Fr Ronie Baleli, SVD of the GHANA PROVINCE of the Society of the Divine Word
Homily for the 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time
FIRST READING: WISDOM 11: 22-12: 2
PSALM: PSALM 144 (145): 1-2, 8-11, 13b-14
SECOND READING: 2 THESSALONIANS 1: 11-2: 2
GOSPEL: LUKE 19: 1-10
1. Today’s readings remind us of God’s immense mercy and love for each one of us. He desires that all people should be saved and that sinners may have every CHANCE TO REPENT (1st Reading). He wants us to TURN TO HIM so that we may receive power and strength to fulfill our desires for goodness and to complete all we have been doing through faith, for His glory (2nd Reading). He looks at us not by what people say about us or by what we have done or have become but by what He had created us to be -of who we really are. He looks at us with eyes full of mercy and compassion -in need of His salvation (Gospel reading).
2. How many God-given chances have we missed already in our life? Have we been abusing God’s generosity and goodness? Do we listen more to what people say about us? What weakness/sin that we have to overcome or climb over so as to see and meet Jesus?
3. God invites us today to take or grab the C.H.A.N.C.E.S. He has been giving us so as not to miss the salvation that He wants to give us. The devil has its own way of blinding us from seeing God’s offer of salvation. It will tell us that we are useless, unworthy to be loved, and underserving salvation. It will make us listen more to the negative comments of people about us until we isolate ourselves from them and hate them (Zacchaeus’ life). It will make us forget our identity as Children of God (sons of Abraham) who Have the Ability to Neglect, Cast away, and Eliminate Sin, by virtue of our baptism. Taking the God-given C.H.A.N.C.E.S. begins by Climbing High and Above the Numbing Consequences or Effects of Sin in our lives so as to see and experience Christ and His All Nourishing Compassion and Eternal Salvation. Let us then turn to Christ and Humbly Accept our Need to Clasp and Experience His Salvation. Let us not miss our C.H.A.N.C.E.S. so as to hear from Him; “Today, salvation has come to this house!”
May God bless and guide each one of us! Amen.
“May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the light of the Word and the Spirit of grace. And may the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all people” (St. Arnold Janssen)
