To dance to the eternal music

Homily for September 18, 2019 | Dominican Sisters Tagaytay City

HOMILY | 1 Timothy 3:1-13 | Luke 7:11-17

In our Gospel today we hear the parable of the Children sitting in the Marketplace. We have to notice that this pericope is connected to that of Jesus’s encounter with the followers of John the Baptist (7:18-30) who were sent to ask Are you the Messiah we have been looking for, or shall we wait for another? Remember that Jesus had just performed miracles, cured the sick, the blind and the lame, and this is a continuation of the story of the resurrection of the widow’s son from yesterday’s Gospel.

The people listening to Jesus refused to believe him, and still see John the Baptist as the Messiah. It was an encounter not to discredit the Baptist but to demonstrate path taken to prepare for the coming of Christ, sort of saying if you find John the Baptist amazing, how much more when you get to witness the things Christ can do? If the prophet is great, the Christ is many times over greater; again not to discredit John but to demonstrate the path that lead salvation to us today. We hear Jesus narrating the bashing he and John had to endure in their message.

We are reminded today of our resolve to accept the revelation presented to us in the incarnation of Christ. God has sung a dirge, he had played the flute in Christ but we did not dance, we did not participate in the banquet prepared for us. It is an invitation also for us today for acceptance and participation. We ask ourselves is my ministry a participation in the revelation of Christ? Is my congregation’s charism still in consonance with the new order set forth by Christ?

Our professor in Pauline Literature once raised this question as a matter for discussion: It is also good for us to reflect upon these questions. What if the Church is failing from her mission like Israel failing to carry out her mission? With all the scandals of sexual abuses, mismanagement and papal attacks, is the Church still on the right path of sharing and participating in the revelation and mission of Jesus Christ? What if as a Church we are failing from our calling?

Our Gospel today tells us, God will always play the song even when we don’t participate. The call is enduring, constant and eternal because of Christ. We religious dance in behalf of those who can’t and those who won’t. We have chosen this life. We choose this life in order:

• to be pleasing to the musician who plays the song,

• to dance in behalf of others, to preserve them from corruption and sin,

• to dance and participate because it celebrates our identity.

And when we do, we vindicate Christ, the Logos, the wisdom of the ages; eventually we become sons and daughters of wisdom, of Jesus Christ the wisdom of the Father, and eventually receive the graces intended for the Children of God. (John 1: 12).