Homily 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - B Sunday 14th January 2024

Homily
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - B
Sunday 14th January 2024
Through Advent, we were encouraged to prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus at Christmas and to anticipate his Second Coming. Over the past few weeks, we were also reminded of how John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for the one he was unfit to untie his sandals. Yet when he met Jesus, he recognised him instantly and said, “I need to be baptised by you”. However, Jesus replied, “Leave it for the time being; for it is fitting that we should fulfil all righteousness.” John baptised Jesus, and the spirit of God rested on him in the form of a dove.
Jesus did not need to be baptised as he was sinless. Being baptised he became a sign to John the Baptist. Jesus was humbling himself to be like us but without sin. His righteousness enables us to be fully forgiven. Our Baptism enables Christ to regenerate us into children of God. We are also united with Christ, and through his Crucifixion we die to sin, transformed both physically and spiritually. Baptism placed an indelible mark upon us that cannot be taken away. We belong to God.
It was the following day when John was with two of his disciples, including Andrew. John saw Jesus and proclaimed; “Look, there is the Lamb of God”, and the two disciples followed Jesus, spending the rest of the day with him. What Andrew learnt inspired him to race to his brother Peter, to share the Good News that the Messiah had been found.
No sooner does Simon Peter meet Jesus and he is renamed Cephas, the Rock on which Jesus’s church will be built. Peter, as we know from the Gospels, had his flaws. He was hasty in his responses to Jesus, even at one time being called Satan by his friend, who told him to get behind him. Then having said he would never abandon his friend and would die for him, Peter did exactly the opposite, letting Jesus down by denying him. Jesus knew this and forgave him.
Before Jesus ascended, he met with his disciples on the Shore of Tiberias. They finished breakfast and Jesus turned to Peter and three times asked him if he loved Jesus more than anyone else? Peter was surprised and insisted he did. Jesus instructed Peter the first time to feed his Lambs, then to look after them, and then to feed his Sheep.
We are seeing the formation of the church begin in those exchanges between Jesus and Peter. The Rock being the foundation. The church is the body of Christ. We are encouraged to think of our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit, which is why Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians challenges them to stay away from anything that is impure. Our bodies are sacred. We are one with Christ. Paul highlights that it is not possible to join the corrupted to the incorruptible. If we do, we are ourselves cutting ourselves off from God, through our choices. We have free will, regardless of what this world tries to convince us of.
Like Samuel, we need to listen and discern who is calling us. If we listen to what we hear in Mass, or when we read the words from the Bible, or explore what it is that our Christian Tradition is ‘actually’ about we will be able to see, hear and feel the way to God. Our spirits will recognise the call we are getting. What we must do is pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance to prevent the devil’s lies from distracting us.
We need to cut down on the influence of social media, television, newspapers and other media outlets that are easily accessible but often wrapped up in deceit, creating a fog in front of us that is hard to see the truth of what is happening, or a hissing noise that needs to be filtered out so we can hear more clearly. We also need to be able to calm our nerves so as our emotions don’t get stirred up, making us angry or wanting to lash out because of the way all our senses are being overloaded with so much information.
We need to learn to rest. To do, as Samuel was asked, to lay down in our place, a quiet place so we can hear when the Lord is calling to us. We still need to prepare, for when the Lord calls, like Samuel and Andrew, we need to be able to let go of our worldly concerns and follow Jesus.