💖 HOMILY - AUGUST 1 💖

First Reading - Leviticus 23:1,4-11,15-16,27,34-37

Gospel - Matthew 13:54-58

Human beings need rhythm, order, and meaning in their lives — especially in time. That is why God, from the beginning, sanctified time itself. He not only created space and matter, but He also marked time as sacred. In today’s first reading, we hear the Lord commanding Moses to instruct the people of Israel to observe specific feasts and seasons — appointed times of the Lord, holy days set apart for worship, remembrance, and thanksgiving.

These feasts — Passover, Pentecost, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles — were not mere cultural customs. They were divine invitations. Each one recalled something God had done: deliverance from Egypt, the giving of the Law, the call to repentance, the journey through the wilderness. God embedded Himself into Israel’s calendar so that every year would be a walk through salvation history.

What does this mean for us? It reminds us that time is not just something we pass through — it is something God inhabits. Every moment, every season can be holy if we are attentive. The Church continues this tradition through the liturgical calendar. Ordinary Time, Lent, Easter, Advent, feasts and fasts — all invite us to remember that God moves within time to transform it, and us.

But the Gospel presents us with a challenge to this awareness. Jesus returns to His hometown, and what do the people see? Not the Son of God. Not the Messiah. Not the wisdom or power He has shown elsewhere. They see “the carpenter’s son.” They see the familiar. And because of their lack of faith, Jesus does not work many miracles there.

This is the tragedy of overfamiliarity. The sacred becomes ordinary. The holy becomes invisible. We miss God's presence because it comes to us in forms we think we already know.

The connection between these two readings becomes clear: God sanctifies time, but we must have eyes to see it. God visits us, but often in quiet, hidden, or humble ways. If we do not guard our hearts from cynicism or routine, we will miss Him — even when He is standing in front of us.

So, the invitation today is twofold:

First, to live with reverence for time — to mark our days with prayer, gratitude, remembrance of God’s works. Whether through the liturgical calendar, daily prayer, or moments of reflection, we are called to recognize that every day can be a “festival of the Lord” if we welcome Him into it.

Second, to open our eyes to the hidden presence of Christ, especially in the ordinary: the familiar people around us, the quiet voice of conscience, the unnoticed blessings of the day. God does not only come in fire and cloud — He comes in the carpenter’s son.

Let us not be like those in Nazareth who missed the miracle because they thought they knew too much. Let us be like those who wait on the Lord’s appointed times — always ready to welcome His grace, however and whenever He chooses to come.

For to those who believe, even the ordinary becomes sacred. And through faith, every moment can become a meeting place with God.