Moses but also by the people. But the phrase: “and may also believe you forever”, suggests that the Lord does not intend to always speak to the people in this manner. Subsequently, He wants to speak to them through Moses. So, this first encounter was to convince them to believe and accept as God’s Word, whatever they will be hearing through Moses henceforth.

The point here is that God sometimes uses extraordinary events in our lives to speak to us so that we may learn how to see and believe Him in the ordinary events of our lives. Where we often miss the point is when we want to base our faith on only those extraordinary events. This always implies that we jettison or underrate the ordinary events of life through which God wants to regularly encounter us. Imagine someone who was once healed during a crusade program, no longer having regard for the Holy Mass because he/she thinks that it is only through specially organized programs that God can minister to his people. Such a person has clearly closed his/her mind to God.

This was the focus of Jesus’ words in the today’s gospel. His parables seemed meaningless to some persons because they would not border themselves to think them through. In fact, they were not interested in the parables; they just wanted miracles. With their shallow understanding and little faith, they could not perceive the greater miracle that comes with understanding the Word. Jesus noted that this understanding opens one to the secrets of God’s kingdom.

Beloved, in our ardent search for God, let us not be lofty but humble. The highly exalted God reveals the mysteries of the kingdom to little ones. Little ones here means those who are humble enough to allow their faith grow like a mustard seed. Hence, take seriously your pious devotions both at home and in the Church; be consistent in those silent works of charity and concerns/admonition you give to others. Don’t joke with the frequent reception of the sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Penance. These and many others have the capacity to open to us the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.