Homily from Fr Paul Nicholson SJ for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings for Year B: Job 7:1-7; I Corinthians 9:16-23; Mark 1:29-39
We’re currently in the middle of a few weeks of “Ordinary time”, squeezed in between the end of Christmastide and the beginning of Lent. In these weeks, the gospels show the start of Jesus’ public ministry, as he begins to share his vision of the God he calls Father. Today Mark in the first chapter of his gospel gathers a snapshot of all the kinds of things Jesus did in his ministry, what you might call “24 hours in the life of Jesus”. We see him calling apostles, healing, casting out devils, preaching and teaching, and spending time alone in prayer. These are the ways in which Jesus spent his days; but you are called to be a disciple, which means to be like him – so how do you relate to what you’re hearing?
I don’t know what you do day by day, but at first hearing you probably don’t identify easily with that list. After all, isn’t it bishops who call people to be apostles; doctors who heal; exorcists who cast out devils; and priests who preach? Could it be that your role is simply to pray? But that’s not how being a follower of Christ works. You can’t simply delegate large parts of your discipleship to other people. All of you who take part in this Mass are called to be, in a traditional Latin phrase usually used to refer to priests, “alter Christi”, other Christs. Or to put it in the words of St Teresa of Avila “Christ has no hands today but yours to do his work”.
So let’s look at those five kinds of things Jesus does in this 24-hour snapshot, and try and see more clearly where we fit in:
How might you call many to discipleship? Especially by your example – does the way that you live your life really witness to the difference faith makes? If it does, it will issue a call to your family, friends, neighbours. Even though there is no guarantee that they’ll answer that call, as Christ himself knew.
How might you heal? Probably not by performing miracles, but by being ready to help others wherever they have pain or problems, by being supportive of them.
Casting out devils in this contest can mean standing up bravely to evil wherever it is found: from political action against injustice, to a refusal to go along with what know to be wrong, at home or at work, or wherever you encounter wrong-doing.
Preaching and teaching is again often done mainly by your example, but also by being ready to explain what your faith means to you if you’re asked. More than that, the Church now offers many opportunities today for lay-people to take part in catechetical programmes, preparing children for sacraments, marriage preparation, and other events that you might be able to volunteer for.
Finally prayer, as the example of Jesus clearly shows, acts as a power source enabling you to carry out the other four aspects of being a true disciple.
Paul in 2nd reading today calls us to be “all things to all people”; these words act as a useful summary of the disciple’s job description that we have been considering here. By calling, healing, preaching, confronting evil and praying, we will have something to offer to everyone who is in need. If each of us was to resolve to approach everybody we meet this week with this attitude, imagine the difference that would make to your community, your parish, or your neighbourhood. This gospel of “24 hours in the life of Jesus”, then, is worth remembering; so that it becomes equally “24 hours in the life of you”.
Fr Paul Nicholson SJ