Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
My parents are people of great faith and devotion. So the other day, when my mother said to me that she “had it out with God,” it was not funny. There are intentions close to her heart that my parents have been praying for, for decades. But things seem to be getting worse. So mom said to me, “I asked God if he was deaf?” Later, in my prayer, I said to God, “You can answer her! I am not defending you!” Or, here is another message someone sent me on Facebook. “… There have been many people that God has put into my life just to suck them right back out. I read my bible and try to go to church but I just feel empty, like, He is not listening. I know He has given me many blessings in my life and I am thankful. But the heartache seem so much stronger.” It reminds me of the very opening sentences of today’s first reading: “How long, O LORD? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not intervene. Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery?” Who is this person crying for help? This person is every one in this church at one point or another.
And then… we have Jesus’ words from today’s gospel reading, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” If only it was that easy!!!
Now that I have put myself in a conundrum, I have to preach a homily. What shall I say? Let me say three things.
1. Life is Life & God is God. The context for the first reading from Habakuk is the impending Babylonian exile. The prophet was disillusioned with two realities: He saw how society was utterly disregarding God’s commandments and were carving out a destiny independent of God; His greater disillusionment was the fact that God was being a bystander as evil prevailed. The advantage that we have is that we can look back and see God’s plan working out over the centuries after Habakuk, until it came to a climax in Jesus. In other words, when we feel frustrated like Habakuk, there is no magic solution. It simply means that life has got to play out in the way it is meant to play out. This is exactly what God replied to Habakuk when God said, “For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.” Our disillusionment with God is not a sin. In fact, it is acceptable to express our disillusionment with God. Our frustration, disappointment, or disillusionment with situations in life or life itself is part of our human condition. When we feel God does not hear our prayers, it is not because God is powerless, or uncaring, or unexisting. It simply means that human life is plagued with limitations. Sometimes, the mulberry tree is meant to stay put. Life will be life, God will be God, and as people of faith we continue to believe that it God is still our destiny.
2. What About The Promises? In a faith sharing setting the other day, I said to the group that Jesus should never have said three things. He should not have said, “Ask it will be given to you” (Mt 7:7); “Truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven (Mt 18:19); and, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you” (Luke 17:5-6). This third one, I know does not work. I am speaking from experience. More people feel like Habakuk because we have these promises made to us. So why did Jesus make these promises? Because, part of our growing in faith, is to learn to look at life from God’s perspective. We must make our will known to God. In fact, we must command the mulberry tree to move. But we must also be prepared to let the mulberry tree be where God has planted it. This was Jesus’ own approach to life. Things did not go as he would have willed it either. Jesus faced a life-time of disillusionments with society, with people, and with his family. He even prayed, “Take this cup away from me!” In fact, his mulberry tree became the wood of the cross. But he knew that when his will was not fulfilled, it did not mean that God had rejected him or was uncaring about him. It did not mean that God loved to see him suffer or was inflicting pain upon him, but rather, that the story of salvation had to played out in that way. In making the promises that Jesus made, he was not setting us for disillusionment, but rather, he was teaching us that faith means letting God be God in our lives… even when we are on the cross. In the final analysis, God has covered us for eternity. To look at life from God’s perspective — that is what the disciples meant when they said, “Lord, increase our faith."
3. Somebody moved my Mulberry Tree! Having said all this, we must also acknowledge that there are times that faith does move the mulberry tree. I am sure each one of us can look back and find God does answer prayer. One of the most powerful ways in which God answers our prayers is through one another. Here is one story. Laura and Rico Ruffino of Orchard Park, NY, were a happy family with two daughters. Sadly though, Laura’s friend Liz passed away unexpectedly, leaving behind four daughters. Without blinking, the Ruffinos took all the four children and gave them a new home. Overnight, a family of four became a family of eight. The mulberry tree did move. Here is the second story. Christina was just dumped by her fiancé and was left to start over in a new, empty apartment. She ordered a couch but for some reason, the couch failed to be delivered. Meanwhile, her credit card was shut down. An upset and frustrated Christina called her credit card company. On the other side of the phone was a caring customer service representative, Tonya. Tonya did not merely try to solve her credit card problem. She listened to her life problems, encouraged her, gave her free miles to travel, and later sent her flowers. Christina recently appeared on TV and met Tonya. Perhaps, the answer the someone’s prayer is you and me. Instead of getting caught up with our own mulberry tree, may be we should try to help move someone else’s tree.
As we celebrate this mass, let us pray like the disciples: “Lord, increase our faith.!”
- Fr. Satish Joseph