Homily- Wednesday of the 24th
Week in Ord. Time Yr. B./ Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian,
Bishop, Martyrs
v I Cor
12:31-13:13
v Ps 33:2-3,4-5,12,22
v Luke 7:31-37
Faith, Hope and Love- the
Greatest!
Yesterday we celebrated the
memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows and contemplated Mary’s role in saving passion
of her Son, Jesus Christ. Today we join the Church universal to celebrate the
memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope and Cyprian, Bishop. Both were not only Martyrs,
but defended the faith. As noted in the opening prayer” both spent themselves (lovingly)
and without reserve (unselfishly) for the unity of the Church, something, that
we have heard echoing into today’s Bible readings as well!
In the first reading Saint
Paul continues his admonition and call for unity and love in the Corinthian Church,
began in I Corinthian 1: 10. Here, Paul having been informed of the problem in
the community of Corinth, wrote to them, “for it has been reported to me by
Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sister,” as
is common today in our various communities, homes, parishes, institutions and
dioceses.
In the case of Paul and the Corinthians,
their problems spilt from spiritual infancy to empty boastings, and from
arrogance, to mere human philosophy (Sophia), and from mere pursuits of Hellenism
to disregard to the divine and
God- given diversity in the community; and from this lack of acknowledgement
to communal diversity to acute division even during worship and Eucharist, and
boasting about gifts ( 1 Cor 12:31-13:13) with lack of true love and readiness and courage
to spend ones’ life for the good of the community, as Saint Cornelius and Cyprian
did during their times.
How many of us today are
willing to leave their comfort zones, homes, apartments, towns, villages,
cities, communities, families, familiar territories and courageously embark on
missionary life, like Paul, and many others for the sake of the Gospel, or of
the community. What responsibilities have we shouldered before, with love, for
the sake of others?
To the Church in Corinth, and
perhaps to each of, we must listen to Saint Paul. There are hierarchies of gifts.
If we, or “I speak in human an angelic tongues but do not have love, I am
nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I
may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” Paul reminds me of Amos 5 (Hosea 6:6) that rejects
empty songs, noises, and hymns (chamon shirim) and sacrifices, without
mercy, kindness, patient, forgiveness, righteousness, justice and love,
especially of the poor and those on the margins, which Pope Francis, the
current “Pope of Mercy” recommends!
No wonder, the summary of the
greatest commandments by Christ would always be “love God, and neighbor as
oneself,” (Matt 22:37-40). For Paul, granted some of us can see visions and
speak in tongues, love is the greatest, for “love is patient, love is kind. It
is not jealousy, love is not pompous, and it is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interest, it is not quick –tempered, it does not brood
over injury, it does not rejoice over wrong doing, but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things,”
like Saint Cornelius and Cyprian and of course, our Mother Mary, Our Lady of
Sorrows, whom we celebrated yesterday!
As the Lukan Jesus also noted
in the today’s Gospel (Luke 7:31-35), certain mature behavior is expected of
all God’s children. They must not be pursuing frivolous and shallow things,
thoughts and values like children. The relationship, between Jesus and John the
Baptist had been settled, just as that of Paul and Apollo should not divide us,
nor the sentiments of the polarized words so common in our society today. Rather, mature
Christians in the light of Saint Cornelius and Cyprian’s virtues' commemoration today,
must not just pursue faith and hope, but all their actions must be guided by
love of God and ones’ neighbor!
Reflection Questions
1.
How often do we not spent our time and energy
commenting or pursuing shadows, or that which does not really matter in faith
community, like Love?
2.
What are your gifts and what are your priorities in
light of today’s Bible lessons?
3.
Like Saint Cornelius and Cyprian in what way have
you spent life, time, energy, gifts and talents without reserve, for the unity
of the Church and your community, as stipulated in the opening prayer today?
