💖 HOMILY - JANUARY 20 💖

First Reading - 2 Samuel 1:1-27

Gospel - Mark 3:20-21

It's easy to be good and to do good when things and situations are favourable. However, the real goodness of a person is tested when things and situations are unfavorable but still that person seeks and desires to do good for others. The readings of the day invite us to live for a cause that brings greater goodness to humanity.

The first reading narrates the story of death of Saul and Jonathan. The news about the death of Saul and Jonathan his close friend brought David great pain and sorrow. He lamented over the death of the anointed leader of God. The grief of David depicts his love for Saul and Jonathan. In his grief, David honoured them by recounting his praise and admiration for them. The eulogy sang by David also filled with suspicion - how could the anointed one of the Lord be defeated? This eulogy is fraught with the struggle of David to accept the defeat and death of Saul and Jonathan. David is not stuck in his struggle to comprehend the defeat but accepted the will of God. David reciprocated his negative experiences with true sorrow for Saul who intended to kill him. This shows the goodness of David.

The gospel presents a very coarse side of the ministry of Jesus. Jesus was admired and sought after by people for he did good to others by healing and curing them. However, the flip side of the ministry of Jesus is that he was misunderstood and rejected. It was not by others but by his own family members who thought he was out of his mind. Jesus was not occluded by such hurdles but continued doing good till the end of his life.

My dear friends, we all want to do good for others, but doing good for those who have rejected us, devised evil in store, misunderstood us, neglected us, humiliated us, persecuted us etc. is tough and difficult. Jesus is teaching us, through the readings of the day, to become more loving in doing good to those who give us negative experiences of our lives, to the extent of shattering and breaking us. David, in the first reading, was overwhelmed with grief and he struggled to understand the defeat of Saul and Jonathan although Saul often attempted to kill him. David reciprocated good will for the evil intent of Saul. Jesus showed with his life that his goodness always surpassed the negative experiences given to him by his own people. We, as the followers of Jesus, have to reciprocate goodness for negativity and rejection from others like Jesus. May our Lord God, help us become the channel of His goodness.