Listen
to Him and act
Feb.
7th, '16 Sunday Homily : Fr.Francis Chirackal CMI
Is
6:1-2a, 3-8; 1Cor 15:1-11; Lk 5:1-11
For Readings
You might have heard, watched, has become
the part of the TV channel ‘Shalom’ which is a Catholic religious channel which
continuously telecasts 24/7, Charismatic retreats, holy Mass, Rosary,
adorations and other contents for spiritual growth and wellbeing, to make one’s
life peaceful and happier. This TV channel was launched in India in 2005 by an
individual lay person by name Benny, without
any foreseen fund other than God’s providence. A few years back, it launched
its English channel for USA. If anybody wants to know more of the channel,
please go to "google" and search for ‘Shalom TV’ and follow
the links. Now, it telecasts programs globally without any commercials while
hundreds of channels struggle to find a go through, even with all kinds of
commercials and initial large capital investments and some of them even closed.
For Benny, the only fund for the TV channel is his faith in God’s providence
and the faith of people. As he says, it is God who runs the channel and he does
only what God tells him to do. In today’s readings we see the Prophet Isaiah,
Paul and Peter, followed what God told them to do and found astonishing results
in abundance. We may find similar initiatives and programs at several places
and sometimes even near or in our own locality.
The first reading from the book of Isaiah,
gives the description of Isaiah’s encounter with God in a vision and his
feeling of unworthiness and willingness. It explains his whole life and
teachings. St.Paul in his letter to the 1Corinthians, recollects how God selected
him, the unworthy one to be called an apostle and made him His messenger. He
expresses his faith, to encourage the Corinthian community in their faith in
Jesus. The Gospel passage presents Peter, who finds an astonishing catch, by
following Jesus’ words and a feeling of unworthiness before God. Humility is the beginning of spirituality.
Without becoming humble, one can’t submit oneself to God. One who sees the
greatness of God will become aware of one’s limitedness and will start praying
for His grace to strive to experience, God filling them with His Spirit. If we
think that we are worthy of God’s grace by our own effort, that will be a point
to know that we are falling away from God. By living God’s love in our lives,
we will be able to grow in our God-given grace, by continuously receiving the
Holy Spirit which is a free gift of God. When someone feels the unworthiness,
he will be open to God’s grace and God will be able to use him or her for His work.
This is what we see in all the characters in today’s readings. God made them
worthy by giving His Spirit.
Many individuals have claimed to be god or
equal to God. We may see many self-claimed or self-proclaimed god-men. We,
sometimes hear of people constructing temples for living persons, considering
them as Gods, while that person himself doesn’t know even what is going to
happen to him on the next moment. Their claims in themselves are proof that
they are not with God and not going to lead anybody to god-experience. Prophets
and apostles who felt their unworthiness before God led people to God the
Creator and Redeemer. Confession of unworthiness before God is an expression of
submission to the will of God. The Prophet Isaiah said, “Woe is me! I am lost,
for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips!”
Peter said, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”. Paul after his
conversion, unconditionally submitted himself to God’s work, leaving everything
behind of what he had and while preaching, expressed his unworthiness to be His
Apostle. God worked through them.
When the soul confesses its sinfulness and
inadequacy before God, God reaches out, sanctifies, fills with His Spirit and
equips him or her with all the graces and gifts, to be His able instrument in
this world. We see similar attitude in St.Chavara. In the case of Isaiah, one
of the seraphs touched his lips with a burning coal taken from the Altar of the
Temple, and said to him, “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has
departed and your sin is blotted out” (Isaiah 6:7). In the case of Simon Peter,
Jesus said to him, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people”
(Luke 5:10). We see that their qualification for the work of God does not come
from them, but, from God. It is not their personal achievement, it is God's
grace. That is why Paul could say, “But by the grace of God I am what I am” (1
Corinthians 15:10). Humble submission to God and following what He tells to do,
bring fruits in abundance, as Peter found a big catch, acting on Jesus’ words.
It was unbelievable for him. But that abundant earthly blessing didn’t stop him
there, but led him to accept the further heavenly mission. The whole salvific
history gives us innumerable examples, one after another, and are still going
on, as in the case of the growth of the Church in different places; thousands
of charity works today, are inspired by the Christian faith; giving spiritual strength,
peace and healing through the media, like Shalom TV channel and many others,
such as the EWTN Network, and our local Catholic Radio station.
This Jubilee year of Mercy, specially reminds
us to grow in the spirit and to become His instruments of peace and joy, with
an active life of faith with mercy, and love in charity. This week we are
entering into the period of Lent. Let us make our Lenten observance, a living
God-experience and find His blessings in abundance. May God bless you.
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