💖 HOMILY - FEBRUARY 13 💖

First Reading - Genesis 4:1-15,25

Gospel - Mark 8:11-13

It's said: "To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible." (St. Thomas Aquinas) This statement explains the content of the readings of today. The readings also invite us to have a well-disposed heart to grow in faith.

The first reading recounts the spiral effects of sins; sins beget sin. The story of Cain and Abel could be anchored in the ancient historical conflict that arose between the shepherds and the farmers. However, the biblical account has spiritual connotations as well. The feeling of envy stirs Cain to kill his own brother or rather one sin incites the other sin. The feeling of envy of Cain could have been sublimated positively to accept the situation, appreciate his brother and himself do better. Cain entertaines his envy and takes revenge from his brother for the rejection of his offering by God. This passage invites us to keep a close watch of our negative emotions because they could lead us to grave and serious consequences like Cain. This happens with Cain because he was ill-disposed to God as God also warned him in the passage to correct his disposition of heart (to tame his negative emotions) before he intended to kill his own brother.

In the gospel, today we hear about the demands of the Pharisees from Jesus for a sign. What the Pharisees wanted was not another healing or exorcism or feeding or subjugation of nature but a "sign from heaven," that is an apocalyptic manifestation that would prove beyond all doubt that Jesus had God's approval. In other words, the Pharisees wanted God to vindicate Jesus before they would accept him. Jesus' refusal to provide a sign is quite in keeping with his initial call to "believe the good news" (1:15). What Jesus showed by this is that commitment (faith in) to him must be a voluntary act of a person rather than faith rising from an irrefutable sign which would be a compulsion.

Dear friends, our faith in Jesus is to be a voluntary act rather than arising from any compulsion or fear. Our faith should emanate from our love for Jesus. We at times encounter doubts and queries about our faith in God and persist in that. The doubts and queries are reasonable but they should not become a reason to demand a sign to believe in God rather having an attitude of placing ourselves at the feet of God for wisdom or divine light to enlighten ourselves will certainly do us good.

The Pharisees had irresistible doubts but that was not to believe in him but to find fault with Jesus. There are many who come across doubts in their faith due to some tragic incidents of their lives, too much one-sided scientific exploration or social conditions. Our doubts are irrevocable in such situations but our perspectives towards that shouldn't be one-sided; only to find fault rather to be enlightened. Through the first reading, we can learn that it's well-disposed heart that can overcome negative emotions and accept the situations as they are. Our well-disposed heart to God is guided by the wisdom of God. We need wisdom from God to be strong in our belief in God. Let's strive for this wisdom to always remain firm in faith.