HOMILY WEEK 05 04
The Two Dimensions of Faith and Love
Memorial – Saints Cyril and Methodius
(Gen 2:18-25; Ps 128; Mk 7:24-30)
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What are the names of the two girlfriends that a priest or bishop can have? The answer is Karen and Sharon. Caring and Sharing!
Those two names sum up the essence of the message from today’s readings: We are to live the two dimensions of the cross – faith and love. Our faith is in God through Jesus, a faith that is best expressed by our love for one another, our caring for and sharing with one another.
The Gospel is all about faith in Jesus. He longs for solitude, so he crosses borders and goes into Gentile territory where he hopes no one knows his identity. He enters a house where he can hopefully commune with the Father in silent prayer.
When I was trying to learn Cree, I could identify with that. I lived incognito with a family in the Onion Lake First Nations community, trying to not let anyone know I was a priest, so I could concentrate on learning the language. However, word soon leaked out, and demands for ministry started to happen, very much like the Gentile woman coming to Jesus for a miracle.
The Syrophoenician woman with Jesus
Jesus’ response to her request seems harsh: “it is not fair to throw the children’s food to the dogs.” The meaning behind this phrase is that Jesus safeguards the priority of his mission to Israel, yet points to the possibility of a Gentile mission. The miracle is not so much one of healing at a distance to avoid breaking purity laws. It is rather the overcoming of prejudice and boundaries that separate persons. The exchange with the woman points toward the future in which Gentiles will be included; their faith will bring them salvation. Also, the word “dogs” might be better rendered “little puppies” making it almost a term of endearment. In the end, we see Jesus truly caring for this woman, and healing her daughter because of her faith.
There is a lesson here on reaching out to the marginalized, the outsiders, those who are different, who don’t seem to belong.
The first reading is all about love. Husband and wife are to become one flesh. Everyone has a yearning for intimacy. Every single person on this earth should have a soul mate, someone whom they can trust completely. Here we see love as trust and intimacy. Marriage means that husband and wife are to be a unique and exclusive gift to each other. It is striking how such a deep and profound need for intimacy also is very fearful, for intimacy makes us vulnerable. However, the bottom line is that love is willing to be open to being hurt, for the sake of the other, for the sake of the relationship.
A couple dialoguing during a Marriage Encounter w/e
Often members of religious communities will express a need for intimacy that is hard to find in the life of their communities where the sharing is usually on a safe, general level, but not satisfying for them. The challenge of love as sharing is as acute for them as it is for a married couple.
Two elderly women Religious who took a marriage encounter actually broke through in their relationship with each other and started sharing intimately for the first time. Their relationship was transformed by a marriage encounter of all things.
Saints Cyril & Methodius
It is fitting that today the church honors two saintly brothers. Cyril and Methodius are sometimes called the Apostles to the Slavs for their work as missionaries. The two brothers were born in Thessalonika, Greece, in the 19thcentury. (Cyril adopted that name late in life; his name at birth was Constantine.) Because they could speak the Slavic language and likely because of the number of Slavic people in the region, they were sent as missionaries first to what is now Ukraine, and then to Moravia, situated between Byzantium and the Germanic peoples. They worked to make the liturgy and Scripture available in the vernacular, and Cyril devised an alphabet which some feel is the precursor to the Cyrillic alphabet. While they encountered political opposition, they did enjoy the support of Pope Adrian II. Cyril died in Rome, while Methodius was consecrated a bishop and returned to Moravia. In 1980 Pope John Paul II declared Cyril and Methodius patrons of Europe.
The Eucharist is both an intimate encounter of faith and love with Jesus, but also a mission to go out and express that faith and love by caring for, and sharing with, others.
So, the bottom line is our faith in God through Jesus is best expressed by our love for one another – our caring for and sharing with one another.
Well thanks for sharing all the loving and compassion experiences and stories about intimate encounter of faith and love with Jesus Christ. It was such a relaxing heart felt moment reflecting on the readings and writings expressed today. These are the words we needed to accept and hear clearly as to how to strengthen our faith with love, joy and peace . How to open our hearts, our minds, our beings by surrendering ourselves to Jesus Christ. So, to have forgiveness and be healed we should let go of the past ; all negative thoughts , sins, faults and temptations that caused us to sins. We are to ask God to forgive our sins and he will heal us fully including any sickness we have. He wants us to repent; to be able to change our ways and attitude to suite others. The commandment we have been hearing ” we should love others as we love ourselves, we should love our neighbours because Jesus loves us dearly. Also, we should be loving our enemies because we forgave them for their faults.” We can build this intimate relationship with Jesus by praise and worshipping him with lots of love through our ways. Amen. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanks again for the out pouring messages today. These are the same words I am hearing at a conference about Jesus himself and the Holy Spirit. What kind of faith this is and knowing this unconditional love. How to build a intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Keep it up ! Gracias! Happy Valentine’s Day Best wishes with lots of hugs and kisses. Bishop Sylvain Lavoie.