Homily of Monday after Epiphany Sunday
1 John 3:22-4:6, Matthew 4:12-17,23-25
Theme: Going beyond frontiers: The life of a missionary.
During my priestly training, as a philosophy student, I experienced a profound psychological disconnect from my mother. It became evident that I needed professional guidance, so I sought counseling from a psychologist. It was a matter of concern to me because, growing up, I was deeply attached to my mother and couldn’t spend a night away from home until I started secondary school. Due to this strong attachment, I spent three years in Primary One because I couldn’t stay in school. This earned me the nickname “Adele,” meaning “the one who keeps watch at home while others are away.” Yet, I soon realized that my attachment was not just a personal challenge but also a step in preparing me for a larger mission, one that would require me to detach from familiar comforts to fully embrace the path ahead.
However, the psychologist assured me it was a normal phase that would pass, but I sensed it was more profound. Over time, I came to see it as God’s way of detaching me from any lingering familial dependence, enabling me to focus fully on his work. Nonetheless, I deeply love my family, even as my ministry remains my primary commitment.
This experience begins to make more sense to me, reflecting on Jesus’ journey away from Nazareth to Capernaum. This was a decisive moment in his life as it was a time when he had to go forth and embrace his mission. “Hearing that John had been arrested, Jesus went back to Galilee, and leaving Nazareth he went and settled in Capernaum, a lakeside town on the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali. ……From that moment Jesus began his preaching with the message, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.”
The epiphany of Jesus which we celebrated yesterday points to the universality of his mission in the world. He has come for the salvation of the world and not only for his people. Those who must embrace this mission must always know that they are indebted to the entire humanity and not obliged to serve only those who are familiar to them.
At times we may be too attached to the family or our roots that we forget where we are designed to bloom until something drastic happens and puts us on the wheel. Jesus withdrew after the arrest of John the Baptist. Similarly, we may encounter events or experiences that seem unexpected or unwelcome but could actually be invitations to make some decisive choices about our destiny.
May the Lord direct our path to the ways he has traced for us. Amen.
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