Homilies at Random: The Purpose of Our Life

My First Homily

Second Sunday of Ordinary Time of the Liturgical Year B

1Sam 3, 1-10.19

1Cor 6, 13b-15a.17-20

Jn 1, 35-42

Theme: The goal of our Life is to live in union with God/the Other who is manifest in our neighbours.

In the previous Sunday, we celebrated the feast of the baptism of our Lord, an event that marked Jesus’ consent to do the will of God, the goal and meaning of his life. So, the father was happy and pleased with Him. The readings of this Sunday invite us to imitate him. We find meaning and happiness in our life only by fulfilling the purpose of our existence. A life in union with God who is manifest in our neighbours and the Cosmos is the purpose of our existence. This is the subject of the readings of the day. Second reading renders the reasons and the other readings give us examples.

St. Paul writing to the people of Corinth clearly notes that every human being belongs to God as each of us is a ‘gift’ from God. He writes, “You belong no longer to yourselves. Remember at what price you have been bought… make your body (in modern language ‘person’) serve the glory of God” (v. 19b-20). Since we do not merit our existence very less our being in the image and likeness of God, we are obliged to the one who has begotten us into this world and made us in his image and likeness. Our life therefore in simple words is supposed to be one that uninterruptedly discerns the will of God and accomplishes it day in and day out. The problem however is that we fail. We fall. We lead a life that gratifies our selfish desires and forget our ontological indebtedness. We even forget that we are made in the image and likeness of God, ‘the temple of the Holy Spirit’ (v.19a). Thus, we indulge in a sinful life. Sin is not to be reduced to mere breaking of one law or the other but a negligence of holistic response to the call of the divine. In other words, sin is simply a life that neglects the voice of God calling us every moment to lead a selfless life that loves ones neighbour as oneself. An Example of such lives is the content our First and Gospel reading.    

The four men, Samuel, John, Andrew and Simon, mentioned in these readings willingly respond to the call of God. We know their stories. None of them is lost, but today enjoys the blessed sight of God and intercedes for us. From their life, we learn that the reward of one who leads a life in union with God is happiness/meaningfulness here and hereafter. The call of every Christian, I would even say every human being, is no less than what they are. The question however remains ‘how to lead a life in union with God’, as we do not know ‘where God is’ and ‘how to discern his voice’. From the first and gospel readings, it becomes evident that God is present everywhere, he is present in the temple, he walks the streets, he is there in the nature, he is there in the doorsteps of our heart, he is in us. Unlike these four great men, we fail to recognize him as were not tuned to Him, as we are busy with ourselves. God is always knocking at our door… the point is do we recognize and respond to his call to lead a selfless life.

We get some clues from the first and gospel reading about the ‘how to’ of it. Observing the dynamics of the call of Samual, John, Andrew and Simon we learn that first, they were different from others. We see in them an effort to transcend mechanical life for something more fulfilling. This call of the spirit to something beyond is present in everyone. We should try to recognize it. St. Paul rightly calls us as temples of the Holy Spirit. For every activity, our constant search or restlessness is the push of the spirit to attain the complete-happiness in life. One, who therefore becomes aware of it and respond to it, cannot but be different from others.

Second, in their relationship with God a third party invariably guided every one of them to discern the voice of god, the divine. Here comes the role of Scripture, Tradition and Magisterium – the ministerial priests and consecrated members of the church. Small/sinful as we are, we need a spiritual guide who can help us find out in the cacophony of noises the divine melody – the will of God. One, who therefore leads a life in communion with the church, will surely find his way to God. This once again reminds us the members of the universal church, the nobility of our vocation-as-a-community, to be a prophet of God in the world. 

Having, thus discerned the will of God, the next step is to respond to the call. It means to lead a life no less than Christ, fully in communion with the divine and with our neighbours. They are distinct yet interconnected. Great people of wisdom have recongnised it and manifested it in their lives. A good example of this in our era is Mother Teresa. Such a life is difficult but meaningful. Let us then dare to share the adventure of Samuel, John, Andrew, Simon, and Mother Teresa our life would anything but be meaningful and contended radiating life and joy. Amen.