Homily for Monday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time (Year I – 2025)
Theme:
“Listening Before Acting: The Better Part”
Readings:
Jonah 1:1—2:1, 11
Responsorial Psalm: Jonah 2:3, 5, 8
Luke 10:25–37
Introduction:
Have you ever tried helping someone only to realise later that what they needed wasn’t your help — they just wanted you to listen? Sometimes, our eagerness to do makes us forget the grace of simply being present.
Today’s readings challenge us to move from impulsive doing to prayerful listening. They remind us that true discipleship begins not in the rush to act, but in the quiet of obedience.
Life Story:
A little boy once prayed, “Dear Lord, if You can’t make me a better boy, don’t worry — I’m having a good time the way I am.”
Sometimes we are like that with God: we want His blessings without changing direction! Jonah tried to do that — running from God’s call while still hoping for His protection.
The Word of God:
In the first reading, Jonah flees from God’s command to preach repentance to Nineveh. His disobedience leads to chaos — a storm at sea, panic among sailors, and ultimately his being swallowed by a great fish. But inside the belly of that fish, Jonah finally listens and prays. What he avoided on land, he learns in darkness — that God’s mercy is greater than his fear or prejudice.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan in response to a question: “Who is my neighbour?” The priest and Levite represent religious indifference — knowing the Law but failing in love. The Samaritan, an outsider, embodies true compassion — not only seeing the wounded man but being moved to act.
Both stories are about conversion: Jonah learns obedience; the Samaritan teaches compassion.
Connection of the Readings:
Jonah and the Samaritan are mirrors of our spiritual journey. Jonah’s heart must expand to include those he despises; the Samaritan’s heart is already open to the stranger.
Faith without compassion becomes hypocrisy; compassion without obedience loses its anchor.
The two must go together: listening to God and acting with mercy.
Lessons for Daily Living (in light of the Jubilee Year and Synod on Synodality):
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Listening before speaking: Synodality begins with deep listening — to God, to one another, and to the cries of the poor.
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Crossing boundaries: Like the Samaritan, we are called to care beyond comfort zones — race, status, or denomination.
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God’s mercy always reaches further: Even when we run like Jonah, God’s love follows us — not to punish but to transform.
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Faith in action: Compassion is the measure of real holiness, not religious status.
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Renewed hope for the Church: The Jubilee calls us to a faith that listens, walks, and serves in unity.
Inspiration / Motivation:
Let us not wait for a storm or a belly of a fish to make us listen to God. When we stop running and start listening, grace flows, compassion awakens, and our neighbour becomes a reflection of God Himself.
Quote of the Day:
“You learn to speak by listening, and you learn to love by seeing Christ in the one who suffers.” — St. Vincent de Paul
Final Thoughts:
Sometimes God places us in “belly of the fish” moments — tight spaces where we can do nothing but pray. These are not punishments but invitations to rediscover our direction.
When we listen, God transforms our fear into mission and our hesitation into compassion.
Conclusion:
The Christian life is not just about avoiding sin; it’s about embracing love. Like Jonah, we must stop fleeing; like the Samaritan, we must start healing.
Concluding Prayer:
Lord,
teach me to listen before I speak,
to obey before I reason,
and to love before I judge.
May I never walk past someone in need
while claiming to walk with You.
Give me the courage of the Samaritan
and the humility of Jonah in repentance.
In this new week,
help me to be both listener and doer of Your Word.
Amen.
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