I AM HAPPY WITH JUST A LITTLE.

TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - YEAR B
SEPTEMBER 10, 2006.
(First reading: Isaiah 35:4-7a ) (Psalm 146:7, 8-9a,9. 9bc-10)
(Second reading: James 2: 1-5) (Gospel: Mark 7:31-37)

I AM HAPPY WITH
JUST A LITTLE.

In some cultures of the world there is a deep-rooted custom that when someone is invited to a home for a meal, the guest is expected to finish all the food placed for him at the table, otherwise the host will be sadly disappointed. You cannot say: "I am happy with just a little".

Christians nowadays appear to be happy with just a little; to the point that, when God places his Word in front of us, we say: "I am happy to hear just a little. I am happy to speak just a little", thus, we are never able to hear all that the Lord Jesus wants us to hear, to speak all that he wants us to say.

The readings of this Sunday show us all the Lord wants us to hear, all he wants us to say, all he wants us to receive, all he wants us to "eat".

The first reading (Isaiah) is directed precisely to those who are happy with just a little. "To those whose hearts are frightened", timid, cowardly: Here is your God, "He comes with vindication, to save you; He will open the eyes of the blind, He will clear the ears of the deaf, the lame will leap like a stag, the tongue of the mute will sing. Streams will burst forth in the desert, the burning sands will become pools" (Isaiah 35:4-7).

Psalm 146 speaks in the same language: "God secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, sets captives free, gives sight to the blind, raises up those who were bowed down, protects strangers, sustains orphans and widows" (Psalm 146:7-9).

The second reading (James) records that "the poor of the world are to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom" (James 2:5).

The Gospel, finally, shows us how the lord Jesus takes us (individually) "aside from the crowd" and "opens our ears" and "removes the impediments from our speech" (Mark 7:33-35); so that we may hear and proclaim all that he wants us to hear and proclaim; so that we may no longer say: "I am happy with just a little".

However, human beings nowadays do not seem willing to take advantage of what the Lord is giving us, of what He places on our "tables", in front of us, for us to take, to "eat". We do not seem to take seriously the gift of the Lord. We only take a little bit and say: "I am happy with just a little". Here there are some examples of how it happens:

- The Lord give us the gift of health, but we say: "Lord just give me good health for me and my family". But we do nothing about the millions of people around the world who suffer or die of illnesses for lack of simple medicines. And we said: "I am happy with just a little".

- The Lord gives all human beings the ability to work and meet our needs with dignity, but we say: "Lord just give me a decent job". But we care less about the millions of men and women who are denied work or work for miserable salaries and cannot feed their families.

- The Lord puts on our "table" the gift of peace for all to enjoy, but we say: "Lord just help me resolve my personal conflicts, anxieties, quarrels, tensions, threats, dangers". But we do not care about the thousands of men, women and children being killed in wars; or worse, we even support said wars. And we say: "I am happy with just a little ".

The readings this Sunday remind us that the liberating and healing gifts of the Lord are given to ALL, not just to a group of people, or a country, or a church, or a race (Second reading- James).

The Church is to show the world that the gifts of God are there for all of us to enjoy, to take, to "eat". The Lord Jesus expects us to "eat all the food" He puts on our table in front of us. If we don't, he will be sadly disappointed; and we will tragically shortchange ourselves.

This Sunday let us say: "Lord let us hear your Word in its totality and proclaim it to the whole world". We do not want to say ever again: "I am happy with just a little".