FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YR C
Isaiah 66:10-14; Psalm 66;
Galatians 6:14-18; Luke 10:1-12,17-20
YOU SHALL FIND JOY AGAIN
Our first reading for today, is a message of comfort and hope for a people who have known trouble almost all of their lives. In fact, at this time in their lives they have returned from exile to their homeland. They were back in Jerusalem but things were not as they imagined. Everything was broken and life was almost unbearable. Many people were disappointed and discouraged.
These were people who experienced their city, Jerusalem, run down by their enemies as they were carried into exile. Also, it was left to deteriorate and in deed was abandoned by the Lord because of their unfaithfulness. Their situation is described as a nursing mother whose breast dried up. We can all imagine the effect it will have on the child but the anguish of a mother who is helpless in feeding her child is even grievous.
But the prophet Isaiah has a message of hope for these people as they return. He calls the people to rejoice and be glad with Jerusalem because it will once again be a place of joy, peace and abundance. Their restoration is described in the language that was used to describe their loss and exile. The prophet declared to them “that you may suck fully of the milk of her comfort, that you may nurse with delight at the abundance of her breast”. God will come to their help as a mother comforts her children. God will bring them peace and joy again. There shall be restoration of Jerusalem as a rich nourishing mother and the Israelites, her children, will feel her prosperity as child finds comfort in the arms of her mother.
In our lives we may sometimes feel things are broken beyond repair. It seems troubles never end in our lives and that of our loved ones. There comes a time in our lives when it seems all is lost. This begins for some people when their parents who they depend upon pass on to eternity. Other times when you lose everything in life, to the extend that you begin to doubt yourself or wonder whether there is anything left for you in this life anymore.
It is in such a situation that that the prophet of God declares the message of hope and calls the people to rejoice because God will bring back the blessings of our lives.
The message today is that God sees all our trouble and comes close to us with comfort and kindness. He does not help us from far away but is close and holds us like a mother. He is the Immanuel. He gives us peace, strength and joy in difficult times.
We are encouraged to be hopeful and rejoice in God’s love not because everything is perfect, but because we are not alone. God is always with us carrying us through it all. Just like the author of the short story “the footprint” tells us. He is with us healing us and filling us with new life.
Just as Jerusalem is promised joy after sorrows, we too shall know joy and peace after all our troubles that come from God alone.
This peace and joy come only through the cross of Jesus. That is why Paul says he only boasts of the cross. This is because through the cross we become a new creation. if we want to rise out of our exile of pain, sorrow and disappointments, we must trust in Jesus. In Jesus alone we are truly loved, forgiven and made new.
We must open our hearts to receive these blessings from the Lord. It is only in Christ can we find our peace and joy. Let us open our hearts to him and for him.
God bless you.
By Rev. Fr. Delight Carbonu
