HOMILY FOR TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A. 23.08.2020.
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WHO IS GOD TO YOU?
We often express
our knowledge of God based on our experiences with Him. If we ask a prisoner,
who is God to him/her? Most likely, the response will be of one who grants freedom
or sets prisoners free. In the case of one who is sick, God is a healer; for
the hungry or those who lack, He is a provider; for the weak, He is their strength…
our knowledge and experience with God differs. However, the penny catechism
book helps us to understand God as “A supreme being who alone exist of himself
and he is infinite in all perfection.” Our knowledge of God is explicit in the
readings of today.
In the first
reading, we see God as one who humbles the proud and exalt the lowly. This
is clear as He sends message to Shebna (one of King Hezekiah’s chief assistants),
through his prophet Isaiah. He said, “I
will thrust you from your office, and you will be cast down from your station.”
Shebna had a high and honorable office, yet he used it to glorify himself, for
this God promise to dethrone him because of his pride, wickedness and lack of
obedience to God’s precepts and raise up a lowly servant Eliakim to His throne.
He said, “In that day, I will call my
servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and I will cloth him with your robe, and
will bind your belt on him and will commit your authority to his hand; and he
shall be a father to the inhabitant of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.”
Eliakim was elevated instead of Shebna, that powers and authorities were
conferred on him. The Lord said, “And I will
place on his shoulder the keys of the house of David; and he shall open and
none shall shut and shall shut and none shall open…” just as Christ did to
Peter in the Gospel, saying, “I will give
you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”
Still on the
knowledge of God, the Gospel of Matthew present Christ to us as a teacher, who
has taught his students for three years in his public ministry, after which He present
to them an examination of His personality to test their knowledge. He carried
out this test of knowledge with two questions: first, He asked, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” it
was a general question and so he got general response, “Some say John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He asked the second question and made it particular. He said, “But who do you say that I am?” it was a
personal question that kept the apostles silent for some time, to ponder on the
personality of Christ to them. Similarly, we can ask ourselves, “Who is Christ
to us?” Is it just the general opinion we have known about him or do we have
our personal experience with him or one-on-one encounter with Him? Who is
Christ to you?
While the other Apostles
remained silent, it was Peter who spoke up, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” in response Christ
told him, “Flesh and blood has not
revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” From this moment, the promise of God to Eliakim that
He will put on his shoulder the keys of the house of David and when he shall
open, none shall shut and vice versa. This same promise is reenacted in the
life of Peter when Christ said, “I will
give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth,
shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loosed on earth, shall be loosed in
heaven.” This knowledge of Peter about Christ singled him out among
other disciples, of which led to his role as leader.
In contemplating
this knowledge of God, St. Paul in the second reading expresses the depth of it
as something beyond his comprehension when he said, “O the depth of the riches and knowledge of the wisdom of God.” He imagined
the greatness of God, he imagine the depth of God and how deep is his wisdom
and knowledge. He imagined like the psalmist when it says, “How great is your
name O Lord, through all the earth (Ps 8:1). He further asked, “For who has
known the mind of God, or who has been his counsellor?” invariably, our
knowledge of God is limited.
Reflecting on
our knowledge on God, I remember an encounter with a friend a week ago, who
left the Roman Catholic faith for other denomination, while discussing, he said,
“He could not comprehend some of the
doctrines of the Catholic Church that was his reason for leaving.” Being curious,
I asked him; have you been able to comprehend all the doctrines and teachings
about God in your present Church? No was his response, then I told him, “being mortals, the moment you know everything
about God, then, He ceases to be God. What you are lacking is faith.” Put differently,
the knowledge of God is so deep that as
human, we cannot fathom his greatness, but he reveals himself to those who seek
him in truth, with a humble and contrite heart like Eliakim. The fullness
of this revelation is in Jesus Christ that is why He ask us today as
individuals, “Who do you say that I am?”
Who is Christ to you? May God help us to have a deeper experience with him
through Christ our Lord. Amen! Peace be with you!
Happy Sunday!
Fr. Ken Dogbo,
OSJ
Amen, this so wonderful
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