Homily Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time
Year B: Fr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo
- Ezekiel 17:22-24;
- Psalm 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16;
- 2 Cor 5:1-10
- Mark 4:26-34
We Walk by Faith Not by Sight (2 Cor
5:6-10)
On
every Third Sunday in June we celebrate Father’s Day here in the United States
of America. Many of us…. are familiar with its social history that goes back to
the 1907 mining incidence in West Virginia. As a faith family (at Mother
Cabrini Church and elsewhere), with eyes on the Kingdom of God, it is an ideal time
to take a little moment to pray for our families, and recall the importance of
parenting, mentoring and father-figures in our lives; as well as the gift and
place of faith; trusting in God, and in the workings of the mysteries of his kingdom in our lives and for our friends and families in different parts of the world.
As
we heard in the parables of today’s scriptures (parables of the eagles, of the trees
and of seeds), God accompanies each of us, including our parents, our fathers,
our mothers, on our journeys; in everything that we do; small or big. But it only takes faith to realize this—the hiddenness
of God’ Kingdom, of his love and mercy in our lives.
In
the concluding section of the parable of the eagle (Ezek 17:22-24), Ezekiel, a
prophet of exile explains how God protects those who trust him, even when they
found themselves in exile- there is hope for return, provided they kept the faith. In his
prophecy, Ezekiel seems to be referencing king Zedekiah, in particular who broke his oath and
faith in God, in the face of the threat of “the eagle” Nebuchadnezzar, the king
of Babylon. Although Zedekiah is
removed, God will provide Israel a savior, a messiah in a very mysterious way,
in the person of Christ of Mark’s Gospel, Son of Mary, as prophesied by Israel’s
prophets( Isaiah 9:6-7). He is the one that sows a mustard seed in today's Gospel parable.
This little mustard seed that Jesus, Israel’
Messiah sows in today’ Gospel parable of the kingdom is the word of God, the
message of the Kingdom of God- love, peace, forgiveness, parental responsibilities,
corporeal and spiritual works of mercy. It is a mystery. This mysterious message of the
Kingdom requires a faith-response from each of us, by loving others back, for
God first loved us; by caring of one another, because God first cared for each us.
We
are invited to grow this message; to run home with it. We are invited to allow this message of the
kingdom to grow in our lives and in our homes-, becoming like a big tree, welcoming
every bird, welcoming everyone, training our children, loving our spouses,
giving , even if it is a cup of cold water
to travelers and immigrants we may not have met before; forgiving those who may
have offended.
This Kingdom of God, as portrayed in in Marks
Gospel, and as preached by Paul in 2 Corinthian 5:6-10, requires faith, hope
and courage, no matter how small. It is a mystery that can only be perceived
and practiced by those, who place their faith and hope, in Christ Jesus, believing
and hoping that Christ is the herald of the Kingdom of God. Each of us from all
walks of life and culture has a place in this kingdom even with the minutest faith,
love and acts of charity we daily perform.
I have
no doubt that even in the face of adversities, mysteries, disappointment, threats,
bad economy, unfaithfulness, insult, war, famine, illness, loss of our loved
ones, many of our parents, particularly our fathers know how to persevere. They
know how to love their wives and children. They know how to teach hard work,
endurance, patience, respect, care and forgiveness to their children.
We
want to honor our husbands today. We want to pray for our fathers and father-
figures today, including our mentors and teachers, our brothers, friends,
nephews and uncles. We want to appreciate them. And share in the gifts that God
has blessed them with, especially the gift of faith in God. For we “walk by
faith and not by sight.”
Reflection
Questions:
- What jumps out for you in today’s scripture passages?
- How often do you recognize the presence of God’s kingdom in your live and faith community- even in little things and places?
- What challenges our faith and trust in God?
