💖 HOMILY - FEBRUARY 4 💖

FEAST OF JOHN DE BRITTO (INDIA)

First Reading - 1 Corinthians 12:19-27

Gospel - John 12:20-32

For many, it's difficult to make sacrifices because it incurs pain and at times suffering. However, the readings of today tell us that our little sacrifices made for the good of others are never worthless or insignificant but are always valuable in the sight of God.

In the first reading, St. Paul exhorts the Christians in Corinth to be willing to sacrifice for the sake of others as he is willing to sacrifice everything (his rights and privileges as an apostle) for the sake of the gospel. Paul cites his own example to explain how he has become all things to all people for the sake of the gospel - to Jews a Jew, to gentiles a gentile etc.. He has spared no chance to win people for Christ and no occassion to be disqualified as the apostle of Jesus to win a reward from him. The reason why Paul becomes "all things to all people" is the gospel so that all people may enjoy the benefits of recieving the good news.

In the gospel, Jesus boldly speaks about his impending death as his glorification. The moment of glorification or death and resurrection is explained by a small parable of a wheat-grain and the well quoted maxim - Whoever loves his life loses it. Jesus, by referring to his impending passion and death, makes it clear that this is required for others just as the grain of wheat dies to bear fruits (to give life to others). Further, Jesus invites his followers to follow him in his self-sacrificing love. 

Dear friends, today we celebrate the feast of John de Britto whose example of life fuses with the readings of today. He, leaving his own hometown at Lisbon in Portugal, came to India with a sole purpose to proclaim the good news by making the good news the message of the soil; meaning, he inculturated the message of the gospel in the context of the people. This is what St. Paul speaks about as "becoming all things to all". He didn't impose the message of the gospel on people but presented the gospel as if Jesus was born among them. He died for the sake of the gospel as to follow Christ in his self-sacrificing love. 

The gospel and the first reading tell us that to follow Christ means to follow him in his self-sacrificing love. It means to be ready to make sacrifices for the good of our fellow brothers and sisters. Paul explains it by saying that he became all things for all for the sake of the gospel so that he may win all for Christ; this explains his self-sacrificing love for the people for the sake of the gospel. It's a kind of martyrdom where we are killing our happiness for the good of others. This way we are able to participate in the self-sacrificing love of Jesus. If we are able to bring joy and smile on the face of others at the cost of our little sacrifice is no less than martyrdom and participation in the self-sacrificing love of Jesus. 

Let's never shy off to make our little sacrifices, in order that we may be able to bring joy and hope to those who have lost them from there lives as Jesus accomplished for us.