A Homily – The Third Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year B)

First Reading – Jonah 3:1-5, 10 ©

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 24(25):4-6, 7b-9 ©

Second Reading – 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 ©

Gospel Acclamation – Mark 1:15

The Gospel According to Mark 1:14 – 20 ©

 

(NJB)

 

Listen!

 God, the creator of the universe, God is not the destroyer.

 The prophets proper role is as a teacher; the prophet is not a herald of doom.

 Consider the words of the psalmist:

 Lift-up your spirit, give your life to God, but do not expect God to take sides with you in any conflict.

 Know this!

 God loves all of God’s children equally; God does not discriminate or pick favorites.

 If you ask God to punish the faithless and the promise breakers, you must know that you are asking God to punish you for your own transgressions.

 Rather than engaging in prayer as a supplicant for worldly favors, pray for wisdom and guidance; know that God desires your wellbein , but God has made you and all of creation free, God will not intervene in your life or the choices you make that lead to error.

 Be mindful of God’s mercy.

 God allowed for your existence even knowing the extent of your crimes; God knew you from the beginning of time, God willed you into being even in consideration of all your errors.

 Remember.

 All the ways of God are kindness and mercy.

 Consider the words of the apostle.

 The epistle speaks to Paul’s awareness of how easy it is to err. It shows us that Paul’s expectations regarding the coming end of the world were not fulfilled. Then it reveals how Paul’s prescription for managing those expectations was contrary to the purpose of life.

 Never forget how easy it is to err and how impossible it is to predict the future. The future is not written, and it is not the role of the prophet to pretend to know it.

 If you wish to follow the teaching of Paul, do this:  

    Honor your marriages or dissolve them with integrity.

2.           Whether you are mourning or not, be true to yourself.

3.           Allow joy and laughter to flow over you, but do not seek them as an end in themselves.

4.           Give of your surplus and be fair to your workers.

 The world may not be passing away anytime soon, but it will eventually come to end. Well before that we will all be gone; when and we leave the earth we take nothing with us.

 Consider the Gospel reading for today.

 The time has come, the time is always now; therefore repent!

 The Baptist calls us to repent, which means to turn; repent and turn towards God, turn toward justice and toward the good.

 Remember this!

 God is not a king.

 Jesus revealed the face of God, showing us that the divine comes to us as a loving parent, a mother or a father, a sister and a brother.

 The spirit of God is wisdom, and the will of God is reason.

 God does not seek to rule over us as a king does a kingdom; rather, God cares for us as a gardener cares for a garden. God tends to the needs of the living, preparing a place of beauty and the opportunity for joy, inviting us to the same.

 When the Baptist calls us to repent, we are being called to return to the garden.

 Listen!

 Believe the Good News; believe that you are loved by God and that God has a plan for your salvation. God intends for you to be well; Christian faith is trust in this proposition.

 Believe, not so that you can be saved, believe that you are saved already. Believe that your salvation was God’s plan for you from the beginning of time. The movement of grace cannot be reduced to a transaction.

 If you follow Christ, share the way of love and hope, the way of humility, the way of justice and mercy; if you do this, you will be fishers of women and men.

 

First Reading – Jonah 3:1-5, 10 ©

The People of Nineveh Renounce their Evil Behaviour

The word of the Lord was addressed to Jonah: ‘Up!’ he said ‘Go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach to them as I told you to.’ Jonah set out and went to Nineveh in obedience to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was a city great beyond compare: it took three days to cross it. Jonah went on into the city, making a day’s journey. He preached in these words, ‘Only forty days more and Nineveh is going to be destroyed.’ And the people of Nineveh believed in God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least.

God saw their efforts to renounce their evil behaviour, and God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened.

 

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 24(25):4-6, 7b-9 ©

Lord, make me know your ways.

Lord, make me know your ways.

  Lord, teach me your paths.

Make me walk in your truth, and teach me:

  for you are God my saviour.

Lord, make me know your ways.

Remember your mercy, Lord,

  and the love you have shown from of old.

In your love remember me,

  because of your goodness, O Lord.

Lord, make me know your ways.

The Lord is good and upright.

  He shows the path to those who stray,

He guides the humble in the right path,

  He teaches his way to the poor.

Lord, make me know your ways.

 

Second Reading – 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 ©

The World as We Know It is Passing Away

Brothers: our time is growing short. Those who have wives should live as though they had none, and those who mourn should live as though they had nothing to mourn for; those who are enjoying life should live as though there were nothing to laugh about; those whose life is buying things should live as though they had nothing of their own; and those who have to deal with the world should not become engrossed in it. I say this because the world as we know it is passing away.

 

Gospel Acclamation – Mark 1:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

The kingdom of God is close at hand: repent, and believe the Good News.

Alleluia!

 

The Gospel According to Mark 1:14 – 20 ©

I Will Make you into Fishers of Men

After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the Good News from God. ‘The time has come’ he said ‘and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.’

As he was walking along by the Sea of Galilee he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake – for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men.’ And at once they left their nets and followed him.

Going on a little further, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they too were in their boat, mending their nets. He called them at once and, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the men he employed, they went after him.

 

The Third Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year B)