WITHOUT LOVE, I AM NOTHING (4th Sunday in Ordinary Time)
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- čas přidán 9. 09. 2024
- WITHOUT LOVE, I AM NOTHING.
Homily for 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time,
30 January 2022, Luke 4:21-30
There is a saying in Latin that lawyers are very familiar with: “DURA LEX, SED LEX.” In English, “The law is hard, but it is the law.” In our Gospel today, we can reformulate that saying to DURA VERITAS, SED VERITAS. “The truth is hard, but such is the truth.” It comes close to what Jesus is trying to say to his town-mates in Nazareth.
Jesus knows that his town-mates are questioning his authority to comment on the Scriptures. It is what they imply when they ask, “Is this not the son of Joseph?” But perhaps if he would perform before them a miracle like they heard him do in Capernaum, they would believe.
The work of the prophet is basically to proclaim a message from God, not perform miracles. When Jesus refers to two examples of prophets who performed miracles; both examples are about foreigners, meaning, non-Israelites. First, there was the widow of Zarephath whose “jar of flour never went empty and jug of oil never ran empty” (1 Kings 17:14) because she generously shared her last piece of bread with the prophet Elijah. Second, there was Naaman the Syrian military official who was cured of his leprosy when he immersed himself seven times in the Jordan river, as he was told by the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 5:1-23).
What Jesus is saying when he refers to these two examples is that neither the prophet Elijah nor the prophet Elisha needed to prove their authority to their own people. It was up to the people to discern whether or not they were true prophets.
This is also basically what the Lord is saying to Jeremiah in our first reading. We are told that Jeremiah was very hesitant to proclaim what God was asking him to say to his people. In the earlier part of that first reading, Jeremiah reacted to God’s call and said, “Ah, Lord God, I am still too young. I do not know how to speak.” But the Lord reacts, and if I may paraphrase him, “Do not say you are unqualified because you are young. You are qualified because you’re the one I am calling. Just go to whomever I send you, and just say whatever I ask you to proclaim to them.”
More simply put, the message is, “Just do what you are told.” It is God’s way of telling Jeremiah that he did not need to prove his worth to anybody. That it is the word itself that he will speak that will confirm his authority. He does not have to do a hocus-pocus to get people to believe him. You may not believe in yourself, but I believe in you because I knew you since you were formed in your mother’s womb. I dedicated and appointed you from the moment you were born.
God, as it were is telling Jeremiah, “What is your source of authority? My words, my presence, my being with you. It is either they recognize me at work in you or they don’t.”
In the Gospel we have a similar situation happening in Nazareth. Because the people knew Jesus to be one of them, an ordinary son of a carpenter, even if what he is saying seems convincing, they are demanding a proof of authority. Meaning, perform miracles for us and we will believe in you.
This is no different from the way we expect our candidates for the coming elections to prove their worth through their credentials. A bit like the question, “What can you do to convince me that I should vote for you?” Or, “Show me a clear sign that you will be able to make my life better if you get elected. Show me some magic, or some gold, or some political machismo that will convince us that you have the capacity to bring about change in our country. Convince us, persuade us, make us believe in you.”
My brother Randy David wrote about this attitude in the electorate in his column today in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. He says, this attitude expects the president to solve all the problems of the country within six years-yes, everything including “hunger, illiteracy, oppression and injustice, joblessness, homelessness and drug addiction.” He calls it an “inflated view of politics that positions us for inevitable disappointment in our leaders, our government, and yes, in ourselves.” He also says it “reinforces the excessive belief in the transformative power of individual leaders, notably of political strongmen and messiahs who promise the moon and the stars to people long steeped in the culture of dependence and patronage.”
St. Paul in our second reading today in 1 Cor 13 has an answer to people who make such unrealistic demands. For him, the best credentials are not an articulate tongue, or the capacity to predict the future. It is not about moving mountains, or doing favors for people, or making acts of sacrifice.” This is the famous chapter in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians that we have romanticized and turned into a favorite reading for weddings. It is not even talking about romantic love; he is talking about radical love. He says, “Without love, none of what I am doing matters. Without love, I am nothing.”
Amen po Bishop Ambo 🙏❤️❤️❤️
Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ
Salamat po Panginoon at sa iyo Bishop Ambo sa inspiring homily.. TcGB po kayo!
"Be strong and have courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you always. He will never leave you nor forsake you."(Deuteronomy 31:6)Cast all your anxiety on Jesus Chirst because he Cares for You.(Peter 5:7)"Dont worry, dont be afraid, just have Faith"(Mark 5:36)
AMEN po 🙏😍👂👂BISHOP AMBO, 😇😊🙏🙏
Truly and surely that without Him I am nothing and I am nobody . Thank you For very inspirational homily . Be blessed Bishop Ambo .
Pinupuri ka namin panginoon Hesuristo, thank you Bishop Ambo, very nice Homily,
It makes me very glad and happy to listen to Bishop Ambo's homily.. he's very articulate and his words are very enriching to my soul..thank you Lord for your MEN IN LIGHT.
God bless you ! 🙏
🛐💐🎀🌈Thank You LORD for Archbishop-elect Arnaldo Catalan from Manila. Guide him in his new ministry, give him the necessary discernment. But being with You we know is enough!🔥🍓🌇🍇🈴🌅✝️
Thank you po Bishop Ambo for the very excellent and inspiring homily.thank you po for being a good servant of God…Have a Blessed National Bible Sunday po.
Great homily, Thanks.. All God's Blessings Greetings from Toronto everything is fine with us all the time we continue to pray together tomorrow EWTN You tube masses and All God's Blessings Greetings from Toronto,
Parang pagkain o awitin na masarap ulit ulitin pakinggan ang homily ni Bishop Ambo.😊
Amen sf
Amen
Great blessings from our dear Lord , great Homily Bishop Ambo , You have bèen a day blessings to your Community , they are so lucky to have You..Greetings from Toronto everything is fine with us all the time we continue to pray together tomorrow EWTN You tube masses and All God's Blessings Greetings from Toronto everything is fine with us all the time we continue to pray together tomorrow EWTN You tube masses and All God's Blessings...
" even if I speak of the tounge of men and angels.. Without love, I am nothing".
We praise and thank you Lord 🙏
Amen po Bishop Ambo,praying for God's grace to heal our land, in Jesus name Amen!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Amen 🙏. Thank you Bishop Ambo for the beautiful homily. Have a blessed day po.
Blessed be God forever 🙏🏻💒📖📿💐🕯🙌🏻❣⚘🕊👐🏻👩🏻🦲🎗💝🎀🌺👒💙🦋🦀🤛🏻🤍 #DivineMercy #Faith #Hope 💌💟
Love your sermon Bishop Ambo that i watch or hear it again this afternoon even if i hear your mass live . It is apolitical sermon but discernment leads me to two candidates or even three when you said about a young person who feels he might not be qualified for president and another who is not arrogant that demonstrates love( radical /unconditional )even if that person is subjected to attacks. Praise God for the spirit of the Lord is with you.
Amen 🙏🙏🙏
Very true Bishop, pgkaw bago sa isang lugar, duda mga tao?
🔥🕊️🛐💐☔For KRISNIA dying of ovarian cancer☔🐑🧎💖🌹 AND BRIAN UCAT in the hospital due to a heart attack at age 27
Bishop Ambo wala na po bang online mass sa Kaloocan??
🌺🌹🔥🍇O Mother of the Church UNTIER OF KNOTS alam naming masakit ang katotohanan ngunit dapat nmin yakapin ang katotohanan!🌈🎀🈴🌅