Homily For Friday of Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 4th August, 2023. The Memorial of St. John Mary Vianney

Readings: Lev. 23:1.4-11.15-16.27.34-37; Ps. 81; Matt. 13:54-58

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

STOP LOOKING DOWN ON PEOPLE FOR YOU NEVER KNOW WHO WILL BE YOUR HELPER TOMORROW

 

In life people are quick to neglect and look down on others, who they believed cannot offer them anything good at the moment. They are quick to forget that everyone, no matter the present condition is a potential instrument for God's blessings. This is the ugly attitudes of the people of Nazareth in our Gospel passage today.

 

For when Jesus came to his home town and taught the people in the synagogue in such a way that they were astonished, but instead of embracing the message of Jesus, they treated him with contempt and in their pride they said: ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? This is the carpenter’s son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers and sisters here with us? Where did he get all these?’ And they would not accept him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house’, and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

 

Thus, out of pride and contempt the people rejected the blessings God has for them. Today this kind of ugly attitude is what stops people from doing good, because they don’t want to be treated with contempt and as a result, a lot of people have been deprived of their blessings out  of human pride and contempt.

 

This is what the Lord is addressing through Moses in our first reading today. For he said when you enter the land that I give you, and gather in the harvest there, you must bring the first sheaf of your harvest to the priest, and he is to present it to the Lord with the gesture of offering, so that you may be acceptable.

 

This is what we see in the life of John Mary Vianney, whose memorial we celebrate today, for he accepted who he was and was determined with faith to achieve his dreams through humility and persistence. For through his life of holiness, preaching, prayer and penance he was able to transformed the life of the people of his time without looking down on anyone.

 

Dear friends, do not treat anyone with contempt, for everyone is a potential instrument of God’s blessings and favour. And if you want to make a difference in life, be ready to ignore what people are saying about you now, forget you past failures and your humble beginning. People may not appreciate you now, they may even say all kinds of things about you, just to humiliate and discourage you.

 

Put all of them behind you, work hard for your dreams, give your time to it, sacrifice your sleep and comfort, sweat for it, plan for it, overcome all your terrors of opposition, enduring pains and obstacles, with the help of God you will succeed and become a source of God's blessings. Then you will sing joyfully to God your strength and all the people will gather about you in praise of your God. And they will say: Is not this the Carpenter's son or daughter? Where then did he get all this? Yes, that's who we are, for Jesus is the Carpenter of our success and salvation.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, oftentimes in our pride we treat people with contempt because of their humble background, give us the grace to realize that everyone is a potential instrument of your blessings and favour to humanity.  and as we struggle towards our goals, may you through the intercession of St. Vianney crown all our efforts and sacrifices with success. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.  Peace be with you.