Thirteenth Sunday Ordinary Time
June 27, 2021 •
What is this "richness" of which Saint Paul speaks? That's where the Gospel comes in. Here we have Jesus, in His human poverty, walking among the people, teaching them. ... He opens their minds to Truth, to a greater wealth of knowledge than they could have had otherwise. He reveals to them, through His humanity, the face of God. Through that same humanity, He can even bestow His divine power on those who are sick and suffering. We've got the woman with hemorrhages who just touches his clothes and Jesus feels power go out of Him. Now, as a human man, He doesn't have power to heal anything. ... So where did that power come from? It came from His divinity, from his divine nature. But notice how it flowed through His body and through His clothing out to this woman with faith. It was precisely because of the poverty of His humanity that the richness of His divine nature was able to be transferred to her and bring her healing....
It is through the poverty, the humanity of Christ, that the richness of God comes to us. That is the very nature of sacramental theology. People think: "Oh you don't need sacraments to receive grace." Really? You needed the Body of Jesus to receive grace. Why would you think it's any different now? Grace only flows to us through the poverty of nature. And in particular, the nature of Jesus Christ, the human nature of the Lord, that poverty. And that's what Saint Paul is trying to teach us.
In becoming poor (Jesus) made us wealthy - spiritually wealthy. We have the Truth, we have the grace of salvation. We have eternal life. There is no greater good.
Saint Paul is saying that Jesus has clearly done this for us, and given us a great example, that we, like Christ, should be willing to impoverish ourselves for the good of those in need around us.... That's how the grace of God flows. When one impoverishes his or herself for love of the other, then the grace of God flows through that. ...
Paul continues, "Not that others should have relief while you are burdened.... but that as a matter of equality, your abundance at the present time should supply their need."
What does this mean and how do we apply it in our lives? What one important rule need we always remember?
Wis 1:13-15, 2:23-24; Ps 30:2, 4-6, 11-13; 2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15; Mk 5:21-43
Homily begins at 19:22