THOUGH WE ARE MANY, WE ARE ONE BODY. (Homily for Tuesday of the 31st Week in ordinary Time, Year B.)

Bible Study:  Romans 12, 5 to 16. And Luke 14, 15 to 24.


Like a gentle breeze after a heavy downpour, today’s readings come as a gentle wave after yesterday’s celebration. Remembering the dead honestly comes along with a lot of pain mixed with fear, hope and wonder so I guess yesterday must have been a very reflective one for us. But today, St. Paul is reminding us of our essential unity, a unity that exists binding us firmly together even though we are not able to see it.

Yes, we may fight each other on earth, pick up quarrels here and there, we may even go to war with each other but the truth is that we all come from the same God and when we die, we shall all return to the same God. And God is not divided, if he created Black people, he also created White People meaning that both White and Black people are the same and even while we seem to be separate individuals we are remain one essentially. It takes only an enlightened mind to see that even when we claim to be standing on our own, we are still one.

When you are able to understand and appreciate this mysterious oneness, you then see the reason why even your best efforts at fighting someone else always leaves you restless and unhappy. By trying to take away someone else’s peace, you always end up without peace yourself. But on the other hand, it should surprise you that the same quantity of food which when eaten alone fails to fill your stomach suddenly leaves you feeling satisfied when shared with others. Furthermore, you wonder how this saying is so true: that the way to be happy is to make others happy.

Does it mean when I am not happy and yet try to make others happy, I become suddenly happy? Yes. But Why? Each time we give something out, we get it back in a double measure. How does it work that way? Because we are basically one. We are all one. Then in that case, what is the point trying to make the world uncomfortable for others? Why not give your best and exercise your talent to the maximum capacity? St. Paul says, whatever you are good at, go ahead and do it, do it not for the money, do it for the love, do it not to be praised, do it because we all are one. If it is prophecy, then prophesy goodness, if your talent is service, then serve everyone to the fullest, if it is teaching, teach well, just name it. Whatever we do, let us put in cheerfulness. Rejoice in hope, be patient even in tribulation.

Never see a fellow human being as an enemy! This is the root of all the problems in our world today. If all humans were to realise and accept themselves as one, I bet you this earth would become another heaven. Greed arises because of mistrust of others, we want to get as much for ourselves and try to keep it away as much as possible from others because we feel they are not important. We want to live and work only for our children or family members because we see them as our blood forgetting that every single human being out there is also one with us and that by being good to all, we are indirectly also securing the future of our children. Just name it, all the vices you can think of, man’s inhumanity to man is as a result of this erroneous thinking that we are separate individuals in life. I wish today that we can begin to see how connected we are, then we would realise that the only thing between us is our different names and surnames.

This oneness is emphasised in a special way in our Gospel passage when the master ordered the servants to go to the highways and byways and bring in as many people as they can find to the banquet. It is an error in thinking to assume that heaven is meant for a selected few or that any particular race or tribe is superior to another. In the end, everybody regardless of language, culture or ethnicity would be invited to the banquet and those who felt they were superior, different or classy would find themselves thrown out by their very excuses.

Do you know that you are not better than that poor beggar in the street? How? The word “better” doesn’t qualify in describing people because we are one. Can you be better than yourself? Impossible. So if you and the beggar are one, then why see yourself as so important, why allow your feeling of superiority become the excuse that would prevent you from attending that great banquet in heaven????

Let us Pray:
Lord Jesus, open my eyes that I may see that I am one with my fellow human being and use me to bring about a civilization of love, peace and oneness in the world. Amen.


Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. 

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