Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Homily)
October 18, 2015 9:00 am · Father David Mbimadong
Dear friends, as we draw closer to the end of the Liturgical year, the Old Testament readings speak of the mercy of God by which He seeks to save the people He created in His own image. The first reading brings us face to face with the prophet Isaiah who spoke of a certain servant of God whom the LORD would send into the world. He pointed out that this servant would give His life as an offering for sin. The prophet foretold that through His suffering this servant would justify many, for He would bear all their guilt.
The second reading (from the Letter to the Hebrews) sees this servant of God as Jesus, the Son of God. It says, in Jesus the servant of God, we have a high priest who understands our human limitations and weaknesses. It adds that He is able to sympathize with our weaknesses because He himself has been tested in every way like us though he has no sin. It concludes that since we have, in Jesus, such a great high priest, we should not be afraid to approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace when we are in need of help.
And to all those who entertain the hope of approaching the Throne of Glory to find timely help Jesus says;
“ … whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be a slave to all. For the Son of Man Himself did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His LIFE as a ransom for many.”
Dear friends, in all this, we learn that God’s mercy is available to the humble in heart who, daily, make the effort to approach the Throne of Grace seeking mercy and grace in their time of need – that is all those who realize they are in constant need of the Holy Spirit to grow in faith and in charity.
The Lord Jesus realized how easily human beings could get mixed up when it comes to our faith and the leadership role we have to play in our communities and the larger society. So he drew the attention of His apostles to the fact that, their type of leadership is that of service and NOT a show of greatness. And he gave Himself as an example for all to follow. He explained that His greatness comes from the service he renders to the world – his self-sacrifice to make salvation available to all those who need it.
Today, in our world, we pay less attention to Jesus’ call to humility. Everyone seeks prominence in society and that is where we fail to receive mercy from God.
Everyone who wants to share in God’s mercy and grace must necessarily walk the way of humility. That’s the surer way to salvation.
