A Homily for the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

+ “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things from the beginning.” This prophecy of the psalmist made so apparent in the Gospel today brings forth the reality of Revelation in all its power. A power which is fully unleashed in the Gospel, living and full within us, as we are reminded in the Epistle, in power and the Holy Ghost. Such is the Revelatory power of God within us, that although it may start as but a mustard seed, it brings forth an abundant tree of great strength and stability.
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But the psalmist’s prophecy invoked by the Gospel is not simply to point to the Lord’s fulfilment thereof, but that what Our Lord utters is from the beginning. His words are true. They will outlast the world. In fulfilment of all prophecy. How much the clearer is this is the psalm from which the prophecy is taken – God reduces Israel to nothing for they have forgotten His wonders and deeds, only to start again with the remnant.
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To those, on the contrary, who continually recall, rather reexamine, the Revelation of God will ever grant them what is needed to persevere, even to develop, and to make the best of the situation in which find themselves. Such is the example of the saints which is presented to us by the Church, that they should ever serve as an encouragement, an example, that no matter what the situation we may find ourselves in it is possible to come to God. But not just that it is possible, but also the manner in which they did so; they have come from many different backgrounds and struggles but have ever kept before them the one treasure which lasts.

But no longer do we have only the words of God in His testimonies, we have the Word Himself, eternally begotten of the Father, given unto us as a ransom for our sins. All other words He utters are only to communicate His very Person to us who cannot grasp the ineffable mystery which is the Word. He is the very content of Revelation as well as the Revealer, which is immutable. He Reveals all things precisely as they are, such that no deception is possible. From this all things find their place in the life of the Church through Scripture and Tradition. A Tradition which is witnessed by the testimony of the saints of God and the magisterium of the Church. Nothing – no person, no power – can ever turn aside from this same Tradition.

This is far from saying that Tradition is immutable. It embraces many things of human origin that from time to time need correcting, but always within the unchanging doctrinal framework of the Church. We can, nonetheless, deepen our understanding of what is true, giving us a greater insight into the mystery of God. But this can never deny, contradict, or exclude anything which is part of the Deposit of the Faith. For the aspects of modern life which find no direct parallel with what is found in history, nonetheless, Tradition holds principles for how to treat them within the current situation. Never can we simply return to an earlier epoch pretending that subsequent events have not happened, but we can learn from our fathers’ mistakes, and their successes.

Right Doctrine, moreover, should reassure us for God has more than paid back all the evil of our sins, washing us whiter than snow in the Blood of the one unblemished sacrifice. We must, nonetheless, partake of this sacrifice, given to us sacramentally on the Atlar, with pure heart and true intent. Partaking of Christ’s saving act in such a manner, it is no longer I Who live but Christ Who lives in me. It is no longer the sinful man before God who appears before the dread judgement seat of God, but a coheir of the sole Begotten raised into Him through sharing in His Passion sacramentally. What suffering can compare to the glory that is given to one who is so exalted before the Father for all eternity?

Satiating on the bread of angels, on the other hand, with a heart centred on self-aggrandisement, recalling not His holy deeds, nor the demands of justice, lowers a man to the very depths of sin and eventually to hell. For this is the outcome of any attempt to oppose God, to change His Revelation substituting man-made morality for that which is from the beginning. Time and again have empires, dictatorships and human standards fallen as the Cross of Christ is raised anew over all creation. Or rather, that the mask over the Cross is once again taken down, allowing its glory to be seen.

It matters not that at this time the bombardment of secularism and worldly standards inimical to the Cross are now being proclaimed, even by senior prelates: the victory of Christ can never be undone. The great tree grown from the mustard seed shall never fall, even if various dead branches are cutting themselves off from Christ. Stand firm in Christ, for then we shall join Him in victory.

Let us, therefore, put aside all worldly concerns for these few moments we give back to God in the Liturgy. Through our partaking in this Divine Act, He can transform us and bring forth the full power of His Word active in our persons, bringing forth fruit in every moment of our lives. A fruit which is abundantly witnessed throughout previous generations, for have given themselves to be completely reformed in Him so as to truly live out their state in life. Let us allow the Sacred Liturgy to purify us of all that prevents us living our vocation to its full extent. +

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