Seventh Sunday in Ordinary TimeWho can have fullness of grace?Leviticus 19:1-2.17-18
1Corinthians 3:16-23.
Matthew 5:38-48
Good morning dear friends in Christ Jesus! Is there anything holy in the world? When we reflect over this we may conclude that nothing is holy in today’s world. Because everything is corrupted. From mother’s womb to Men’s tomb all are corrupted.
I thought mother’s womb may be holy but today what we see is that many women do not want to conceive, even if they conceive they want to be aborted, because children are conceived in the mother’s womb in an unholy manner.
I thought family may be holy but the families are mostly corrupted in the world. There is no smooth understanding between husbands and wives. Many of the family waiting to apply for divorce, children are mostly left alone because of the business and work load in the family, everyone in the family long for love, affection, etc.
I thought church, temple, mosque may be holy but even this Gods place is unholy because the beggars, poor, lame, blind etc are begging outside of the church and so called praying people are begging before God. Doing all kinds of evil acts but standing in the presence of God without consciousness of their guilt.
I thought holiness may found in the society but it is obviously very clear that our society is mostly corrupted. Eye for an eye tooth for a tooth is practiced in the maximum level. Jealousy, hatred, envy, betrayal, etc all kinds of evils are found in our society.
At last I thought people’s cemetery may be holy but there too we see lot of differences. The cemeteries are divided by caste, group, rich and poor. Hence, from womb to tomb everything is unholy today.
In this situation the Seventh Sunday is inviting everyone one of us to be holy.
Is it possible for you and me to be holy today? Answer me?
My second question is that
Why God is asking us to be holy? Anybody wants to answer me?
Dear friends first and for most we must understand that our God is a Holy God. How? In the book OT Leviticus 11:44-45 we read that I am the lord your God therefore be holy as I am Holy. In today’s first reading God himself says to Moses that, “you say to all the congregation of the people of Israel, You shall be holy; for I the Lord your God is holy.
Since God is holy his creation also must be holy. Is in it? In the book of Genesis we see three actions of God in the time of creating human. First God desired to create Human being, secondly He created the human beings, and thirdly he blessed the human beings. Chapter 1: 26 we read that “let us make man in our image and after our likeness: 27th verse God created man in his own image in the image of God he created him. 28th verse the only creation blessed by God was Human beings; be fruitful, multiply, and dominan over. So dear friends since we are all in the image and likeness of God and blessed by Him therefore God is asking us to be holy.
Dear friends answer me? Do you have image and likeness of God?
Are you blessed by God? Can you be called as His children?
If you say yes then God desires three things from us. His desire is that we must be holy; and he wants to see the holiness of our life: thirdly he wants to show his face to all of us.
We see in the life of Moses God desired Moses to be holy therefore he was called. He saw the holiness of Moses in his life situations, finally God Showed His face to Moses. Also we see in the life of Mother Mary God desired Mary should be Holy and she became holy by destroying all kinds of evil temptations, God saw the holiness of Mary thus He showed not only His face but Mother Mary had greater opportunity to carry Jesus in her womb (before Birth), in her bosom (After his birth) at large in her lap (after his death). Hence Catholic Church honours Mary as possessors of the Fullness of Grace. “Hail Mary Full of Grace”. Hence the fullness of grace was possible to Moses and mother Mary. Can it not possible to us? Can we not be the person of Fullness of God’s Grace?
Today if we want to possess the fullness of God’s grace are we ready to fulfill the demand of God. Hence through the second reading St. Paul tell us that 1.Cor 3:16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? And the 23rd verse you are Christ’s and Christ is Gods. Therefore we boldly say that you and I are children of God. Since we are children of God we must resemble as God is. Hence in the Gospel reading we read that God is perfect therefore His children also must be perfect.
How we will be perfect?
01. Do not practice eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth – Be Patient.
02. Do not resist who is evil – Bear One another.
03. If one strikes right cheek turn to him the other also –Employ forgiveness.
04. If anyone forces you to go one mile; go with him two miles – Accompanying others.
05. Give to him who begs from you - Practice Charity.
06. Do not refuse him who would barrow from you - Be Generous.
07. Love your enemies – Greater commandment
08. Pray for those who persecute you – men of Prayer.
Thus if you and I practice all these things surely we will be called sons of God. If you and I become sons of God then every one of us will be holy. If we are all holy surely we can be partakers of Fullness of God’s Grace.
God Bless you
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