Homily Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time A February 7, 2021

 Homily    Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time   A    February 7, 2021

 Did you like our first reading?     It is really a downer.  “Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?  Are not his days those of hirelings?”  Notice that verse 5 has been left out, skipped over.  It is pretty gross. You can look it up on your own.   And the reading ends on this ‘happy’ note: “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope.

Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall not see happiness again.”

          This is a great reading for a time of pandemic.  We all know people who have succumbed to this plague.  We have all lost family or friends, or been sickened ourselves.  We can identify with Job in this reading, and his downer of an attitude.

          I think this downer of a reading is given to us at the beginning of our liturgy today as a reality check.  It is a reminder of the seriousness of sin and our situation left to our own devices, without the intervention of a savior.

          Skip now to the Gospel. Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law, and the result is “she waited on them.”   The healing not only saved her, but empowered her to be of service.  Salvation comes not just for our personal benefit, but so we can truly be of service to others.

          Then we are told something that I find interesting.  “When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.  The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons…” 

          Notice the time.  When a Gospel writer tells you the time most often it means something.  It was after the sun had set and it was dark. 

         First century towns in Galilee were not lit up like Austin.  When the sun went down it was dark.  Very dark.  And that was the time of crimes, of evil.  It was the time of the devil.   Jesus does not wait till it is dark to do His healings as a convenience to those who had day jobs and so waited until they were off of work.  No, Jesus cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, to show His complete power over evil, even in the night, in the domain of evil.   Jesus is, in a sense, showing off.  He is flexing His muscle.  He is making in abundantly clear that He is stronger than evil.  Jesus goes into the devil’s home turf to show that He is even stronger than death.  //

          In the midst of this downer of a time, a time of social isolation, of economic disruption and hardship, a time of sickness and death, we are called, like Job, to be realistic, to not make light of the problems and reality we face, to look clear eyed and soberly at the truth of our predicament.  But we do not give up.  We do not collapse.  We do not despair. 

          Instead, we put our hopes and our faith in Jesus Christ.  Christ has rescued us from sin and from eternal death.  He is our hope, our Savior.  He saves us from a meaningless and pointless life, and He saves us for service, for love, for a life of value and meaning now, and for the fullness of life hereafter. 

          Following His way to Life is not easy, but He gives us the help of the Holy Spirit.

    Today, at this Mass, we pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit to come down on [11:30 = Ms. Jenna Estes    5:30 = Mr. Peter Wallace] to confirm her/him, that is to make her/him strong and steadfast in the faith, even in the face of evil and sin. 

          All of us, by Baptism and Confirmation, are blessed and empowered to carry on the fight of Jesus against evil and against sin, both in our own hearts, and in our society and world, even after the sun has set.

          Jesus is Risen!   Alleluia!