💖 HOMILY - JANUARY 11 💖

First Reading - 1Samuel 4:1-11

Gospel - Mark 1:40-45 

We know that God is with us and He answers our prayers. However, this also we have experienced that things do not happen as we pray or expect from God. Today the readings invite us to have a humble attitude before God to remain under the Shadow of the mercy of God. Our disposition or attitude in prayer plays a vital role our relationship with Him.

In the first reading, we hear about the whooping defeat of Israel by the Philistines and capture of the ark by them. The episode of defeat of Israel may appear impossible when God was present in their midst but the expectation is reversed by their defeat in the hands of Philistines. Why were the people of Israel defeated? The reason lies in the attitude of the people who wanted the ark to be in the battlefield to ensure God's presence and instill confidence in the drooping spirit of the soldiers of Israel who were once defeated by the Philistines. The attitude of people that is seen is of demand of victory from God in bringing the ark to the battlefield rather than humble request for God's mercy for the victory they were expecting. It's because of this attitude, they were routed in the war and the ark was seized from them.

The gospel recounts a beautiful episode of the mercy of God. A leper, believing in the power of Jesus, comes to him with a request for healing. Jesus looks at him with mercy. Seeing the faith of the leper, he touches him and heals him. This was unbelievable and unimaginable during the time of Jesus that a leper is touched because that ritually defiled a person. Jesus does it literally. This is the mercy of God which goes beyond human confine. The leper wins the mercy of Jesus because of his humble faith.

Dear friends, we all desire to enjoy the mercy of God. God's mercy means God's favour or succour in our works, in our lives and also in our families. The gospel passage of today teaches us to dispose ourselves before God in humility like the leper who believed in the power of Jesus and prayed to him for healing and Jesus turned his merciful eyes to him, touched him and healed him. We need to have this attitude of humility to always remain in the mercy of God.

The first reading also warns us against any kind of pride or arrogance on our behalf whereby we can demand anything from God. The people of Israel failed to seek the mercy of God rather bringing the ark to the battlefield demanded victory from God. It's here they failed. We are to avoid any kind of pride or arrogance before the Lord. We cannot demand anything from God but we can certainly pray for what we need. 

Let's have an attitude of humble servant before God and God will certainly respond to our prayers.