Homily- Saturday
of the 22nd Week of Ord. Time, Yr. B./ Memorial of Saint Teresa of Calcutta
v 1 Cor 4:6b-15
v Ps 145: 17-18, 19-20, 21
v Luke 6:1-5
We are poor,
fools, and persecuted, Selfless for the Sake of Christ
Today we celebrate
the memorial, the life of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta Bojaxhiu. She was
born on August 26, 1910 in Skopje. She was the youngest of her siblings. She
received her first Holy Communion at the age of five, joined the sisters of
Loreto in Ireland at the age of 18 before moving to India where she later on
October 7th, 1950, feast of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, founded the Missionaries of Charity religious
congregation devoted to the service of the poorest of the poor, the homeless,
sick and the needy. And was canonized a saint on September 4th, 2016
by Pope Francis.
Saint Teresa’s
life is reflected in the life of Christ crucified, preached by Paul in today’s
first reading, 1 Cor 4:6b-15. While applying to himself and Apollos the entire
argument for unity begun in 1 Corinthian 1:10, Paul challenged the church in
Corinth against pride, since there was nothing they had they were received from the Lord.
Foreshadowing
Saint Mother Teresa of Culcutta’ life of humility and dedicated services to the
poorest of the poor, Paul in the first reading, as he had done throughout this
week, reminded the church in ancient Corinth( and us today) of the content of
the Gospel and its implications which Saint Teresa came to know and live. In
preaching the Gospel, Paul admonishes “when ridiculed, we bless, when
persecuted, we endure, when slandered, we respond gently,” (vv.12-14). That is to say, we are poor, fools, selfless for the sake of Christ!
In other
words, witnessing the Gospel does not
demand inflation with pride, boasting, back-biting, gossiping, sowing division,
selfishness and empty externalism, or blowing of ones trumpet of achievements,
as the biblical Pharisees were accustomed. Rather, Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta
is an embodiment of exemplary Gospel witness we are called to imitate, where
ever we are serving in different parts of the world.
Among other things, or responsibilities, we
are called as also indicated in Jesus’ interaction with the Pharisees in the
Gospel of Luke 6:1-6 today, to a new post-exilic-meaning and life of the Sabbath.
Sabbath’s meaning
from the Genesis account, where Christ rested on the 7th day after
creation, continued to evolve with renewed interpretation, throughout the
exilic period to the time of Christ. In
Christ’s time, in particular, Sabbath would not be antithetical to charity,
compassion, kindness, mercy, unity, dialogue, and love of one’s neighbor.
Since, Christ,
the Son of Man, the Son of God is the Lord and Master of the Sabbath (Sabbath/rest),
healing, charity, works of mercy, forgiveness, assisting the homeless, feeding
the hungry, helping those kids in schools, orphanages, visiting those in
prison, helping those who are sick with all forms of diseases, including HIV/AIDs,
leprosy, tuberculosis (ongoing pandemic of corona virus), on the Sabbath is not
unethical or unlawful, as exemplified by Saint Teresa of Culcutta.
May Saint Teresa intercede for us so that we
may not be ashamed or discouraged in preaching the Gospel of unity and dialogue,
serving the poor, the sick and the needy in good times and in bad times!
Reflection
Questions
1.
How often do we reflect on I Cor
1:10 ff the unity that Paul preaches?
2.
How often do we strive to imitate Saint
Teresa of Calcutta in serving the poor, the sick and the needy?
3.
What do we possess that we have not
received from the Lord?
