💖 HOMILY - AUGUST 22 💖

First Reading - Judges 6:11-24

Gospel - Matthew 19:23-30

When I was a candidate, once we had a visitor from our generalate. He spoke a sentence that is still fresh in my mind. He said: "The purpose of our religious life is to save oneself and others." In simple words, we can say - We are religious or priests or nuns or a lay person committed to God so that we can enter heaven and help others through our apostolate to enter heaven. The readings of the day invite us to reflect upon our vocation and the purpose of it.

The first reading beautifully narrates the call of Gideon. Gideon is called by God to liberate the Israelites from the oppressive rule of Midian. What is captivating about the scene is the lineage of Gideon. He didn't belong to any big clan nor had any prospect of emerging as leader. God called this person whose clan was considered as the weakest in Manasseh and he himself was one of the least important members of the family. This is indeed awesome! The promise of God was certainly incredible, for God chose Gideon to crush Midian a powerful nation. This is where the words of Jesus stand tall:"For God everything is possible."

The gospel of today brings the scene of the disparate young man to our imagination who wanted to do good in action. Jesus continues his didactic instructions on discipleship. He affirms that those who are attached to the possession cannot attain the kingdom of heaven, for their primary concern is the acquisition of possession and wealth. It sounds weird that Jesus seems to condemn wealth and possession but the fact is he condemns the inordinate desire for wealth in relation to God. This inordinate attachment is so arresting that one cannot think of God and His invitation to follow Him. Thus, Jesus invites to the life of complete renunciation for the sake of heaven and he also promises a reward of hundred-fold and enternal life for them.

Dear friends, the readings are really apt for us who live our lives for Christ. God has given us a beautiful vocation. It's not because we are perfect or extraordinary but He has called us to fulfill His specific mission as designed for us, just as He called Gideon, an unfit and unwanted person, for His mission. However, our sacrifice and the response for God's call will not remain unrewarded but will be rewarded more than hundred times of what we sacrifice; added to it, a promise of eternal life as Jesus mentions in the gospel.

At times, we think God needs only our talents, our intelligence or what we are best in, in fact it not so. God needs us and our positive response; that's our readiness for His mission. Thereafter, He also equips us with all those things which we lack for His mission.

What is our attitude to the vocation, we have received? Is it of pride or humility? Is it of zeal or mediocrity? Is it of readiness or reluctance? Is it of renunciation or attachment to something or someone? Is it of full of life or aridity? God has chosen us not simply but for a purpose. He has called us not because we are worthy but called us to make us worthy for His mission. Let's respond to His call in completeness and not half-heartedly.