by Fr Joachim Robert
Genesis 37:3-4,12-13,17-28
Psalm 104:16-21
Matthew 21:33-43,45-46
Dear friends,
Some of you might be wondering why are we so late in beginning the Mass. And some of you know why we were late in beginning the Mass.
Just before our Ways of the Cross, suddenly we had a blackout. And I am not sure how were your feelings, how were your emotions during that moment. Some of you did not know what to do, so you all just stayed and hoping that the light will come back soon. Some perhaps had to do certain certain things in order to ensure that the whole celebration can continue. Others were trying to find what was the real problem so they can fix the problem.
And I think, dear friends, if you take a look at what happened this evening, that short time of blackout was a time where I felt I was thought about a lesson about Lent today. Because Lent is the time where we move away from the business of our lives, to take a hard stop to reflect and see what is stirring in our hearts, where God is leading us and where the Lord is inviting us to respond.
And me too, I also had so many things prepared in my mind on what I want to preach just now. But that lesson of Lent, that hard stop of Lent makes us realise, again like I said, where we are in our relationship with God.
If we look at the First Reading of today from the book of Genesis, the story of Joseph, of how he was a son who was deeply loved by the father but then rejected by the brothers because he was favoured. And then they wanted to sell him over to the Ishmaelites and after that we know what is the result of that story of Joseph.
What was important in that story, dear friends, is that Joseph knew that the father loves him. And because he knew that the father loves him, even though he was sold to the Ishmaelites, even he went to Egypt, he knew how it was when one is loved by the father.
And we see the story of Joseph, how after so many things that has happened in his life, that reunion of the father and the son comes together to bring about the restoration of that relationship.
And in the Gospel today as well, very often we too want to be accepted, we too want to feel belonged. But we see even though the vineyard owner had all good intentions, but those tenants did not appreciate what was given to them. They did not appreciate what they have been given and they, because of their ill intentions, wanted to kill the son who also wanted to bring back that relationship with the landlord and the tenants.
In that same way, dear friends, as we look at our own selves, those moment of darkness, the moments of rejection, the moments of non-acceptance in our lives, needs to make us realise that whatever that we do, dear friends, the Lord is at work. Even though we may feel that we are in that dark moments of that kind of life, perhaps in our own situations or brokenness in our relationship with our families, our community, perhaps with our relatives and friends. All these moments of darkness perhaps gives us that hard stop to take a relook at ourselves and see where we have all began.
And the Responsorial Psalm so beautifully says, to go back to that first invitation that the Lord has given to us to:-
Remember the wonders the Lord has done.
Because when we are able to remember the wonders the Lord had worked in our lives during the season of Lent, then we are able to take that step forward with conviction, with faith and with love.
And let us pray, dear friends, for each and every one of us, those who are struggling, those we are stepping forward, those who are progressing forward, that we may continue to be grateful for this season of Lent, that we may be grateful in those moments of darkness that we experience. Because sometimes we need to realise all that we need to do is wait and allow the Lord to work his miracles so that our relationship can be restored.
Let us pray and offer up all those people who are struggling with challenges of life, with obstacles in relationship, with wounded relationships. And we pray that God may continue to allow his grace to be at work and to restore that relationship with him once again and the relationship with one another in His time, in His love and in His grace.
Click below to listen to homily and watch video:–
Click to live-stream Mass on 10 March 2023