💖 HOMILY - NOVEMBER 14 💖

First Reading - Philemon 7-20

Gospel - Luke 17: 20-25

The Feast of All Saints that we celebrated on 1 November, reminds us of the eternal joy the saints experience in the Kingdom of God, where they now intercede for us. But it also points us to our own destiny alongside them, which requires us to live a life of holiness here on earth. Today’s readings invite us to strive for this life of holiness to remain part of God’s Kingdom.

In the first reading, we encounter a beautiful teaching on Christian love and forgiveness. Onesimus, a slave, ran away from his master, Philemon. According to the norms of the time, he deserved dismissal or worse. However, Paul, who baptized Onesimus, sends him back to Philemon with a remarkable request: to accept Onesimus as a brother and forgive him. This instruction emphasizes that love and forgiveness are essential on our path to holiness.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about the Kingdom of God in two ways: as "already" here and as "yet to come." In response to the Pharisees, Jesus explains that the Kingdom is already present among them—meaning that Jesus’ own presence has inaugurated God’s Kingdom. But He also speaks of it as something still awaiting its full realization when the Son of Man returns in glory to judge humanity. Jesus warns that we should not be misled by claims or alarms about His coming. Instead, He assures us that the Son of Man will indeed return, but only at God’s appointed time.

Dear friends, through baptism, we are already part of God’s Kingdom. Jesus calls us to recognize the Kingdom as present in Him and to await its fulfillment when He returns. However, He also cautions us not to be distracted by speculations about the end times. If we allow unholy interests or false alarms to take over, we risk losing focus on our true calling. Jesus urges us not to worry about the future but to live in the present, grounded in the Kingdom He has established through His teachings.

The first reading reinforces this by showing that two virtues—love and forgiveness—are essential for living the Kingdom here and now. Embracing these virtues allows us to create a glimpse of God’s Kingdom on earth, preparing us for its completion in heaven.