The Truth Restores (HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II (JULY 06 2024)

HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II (JULY 06 2024)

Amos 9:11-15; Ps. 85; Matthew 9:14-17

The Truth Restores

The first reading of today concludes the prophecy of Amos. It is often seen as an addition to the prophecy of Amos after the return from exile. Unlike the impending doom that has characterized the prophecy of Amos, this concluding part gives a positive ending. The rich who marginalize the poor vehemently turned down God’s warning and invitation to repentance through Prophet Amos. And so, they went into exile on account of their sins and stubbornness.

The restoration of Israel comes after the return from exile. This gives us a perfect picture of God’s intention for us all. God is never interested in the death of anyone; not even a sinner. We may think that we are the ones asking for God’s redemption, but in truth, it is God who never seizes to seek an opportunity to save us. He has made us in his image and likeness; and so, He ultimately does not want us to die but to live, for he is a living God. The Lord speaks of peace for his people.

Today, we are called to evaluate our receptiveness to the truth. A consistent deafness to the truth will definitely lead to an exilic experience. The truth is not meant to pacify us but to purify us. God is able to watch over us because he will not spare us from the truth. In the same way too, those who dare to speak the truth to our faces are actually guiding us against pitfalls. The personality of the person speaking does not matter; what matters is that it is the truth that is spoken.

Jesus condemns a life of hypocrisy in the gospel reading. Hypocrites wants to be associated with the truth but only for the show of it; they do not want the truth to purify them. That is why they remain old wineskins but want new wine to be poured into them. The old wineskin will burst and the new wine will spill. This means that even though the truth may be hidden for some time, it can never be buried. A person of falsehood is in perpetual fear of being caught.

Beloved, when we take the courage to embrace the truth and live by it, God promises to restore us. Nothing can restore us as much as a sure of hope of eternal life. Truth is golden; if you’ve got someone who says it to you, cherish and keep that person for there are not so many of them out there. True friends help one another to make heaven.