Pay attention to what comes out of you-Homily for Tuesday of the 18th week in ordinary time 8th August 2023

HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (ST. DOMINIC 

Num.12:1-13; Ps.51; Matthew 15:1-2, 10-14

Pay attention to what comes out of you

In the gospel reading of today, the Pharisees and the Scribes complained to Jesus about the uncleanliness of his disciples especially as regards observing the rituals of etiquette. For Jesus, this was a good opportunity to address the pretentious religiosity of the Pharisees and the Scribes. While they accused Jesus’ disciples of paying no attention to the outside, they were guiltier of paying no attention to the inside. Jesus said that a man becomes unclean on account of what emerges from him; not on the basis of what goes into him. So, if we want to be holy, we should be more mindful of what we emit. This includes our actions, behaviours, habits, words, gesticulations, body languages and so on. All of these can have moral undertone. When they are positive, they lead us to holiness; but when they are negative, they lead us to sin.

In the first reading of today, Miriam and Aaron emitted something negative. They spoke against Moses on account of his prophetic ministry. Out of envy, they tried to exalt themselves as God’s mouthpiece too; all in a bid to say that there is nothing special about Moses and what he does. This conspiracy amounted to conspiracy against God who actually speaks and acts through Moses. At the end, their negative utterance brought God’s wrath upon them such that they relied on the same Moses to intercede for them before God.

Beloved, we need to be mindful of what we say and how we act towards others. In all you do, do not fight an innocent or a poor man. Do not envy the one whom God is raising up. Do not attack the glory of God in the lives of others. It is always possible to rise without bringing others down. Know that when we you sell out your brother or sister, you will not win the trust of the buyer. If there is one thing that no one can defeat or evade it is the Grace of God; the Justice of God.

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Dominic; the founder of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans). The name is of Spanish origin (Domingo) meaning “I belong to God”. Truly, Dominic was an ardent and eloquent preacher of God’s word. What came out of him was simply God’s message for His people. He was very instrumental in combating the heresies of his time especially that of Albigenses that believed that flesh and all matter was evil. How can this be true when the world was created by God and Jesus came in the flesh! Dominic was notable for his obsession with truth, an acute sense of duty, devotion to the Rosary, and so on. His miracles, which included the raising of the dead, were a testimony to his holiness.

Truly, what comes out of a man is what makes him either clean or unclean. So, St. Dominic would say: “A man who governs his passions is master of the world”. Let us seek to grow in holiness in this regard.