Homily: Monday, January 17, 2022, Memorial of Saint Anthony. Abbot

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Readings:https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/011722.cfm

 In the first reading, prophet Samuel questioned King Saul, “Why then have you disobeyed the Lord?”

King Saul replied, “I did indeed obey the lord and fulfil the mission on which the lord sent me.” Then he continued, “But from the spoil the men took sheep and oxen, the best of what had been banned…”

Saul did what the Lord told him to do, BUT he also did what the Lord had banned. So, was that obedience?

If you like coffee and God says, “Drink coffee.” You did as told, that’s obedience conveniently, right?

If you also like whisky but God says, “Drink coffee but not whisky.” Then you drank coffee and enjoyed the whisky as well, is that obedience?

As a priest, I pledge my obedience to the bishop. I used to serve the bishop in my home diocese in India as his personal secretary. Honestly, it was a challenge to obey him, because there were many decisions he made which I did not agree with, but I managed my best to do as told. Then one day, I could not.

I challenged and argued with him on one matter and refused to act as he commanded. I felt I was right and decided that, for once, I will not submit to his authority. I showed him my anger and ignored him. Later that day, he brewed some nice coffee and served it to me. I relented and reconciled with him, although to this day I still believe I was right.

Yes, I like coffee but honestly, I would have preferred whisky. So, was I being obedient?

Complete obedience, full submission to authority without any question, is not so straightforward, isn’t it? Life situations are so dynamic, and we are such intelligent beings, how could we ever be totally obedient to another person, even to God? We question, we doubt, we resist.

Similarly, the Pharisees and Sadducees, who were elders and teachers of the Jews. They knew the Law so well yet they did not recognise the Messiah whom the law and prophets spoke about. They saw the signs but they refused to believe. 

That was because they were not truly obedient to God but were submitting themselves to their own pride and false authority. It was convenient for them to show obedience externally, but internally they were serving their own selfish desires. They were the old wineskins.

Jesus is the true teacher of the law. His way is complete obedience to God and it challenged the pretentious outward show of the Pharisees. His truth, the new wine, will tear apart all fake piety, the old wineskin.

Complete obedience is not easy and God knows it. The least we can do is not to pretend that we have achieved it, and not to lord it over others like we have attained it. Let us be like new wineskin, always open to new inspirations by the Holy Spirit, to be led and renewed by the Lord every day. Amen.


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