*HOMILY OF MONDAY OF THE SECOND IN ORDINARY TIME*
2 Cor.1:1-7, Mathew 5:1-12
THEME: BALANCED TESTIMONY
Our testimony is not only about what we enjoy. Our meaningful sufferings are part of our testimonies. Complete or balanced testimony is a full narrative from cross to crown. They suffer more in life, who strive daily to avoid sufferings, because, every little act of sacrifice or discipline becomes a thing of agony to them. Lack of endurance is another tributary of meaningless suffering.
However, joy and sorrow are part of human experience. When we experience joy, we have the data with which we can give hope to others in troubles. When we meet sorrow, our story of how we handle it equips us on how to strengthen those who are in sorrow.
In today’s first reading, Paul said to the Corinthians, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and God of all comfort, who comfort us in a our afflictions, do that we may be able to to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings , so through Christ we share abundantly in Comfort too.”
Nothing last. With perfect assurance in Christ, joy is inevitable, either here or hereafter.
May the Lord grant us enough joy to balance our afflictions. Amen.
