Bishop Paolo's Homily on the XIV Sunday of Ordinary Time

Abu Dhabi.

Below is the full text of the homily delivered by Bishop Paolo Martinelli on the occasion of the XIV Sunday of Ordinary Time (9 July 2023) at St. Joseph's Cathedral Abu Dhabi.
 

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The word of God that the liturgy offers us this Sunday leads us to a profound peace in our hearts. A peace that we always deeply need to live our daily responsibilities well.

The gospel allows us to take a look at a deep feeling of Jesus: his exultation. Jesus exclaimed, 'I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children.

What is the reason for so much joy in the heart of Jesus? He rejoices because the heavenly Father has revealed the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven to the little ones and not to the wise and intelligent.

With these words, Jesus reminds us that to enter into a relationship with God, we do not need to be doctors, scientists, or even philosophers. Indeed, it is not our intelligence or culture that leads us to approach God, but the simplicity of heart.

Indeed, sometimes our knowledge and skills fill us with pride, and we close ourselves off from others and God because we think we are self-sufficient. When a man wants to be the measure of all things, the sense of the Mystery of God that dwells in everyday life is lost.

Man has discovered many things, especially with the development of technology and science. He has achieved many important things to improve life on Earth. But if we forget about God, we close ourselves off in our own projects. Thus, we risk wanting to be masters of the world with the temptation to dominate all things and even people. We know how creation suffers when people do not live in harmony with it.

Jesus, on the other hand, rejoices because God the Father has revealed his love to the simple and the little ones. We need a simple heart like children to welcome the revelation of his love for us. A small child has a heart open to novelty. The child is capable of feeling profound amazement at all things. In children, it is not the calculation of things that dominates but the wonder for the gift of life.

In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul delves into the same reality by highlighting the agent that can profoundly change our lives: the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. The apostle's invitation is not to live according to the flesh, that is, according to our selfishness and calculation, but to live according to the Spirit, which is the Spirit of children. The gift of the Spirit can make our hearts rejuvenate and open us to the newness of God.

Jesus reveals the secrets of God, above all, through his life and mission. Jesus presents himself to us as meek and humble of heart and invites us to follow him and to have in ourselves the same feelings he has towards God the Father.

Dear brothers and sisters, the secret that Jesus has come to reveal to us is that we are all children of God, and before God, we are called to be as simple as children who welcome the gift of life with a profound sense of gratitude. Living means being wanted and loved, being children.

Finally, Jesus invites those labouring and overburdened to stay with him, for he will give us rest. Perhaps we can feel this invitation addressed to us. We often feel full of problems and worries about jobs and family, complicated relationships that we must endure, or because we find ourselves in a moment of sadness. Dear brothers and sisters, let us hear these words of Jesus addressed to us.

Jesus invites us not to be afraid but to be full of trust like a child toward his parents. He invites us to follow him and to take his yoke upon us. This sentence may seem strange to us: if we are already tired from our many problems, how can we put another weight on our shoulders? Jesus tells us: my yoke is easy and my burden light.

With these words, the Lord invites us to follow him, be his disciples, and participate in his mission of salvation. If we follow Jesus, our burdens will not disappear, but they will become lighter, and the hardships will be more bearable because Jesus will carry them with us. We will no longer be alone. The burdens of our lives become heavy, sometimes even unbearable, when we live isolated. Even minor problems become big. If we live in total trust in God and walk with Jesus, then even the big issues become light because we are no longer alone.

And as children of God, we are called to be brothers and sisters to one another, bearing one another's burdens. When we help others, our weight also becomes lighter. When we get out of ourselves and open ourselves to the needs of others, suddenly even our problems become more bearable.

As we welcome the revelation of God's love, we walk together as God's holy people. We live in the light of the gospel and share our burdens. In this way, we will experience God's closeness and goodness. We will help each other walk toward the kingdom of God and live in peace.