25th 25th SUNDAY, YEAR B: HOMILY BY FR. JUSTIN ADIELE
THEME: “EMBRACING THE CHILDLIKE MENTALITY”
INTRODUCTION:
Today, Jesus continued to predict his Passion to his disciples and was never deterred nor perturbed like a child who is unaware of any lurking danger. He continued his journey and saving mission even through cities where he was once threatened. Like an innocent child, His mind was not warped with any worldly permutations and glories unlike his disciples. His mind was set on fulfilling his mission against all odds; His status, powers and authority would not stand in the way either. He must undergo the way of the Cross; he must be rejected, arrested, flogged, despised, humiliated, tortured, insulted and hanged on the Cross.
THE FIRST READING (WIS. 2: 12. 17–20)
In the first reading, we saw the kind of evil that goes on in the minds of those who have lost their childlike innocence/mentality; they set traps for the innocent/righteous; they deliberately sin against the law; they test the patience of the just with insults and torture; they plot the death of the innocent and the defeat of goodness. No one who has a childlike mentality can bear this amount of evil in their hearts and against another person.
THE SECOND READING (JAM. 3: 16–4: 3)
In the second reading, St. James pointed out the vices that make us loose our childlike mentality; and that is jealousy and selfishness which begets every other vile or evil practice against one another. But when we hold unto our childlike mentality which is pure, peaceable, gentle and sincere, we shall make a rich harvest of righteousness; free from deadly passions, fighting and killing for what we covet.
THE GOSPEL READING (MK. 9: 30–37)
In the gospel reading, while Jesus was teaching his disciples what he would suffer without putting up a single fight with all his powers, they were busy dragging who was the greatest among them. If they had continued in this direction, jealousy, envy, fighting and even killing for position will set in. Shocked at their lack of understanding, Jesus brought a little child to them and admonished them to embrace the childlike mentality. A child has no room for prideful competition. A child can leave the seat for others and sit on the floor. A child is not so self-conscious. A child lacks the capacity/faculty to consider itself above another. A child could soil himself for Africa.
CONCLUSION
A Chinese master threw a banquet to which he had invited many people both low and high. Most of the important guests arrived in special carriages. It began to rain heavily and a large puddle of water collected right in front of the main entrance to the master’s house. An elegantly dressed old man also came in his carriage and stopped at the entrance in front of the pool of rain water. But while trying to get down, he slipped and fell into the mud water. His clothes were messed up and some other guests started making fun of him. He became ashamed, uncomfortable and decided to disappear from the banquet. A servant rushed to inform the master about what has happened, the master hurried to see the muddied guest and tried to persuade him to stay despite his soiled appearance; but the old man would not agree. The master intentionally fell into the mud water himself and was muddied from head to toe. Then he took his old guest by the hand and the two mud-men marched into the banquet hall and no one dared laughed nor said a word again. This was what Jesus did on the Cross. Like Jesus and this Chinese master, you can be a mud-man, a servant, and a child for others.
Happy Sunday!
Fr. Justin