In today’s First reading, God asked Abraham to leave his father’s home, his known people and places to a far off place that God would show him. The remarkable thing here is Abraham started without any hesitation. He couldn’t plan for his journey because he was not aware where he was going. He did not know where he was going but he knew the one who was leading him. That requires great courage. These days, we have backup plans and insurance plans for all our travels. But Abraham had no backup plans or insurance plans. All he had was only God’s plan. His free will was only to obey God.
Sometimes we do not understand the things that are happening to us. Let us completely surrender all our worries to Him. Stop thinking about things for which we cannot get an answer. The right time and right answers are only with God. Let us say to our loving Lord -“Jesus I really do not know what is happening. But I know that You are in control and You know when to bring me out of this furnace.”
Our God blessed Father Abraham that he would become a great nation, when he was waiting for the blessing of a child at 75 years of age. But Abraham received the blessing of a child when he was 100 years old. Abraham waited for 25 long years. He did not quit his faith. All of Abraham’s servants would have had children and grandchildren by then. But no nation is named after their children or grandchildren. If we are waiting for a long time like Abraham, God has certainly great blessings in store for us. We may wonder why everyone else is getting what we want and we are still struggling. It is because God has something special in store for us. God will remember us.
Abraham did not fear to leave his father’s home. When he had God, he had all that he required. When God has blessed us to do something, do not quit even if it is very hard. All the hard times come with an end time. When we feel frightened also, let us continue because God will make a way for us. When the Israelites were stuck in between the Red Sea on one side and the Egyptian army on the other side, when Pharaoh laughed at them, God parted the Red Sea. God brings us to the Red Sea just to part it for us. Whenever a Red Sea is in front of you, realise that God has hidden a way under the Red Sea just for you.
In today’s second reading, the Apostle Paul calls us saying, “Join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of Almighty God”. How are we to suffer for the Gospel? There are saints like the Apostle Paul, Saint Antony, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Mother Teresa and so on, who travelled around and preached the Gospel. But there are saints like Saint Joseph, Saint Little Therésè of the Child Jesus who suffered for God in their daily routines. We can make little offerings like Little Therésè, like when she offered her suffering when drinking a bitter medicine slowly. Saints offer all their pain during their sickness for the love of God. Do not waste any of your suffering too. Offer it to Jesus as your love offering.
In today’s Gospel reading, during the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus, apart from Moses and Elijah, the Almighty Father was present. When we are suffering, our Almighty Father also comes down and is with us. To His every suffering child He says, “I am pleased with you”. He is not a father who can let His children handle their life all alone or suffer all alone. He is always with us, especially during the suffering. Can we forsake our children? We allow them to suffer for the sake of disciplining them, but only for a short period of time. Likewise there will be a valley of suffering for a certain period of time and God will give us the grace to walk through the valley of suffering. Suffering leads a person to prayer. Our suffering leads us to God and God to us.
Keep Mother Mary with you during your suffering. Our Lord Jesus also did the same on the cross.
Key Message:
Suffering transfigures us!!
Homily:
In today’s First reading, God asked Abraham to leave his father’s home, his known people and places to a far off place that God would show him. The remarkable thing here is Abraham started without any hesitation. He couldn’t plan for his journey because he was not aware where he was going. He did not know where he was going but he knew the one who was leading him. That requires great courage. These days, we have backup plans and insurance plans for all our travels. But Abraham had no backup plans or insurance plans. All he had was only God’s plan. His free will was only to obey God.
Sometimes we do not understand the things that are happening to us. Let us completely surrender all our worries to Him. Stop thinking about things for which we cannot get an answer. The right time and right answers are only with God. Let us say to our loving Lord -“Jesus I really do not know what is happening. But I know that You are in control and You know when to bring me out of this furnace.”
Our God blessed Father Abraham that he would become a great nation, when he was waiting for the blessing of a child at 75 years of age. But Abraham received the blessing of a child when he was 100 years old. Abraham waited for 25 long years. He did not quit his faith. All of Abraham’s servants would have had children and grandchildren by then. But no nation is named after their children or grandchildren. If we are waiting for a long time like Abraham, God has certainly great blessings in store for us. We may wonder why everyone else is getting what we want and we are still struggling. It is because God has something special in store for us. God will remember us.
Abraham did not fear to leave his father’s home. When he had God, he had all that he required. When God has blessed us to do something, do not quit even if it is very hard. All the hard times come with an end time. When we feel frightened also, let us continue because God will make a way for us. When the Israelites were stuck in between the Red Sea on one side and the Egyptian army on the other side, when Pharaoh laughed at them, God parted the Red Sea. God brings us to the Red Sea just to part it for us. Whenever a Red Sea is in front of you, realise that God has hidden a way under the Red Sea just for you.
In today’s second reading, the Apostle Paul calls us saying, “Join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of Almighty God”. How are we to suffer for the Gospel? There are saints like the Apostle Paul, Saint Antony, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Mother Teresa and so on, who travelled around and preached the Gospel. But there are saints like Saint Joseph, Saint Little Therésè of the Child Jesus who suffered for God in their daily routines. We can make little offerings like Little Therésè, like when she offered her suffering when drinking a bitter medicine slowly. Saints offer all their pain during their sickness for the love of God. Do not waste any of your suffering too. Offer it to Jesus as your love offering.
In today’s Gospel reading, during the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus, apart from Moses and Elijah, the Almighty Father was present. When we are suffering, our Almighty Father also comes down and is with us. To His every suffering child He says, “I am pleased with you”. He is not a father who can let His children handle their life all alone or suffer all alone. He is always with us, especially during the suffering. Can we forsake our children? We allow them to suffer for the sake of disciplining them, but only for a short period of time. Likewise there will be a valley of suffering for a certain period of time and God will give us the grace to walk through the valley of suffering. Suffering leads a person to prayer. Our suffering leads us to God and God to us.
Keep Mother Mary with you during your suffering. Our Lord Jesus also did the same on the cross.