Homily for Tuesday, Week 7 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Tuesday
Week 7 of Ordinary Time

Sir 2: 1-11
Ps 37: 3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40
Feb. 25, 2025
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

“Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you” (cf. Ps 37: 5).

Our readings today urge us to reverence the Lord—which is what “fear” means in the context of Sirach and the Psalms—and to place our trust in God rather than ourselves.

Why?  Because God is compassionate and merciful, far more than people are; so compassionate that he forgives sins.  Jesus ben Sirach counsels us to “grow old” in fear of the Lord, i.e., reverencing him and keeping his ways.  We’ve certainly grown old, and we’re here because we’ve tried to reverence him from our youth.  When we’ve grown old and review our lives, we discern many blessings and not a few failings.  That’s a good use of the time left to us.

In such a review, we trust that the Lord forgives, and forgiving he makes us just, worthy of being in his presence.  “The salvation of the just is from the Lord” (Ps 37:39), certainly not from anything we’ve done except humbling ourselves like children before the Lord (cf. Mark 9:36-37).

Jesus ben Sirach
Schnorr_von_Carolsfeld_Bibel_in_Bildern_1860_148

Sirach reminds us, “When you come to serve the Lord, stand in justice and fear” (2:1).  Stand in fear, i.e., in reverence before our creator and judge; stand in justice, because he mercifully pardons and saves.

Jesus foretells his passion, death, and resurrection a 2d time.  The disciples don’t understand any more than they did the 1st time, when Peter thought to correct Jesus and was denounced as “Satan,” an obstacle to Jesus’ course.  They don’t understand in spite of the hostility already shown by influential people around them.  They don’t understand that those who serve God must be prepared for trials, as Sirach warns (2:1).  “In fire gold and silver are tested, and worthy people in the crucible of humiliation” (2:5).  So it will be with Jesus.  So it will be with each of us.

But, as the Father raised Jesus to glory, so it will be with us.  “You who fear the Lord, trust him, and your reward will not be lost.  You who fear the Lord, hope for good things, for lasting joy and mercy” (2:8-9).  As we traverse life, we are pilgrims of hope—not only in a jubilee year but always.