Homily - 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Msgr. Joseph K. Ntuwa • October 29, 2024

Homily - 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 27, 2024

Readings: Jer 31:7-9 Heb 5:1-6 Mk 10:46-52

One aspect of our human nature is that many of us do not like to wait. Most people hate waiting in line – or for a delayed event to start. Some even don’t wait for the final blessing to be commissioned at the end of mass. We dislike it when a project is held up – or when a trip postponed. Time always seems to drag when we must wait for something important.

During the time of prophet Jeremiah, the Chosen People were being scattered all over! Israel was led captive to Assyria; Judah was exiled to Babylon; some even fled to Egypt – taking the unwilling Jeremiah with them. In all this disruption and displacement, the faithful few had so little hope. Yet, these were the Remnant who kept their religious beliefs no matter where they happened to be.

Consequently, God used Jeremiah to bring them some comfort and hope. There would be a time of restoration. Every faithful person would be included- the blind, the lame, mothers with children, and those with a child in their womb would be brought back. This would happen because God was faithful and loved them. However, none of this happened for generations to come. And when that restoration finally began – it continued to evolve over hundreds of years! It was clear God had not abandoned his people.

Bartimaeus, from today’s gospel was someone who waited. He waited in suspense every day of his life. He was blind – He was a beggar. Each day he sat and waited for the coin or two that would sustain him. Bartimaeus was incomplete – and he knew it!

However, suddenly there was hope. Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. So Bartimaeus cried out for help. People tried to silence him, but he would not be silenced. He was persistent. Jesus stopped – had him brought forth and cured him.

We are incomplete – and we know it. Experience has proved this, time and time again. Nothing here, in this life, can completely fill us. True believers seem to know this and understand that only God can fill and fulfill them. But God’s plan for us takes time to unfold. And so much of our life is waiting for that plan to develop and take place in our own regard.

It is sometimes tempting to give up when we think God doesn’t answer our prayers. We can feel helpless or hopeless, ignored or forgotten. But the words of the psalm, the pleas of a grateful people, should offer reassurance in times of despair: “Restore our fortunes, O Lord…. those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing”

Again and again, scripture calls on us to trust in God’s limitless love and generosity, and to be grateful for all he gives to those who have confidence and courage to trust. This is the true measure of faith. The familiar words from St Paul, captured in a popular hymn, tells us all we need to know: “We walk by faith, not by sight.” That was true of Bartimaeus, who rewarded for his faith by receiving sight.

Are we courageous enough, confident enough to trust like that? It is important to note how the story of Bartimaeus ends. The beggar who was given sight didn’t just head home---maybe to enjoy looking at all that he had never been able to see--- but, instead, made another choice. Mark tells us: “He received his sight and followed him on the way”. A new disciple was born. May we all give thanks to the Lord for all he does for us and resolve in our gratitude to follow him wherever he leads.

Finally, one of the wonderful aspects of stewardship spirituality is its balanced approach to all areas of life. As stewards, aware of our total dependence on God for everything, we come to Him with grateful hearts. Stewardship is not a fundraising scheme. Rather, it is way of life rooted in the teachings and the person of Jesus Christ using the God-given gifts to serve God and others, responding with gratitude. Stewardship is what we do after we say, “We believe”. Although God’s grace cannot be measured, there are some things we can view as evidence of His goodness flowing in our parish life and ministry. We are building a new Church because of commitment and sacrificial giving. This weekend we have the opportunity to listen to some stewards in our parish sharing their witness stories.

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Homily July 27, 2025

July 29, 2025

17 th Sunday of the Year C Gen 18:20-32; Col 2:12-14; Luke 11:1-13 Have you ever had conversations with people who have expressed a distaste for many of the beliefs and practices of organized religion ? Sometimes these criticisms come from people who have had “bad” religious experiences in their own families or have seen what they feel is an ugly side of faith. I understand that. Some others have been hurt and disappointed by the common failings and faults of some of the faithful in the pews. Many others have been particularly crushed by the serious sins of Church leadership. Yet, there are others who simply are trying to be intellectually honest --- people who have truly wrestled with some of the big questions of life and faith and have been relatively unsatisfied with the “answers” religion provides. They “want” to believe at some level but just find too many obstacles. And sometimes that “obstacle” is the image of God presented to them. One particular element of Christianity that I hear criticized so often is the way we seem to ask God for things over and over again. Many people assert that they just, don’t understand why it needs to be this way! They argue: God knows everything. God knows exactly what we need (and want). So why do we need to ask? God has infinite power . There are no limits to what he can do. We don’t have to try to get his “attention” because he is “busy” elsewhere. So why do we need to ask? God is immutable --- which means, unchanging and unchangeable . That means we kind of diminish God if we think we can somehow “ change” his mind. So why bother to pray if God has already written the script? Well, today, in both our First Reading and Gospel passage, we hear examples illustrating the power of pleading with God. In the story from Genesis, we see Abraham “bartering” with God --- seeing if he can somehow get the best “deal” possible. Apparently, Abraham is wise enough to not ask for everything all at once, as if he’s using his charm to coax God’s mercy out of him. God goes along with each of his requests. And in the Gospel passage from Luke --- Jesus tells a story about a man banging on his friend’s door at midnight trying to get some bread for an unexpected guest. The friend initially refuses, but then gets worn down from the persistence of the man and gives in. After relating that story, Jesus utters these “famous” words, “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” So, what gives? Do we have to “beg” God to get his blessings or does God actually withhold good things from us until we “wear him down”? Do we have to be expert negotiators, or charmers? Dear friends, an authentic spiritual life is about none of those things. It’s about a relationship supported, strengthened and transformed in part by a holy conversation --- what we call the divine conversation. This is a conversation that has no beginning and no ending, but rather is one that has been continual from the very dawn of time --- a sacred conversation which enables channels of grace to remain open within every single person --- a kind of listening and speaking that helps each of us remain open to an outpouring of God’s life which has the power to change absolutely everything. And so, we bring our needs to our God because we believe he loves us more than we can imagine, because we trust in his wisdom and power, because we need to put into words the deepest longings of our hearts. And maybe most importantly --- we ask, seek, and knock simply because it opens us up to every good thing God wants for us (and from us). Prayer encourages dependence on God and today’s parable shows us perseverance. We do not “keep knocking” because God isn’t aware of our needs but, rather, because we need to remain constantly aware of our daily need for him – our daily bread. Whenever we turn to God in prayer, we put our minds and hearts in contact with the very source of life and truth. And that refreshes the human soul, just as rebooting your computer refreshes the software that makes the computer run. When stress, discouragement, and frustration start to clog our circuits, we don't need to jack up the voltage by working more hours or by distracting ourselves with even more exciting entertainment; no, we need to reboot, we need to pray with perseverance. When you pray say” “Behold, I am your servant, do with and in and through me according to your will” In happy moments, seek God, in hard moments praise God, in quiet moments, trust God, in every moment, thank God. Lord Jesus, teach us to pray.

Homily - 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time