Homily for the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Genesis 2.18-24 Psalm 128 Hebrews 2.9-11 Mark 10.2-12
“It is not good for man to be alone.”
The people of Chicago were heartbroken on Friday, while the people of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, celebrated as it was announced that Rio would host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. In explaining their choice of Rio de Janeiro, the International Olympic Committee noted that these games would be the first Olympics to be held in South America. Part of the purpose of the Olympic Games is to bring fellowship, friendship, and sportsmanship together in different parts of the world – to help build a world-wide human community, to foster relationships among people from all parts of the world. It’s all about celebrating our common humanity – what brings us together as one people.
And we seem to do those kinds of things well – the big celebrations, the festivals, the contests that bring people together – from something as grand as the Olympic Games to our own parish Tent Event this weekend. We’re good at providing opportunities for people to come together as community. But not everyone feels part of a community, not everyone feels loved and included. Even with great community events, the world is still filled with loneliness. Loneliness persists when divorce tears a family apart. Loneliness persists when inner turmoil leads to despair. Loneliness persists when an unexpected pregnancy brings more questions than answers. Loneliness persists when a loved one’s life ends in a sudden, unexpected death. Even with so many opportunities to be with other people, the opportunities themselves do not always help. What can we do, where can we turn, when we feel completely and utterly alone?
Some of the time, we turn first to the people who are around us – to family and close friends, to those who are bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. These relationships can help to ease our loneliness – they provide companionship, a listening ear, an understanding heart. But a lot of times, this doesn’t work by itself. Our faith tells us that the only sure way to relieve loneliness is through a personal relationship and encounter with Jesus Christ. God emptied himself of everything that makes him God in order to become a man like us in all things but sin. He came to this earth in order to suffer and die, just like us – he became our brother. Jesus knows what it is like to be alone and abandoned – his disciples left him when he was most in need; he cried from the cross that he even felt abandoned by his heavenly father. Jesus can identify with our loneliness. And he promises never to leave us by ourselves. The one relationship that will never fail is our relationship with Christ. He is always here, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, for all of eternity. Turn to him, trust in him, and you will never feel alone. And then, if we can model all of our human relationships on our relationship with Christ – that is how we will find fulfillment. We are called to develop a marriage, a friendship, a parish, a community that treats everyone around them like Christ. Because, yes, there is loneliness in our world, in our lives, in this church today, in spite of the great community events that bring us together. And even though we know that Jesus Christ is always with us, it often takes a human face, a human voice, a human love to lead us to Christ.
2 comments:
This homily touches the human feelings of loneliness that each one of us experiences throughout our lives until we form that true and loving relationship with Christ. It has been said that the longest journey is from our head to our heart. Until I took the time to ponder the Crucifix and the great unconditional love that Christ has for me, I often felt alone and depressed, even though I have always been a people person and have been a part of a loving family and have many friends. Knowing that I can go to Christ any moment, day or night, and that he has always loved me, even when other people let me down, takes away the pain of loneliness that I used to experience. My prayer for all people is that each person will put Christ in the first place in his/her life, and truly form that love relationship with him. Also, I want to continue to be formed in Christ so that I can bring Christ's authentic love to each person I encounter. A simple smile or kind word is oftn all taht a person needs to make the day better.
I can heartily say AMEN to Sandy's comments and to Father's homily. Until one finds a really personal, intimate relationship to the Lord it is hard to navigate life's ups and downs. If we can just meditate often on the real love that Jesus and the Father have for us and accept that, then we can begin to realize that we can never fall out of His love. This love will change us if we want. It will be with us in good times and bad. It will support us in times of need, as it did when they diagnosed Cancer for me. His hand is always there, holding us close to Him, but unless we take the time to be quiet and look for it, we have trouble recognizing it. Can you find some time to focus on Him and see His hand in your life? I pray so. -Carol
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