Be not a Faultfinder(HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 24TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (ST. ANDREW KIM & COMPANIONS) 20TH SEPTEMBER 2023

Be not a Faultfinder(HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 24TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (ST. ANDREW KIM & COMPANIONS)

1Tim.3:14-16; Ps.111; Luke 7:31-35

Be not a Faultfinder

In today’s gospel, Jesus confronted the unbelief and unreceptive attitude of the people to the gospel under the guise of fault finding. They did not believe in John the Baptist because they thought he was too austere and not fully involved in the activities of men. They presented these complaints as their justification for not believing.

When they observed Jesus, they complained that he was eating and mingling with sinners. For this reason, they doubted his authenticity and will not want to believe in him. Beloved, we too fall into this error when we continue to focus our attention only on what our leaders have not done well. A fault finder will always find faults not because faults are actually present but because he or she views life with the lens of fault.

Whatever you do not want to do, you will always have excuses to give; whatever it is that you want to do, no challenge will be too great to overcome. For example, we sometimes give the excuse of rain for not going to Church on Sundays but we will not consider the same rain as an excuse for not going to work. Jesus tells us that where our treasure is, there our hearts will be. If we always have excuses why we will not be entirely surrendered to God, then our hearts is clearly not with God.

OR

Homily for Wednesday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time. 

Memorial of St. Andrew Kim Tae-Gon, Priest, and Paul Chong Ha-Sang, and Companions (Martyrs). 

1 Timothy 3:14-16. Psalm 111:1b-2,3-4,5-6. Luke 7:31-35.

St. Paul tells us in the first reading that the Church is the household of God (cf.1 Tim.3:15). Jesus tells us, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in their midst" (Matt.18:20). The Christian community is the household of the living God. The Church is God's house. Each time we are gathered in worship in the Church, we should ensure that we are properly disposed to receive God's blessings.

The Church is also "the pillar and bulwark of the truth" (1 Tim.3:15). The Church is not the source of truth. The Church is only the guardian and guarantees the truths of salvation. The Church is established in the world by our Lord Jesus Christ like a pillar or a foundation on which his revelation rests. The truth is in good and safe keeping in the Church, and from the Church, it shines forth to enlighten the darkness of error.

Jesus, in today's Gospel, tells us, "The Son of man has come eating and drinking, and you say, Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by all her children' " (Luke 7:34-35). These words reveal the truth about the mode of the being of Christ Jesus, of feeling and behaviour in regard to sinners. A man like us in all things except sin. He was criticised for being a friend of sinners and tax collectors, especially by the scribes and the Pharisees.

"Yet wisdom is justified by all her children" (Luke 7:35). Christ is our wisdom (cf.1 Cor.1:30). Those who follow Christ are truly wise! Their own life testifies to the wise choice they have made. Our life will only manifest that we are truly God's children if we do whatever Christ tells us (cf.John 2:5).

Despite the holy way of living by our Lord Jesus Christ, there are still those who still continue to criticise and find faults in everything He does. They condemned everything from the past and do not follow anything from the present. Prominent among these people are the scribes and the Pharisees.

Some of us are not different from them. We complain, argue, and are never satisfied with anything. If we are not complaining about the Church, we are complaining about the government, but we never grumble or complain about ourselves. This attitude makes proposing anything about virtue seem alien. No matter what the means, we try to entice such people to be virtuous.

Let us stop complaining and learn to see the good even in the bad situation we find ourselves and be consoled with the words of St. Paul, "All things work together for good for those who love God" (Rom.8:28).

Today, we celebrate the martyrdom of a group of 103 martyrs from Korea, who gave their lives during the persecutions of the nineteenth century. Andrew Kim Tae-Gon was the first Korean Catholic priest, Paul Chong Ha-Sang, who was a lay missionary and a catechist. Besides three bishops and seven priests, the group is composed of heroic lay people of all ages. They all suffered greatly for the faith and consecrated the rich beginnings of the Church of Korea with their blood as martyrs.

Pope St. John Paul II,during his trip to Korea, canonised them on May 6, 1984, and inserted their feast into the calendar of the Catholic Church.

May God, through the intercession of St. Andrew Kim Tae-Gon and his companions grant us the grace to make the best out of every situation we find ourselves through Christ our Lord. Amen.