OMELIE / Omelie EN

13 feb 2022

13/02/2022 – 6th Sunday in O.T. - year C

13/02/2022 – 6^th Sunday in O.T. - year C

Reading 1 Jer 17,5-8 Psalm 1 Reading 2 1COR 15,12.16-20 Gospel LK 6,17.20-26

The beginning of the first reading might appear frightening: “Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings”. The word “cursed” would not be something we ever expect. With this expression certainly the Lord does not want to curse anyone, but he wants to awaken in us a special attention. They who do not give trust to God and give it instead to men, are opening themselves up to delusion and painful disillusionments. No man, for the duration of his life, is completely trustworthy: as he is at risk of catching some physical sickness, so he can always fall into temptation and give in to it. Unfortunately this has happened many times in history, and even in the history of the Church. Therefore, we need to put our trust in the Lord, and only in Him. There are for sure people whose judgement we can trust for our choices, whose wisdom gives us solace, but only because they too, on their part, are firmly anchored to God’s Word.

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord” the prophet continues. When we meet such a blessed man we can rejoice: he will be a blessing for us too, and we will be able to listen to him and ask him for advice for our life, always being careful to trust God ultimately. We are made in a way that we need the words and advice of someone else. We can see how many, not finding anyone they can confide in, are paying good money to be heard for an hour by people who have studied human sciences for a few years. Do they get any benefit? Sometimes yes, if that person whom they open their heart to, trusts in the Lord!

The words coming from Jesus' lips and we today hear are repeating using other images the prophet’s teaching. Is truly blessed the man who does not expect anything from and hope anything from wealth, but only from God. Is also blessed the man in need of earthly things and men’s affection, and is waiting for his fulfillment from God’s goodness. Is blessed the man who is obeying the Father, and loves the Son, even to the cost of being made fun of and persecuted. Those who are firmly united to God have peace in their heart, and they become spreaders of peace around themselves. They become a blessing to the world. The world lives thanks to those who, in it, offer themselves to God, listen to Him, are His witnesses, even while suffering.

Where do we find the will and the strength to continue trusting in the Lord despite the evil which is surrounding us, from which we have escaped, but which is trying to win us back? Where does the Christian build his motivation on in order to be steadfast in the faith? The apostle is telling us this. “Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep”. This is the certainty which is making us sure, strong, stable. This is the victory over every temptation which is trying to bring us back into the world. Jesus Christ is the man who “trusts in the Lord” to His death, is the one who has put His hope in the Father, is the true poor, the suffering person who is weeping, the hungry for God’s will, the one despised by everyone, despite having given His life up for everybody. He has died, yes, but God has risen Him from the dead, and so He gives us certainty that His is God’s way, the way of life, and that resurrection awaits us too. This certainty gives value and foundation to our whole faith, to our whole trust in the Lord!

We will look around us for people who are living the same faith in the resurrection, in order to share their faith and hope, not to let ourselves be cheated by the disbelief and materialism which rule the world, but to find help in times of loneliness and pain.