Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - FATHERS' DAY, Yr B. June 16, 2024.
Readings
1st: Ezekiel 17:22-24
2nd: II Corinthians 5:6-10
Gospel: Mark 4:26-34
Theme: No Condition Is Permanent; This One Too Shall Pass
My dear people of God, today is Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr B, which falls providentially on the 2024 FATHERS' DAY. We sincerely thank God for the gift of All Fathers, Formidable Pillars of the Home. We truly appreciate their tireless toil and labour to provide and cater for us. We pray God to continue to bless and increase the fruits of their labour. HAPPY FATHERS' DAY to all Fathers - Biological Fathers, Foster Fathers and, of course, Rev. Fathers. Our reflections would take a fair bite on all the Readings of today. The first reason why many people easily misinterpret scripture is when a text (a portion) is taken completely out of context. Every portion of Scripture, especially the New Testament, was written to a particular people (audience) in a particular situation to address particular issues. Same applies to the profuse use of parables by Jesus in most of His public sermons. He had the particular audience in mind and the particular circumstances under which they were living. That should be the approach of every good and experienced teacher. At the time St Mark put today's two parables into writing, it was as if the infant Church was doomed, following the decisive persecution and determined attempts by Nero to decimate (destroy) Christianity. He (Nero) had unjustifiably blamed the burning of Rome on the Christians. The few Christians (infant Church) at the time were traumatised and dispaired. So, St. Mark places today's parables within the context of Jesus' Kingdom on earth and its growth through challenges and struggles. On the surface, the seed signifies the mystery of life and growth, usually very steady/slow and, in fact, unnoticed by the eye - the seed germinates, grows steadily, forms leaves and produces fruits without anyone knowing how it all happens. It is safe to conclude that Jesus was addressing a farming community. His message is simple, very clear and straight forward: No matter how dire our particular situation may be, we should keep faith and hope alive and never think God has abandoned us. God's action may appear to be slow, like the mystery of life and growth, but His intervention is always very certain, because He never ceases to act.
Using the vision of the Prophet Ezekiel in our First Reading, a Prophet of confidence and hope, Jesus goes on to liken the Kingdom to a "mustered seed". Despite its insignificant size, humble beginning and relatively slow growth and progress, Christianity has spread tremendously and continues to spread, changing the face of the earth and giving new meaning of life to all races, nations and peoples across the globe. Applied to our own lives, the two parables, corroborated by our First Reading, give us inspiration and encouragement never to be daunted (demoralised) by our own small, humble and slow beginnings. The listeners of Ezekiel were not different from those of Jesus. It helps to keep in mind that Ezekiel lived during the Babylonian Captivity in the sixth century. The people (Israelites) were captured and geographically relocated (exiled), religiously compelled to worship foreign gods and psychologically being traumatised. The Prophet's message was to give confidence and hope to the people in that moment of dispair and despondency. "Patience moves mountains", goes the popular adage. We also need to recall the adage that says, "God helps those who help themselves". Yes, our own beginnings may be small, humble and slow but we need patience and active participation, God doing His part and we doing our part. The tragedy is when we think our little bit cannot make any difference. Every little bit can contribute to huge results because it takes just a simple drop of water to eventually fill an ocean.
The author of our Second Reading of today alludes to another aspect of God's way of dealing with individuals in their particular situations. Today's portion of St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians continues his defence against the false accusations that he was insincere and dishonest. Today's portion, a continuation from last week, is full of emotions and seemingly in tears. However, rather than give in to dispair, Paul waited patiently and prayerfully for his problems to be over. No Condition Is Permanent; This One Too Shall Pass. Paul did not look forward to getting solutions to his problems in anyway different from his reasoned conviction that God's final judgement is always sure and is the best. The main message of today's liturgy is that our growth and progress come from God but we have a part to play in the process - patience and participation. No matter how little our participation may be, we should strive to be channels of God's redeeming power in a world where so many people are still exiled in their own homes, communities and countries. We are called to be sensitive to the plights and needs of those still persecuted because of their faith, the despised and avoided, the outcast, the homeless, the hungry and the sick. Walking by faith, may our mere presence bring fulfilment of our today's theme to the lives of the dispairing in our parish communities and in society at large. No Condition Is Permanent; This One Too Shall Pass. Once again, we sincerely thank and congratulate All our Loving Fathers for their great sacrifices that have "chiselled and shaped" us into who and what we are today. GOD RICHLY BLESS ALL FATHERS. Please, continue to pray the Holy Rosary daily. God richly bless you and your family.
Rev. Fr. Thomas L. Debuo - Catholic Diocese of Damongo, Ghana. (0244511306/0243711926)