Homily: January 30, 2023, Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

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“Then they began to beg him to leave their district.”

Why??

Jesus just did an amazing miracle, he cast out a multitude of demons in possession of a man and sent them all into nearby pigs. Jesus released the man from his horrible bondage so that he can live a free and fulfilling life.

Isn’t that a wonderful thing Jesus did? Wouldn’t they feel secure and safe with Jesus around, so no one will be afraid of demons again?

Why would they want to beg Jesus to leave them?

Once I was biking with a friend towards Minburn. As we got near, we can already smell a pork refinery. My friend asked me, “Father, do you know what smell is this?”

I said, “Yes, it is the smell of pork.”

He replied, “Yes, this is the smell of money.”

If you reared pigs, you would know what that smell is like. It is a very bad smell. To people from Middle Eastern cultures, including Jews, pigs are considered contaminated and unclean. 

But to the rest of the world, it is a popular meat to eat. People may not like real pigs, but they like its meat and farmers like the money that comes from the sale of pork.

The swineherds in today’s gospel were the same. Because of their own livelihood, their worldliness, their material possessions, they preferred their pigs to Jesus. They believed that having pigs will give them a better life than having Jesus. Even such a powerful miracle could not convert their hearts. 

What about us?

Would we prefer Jesus to stay on and change our life or would we rather keep Him out of our life so that we can continue living the same way?

The people in Gennesaret wanted Jesus to go away because of their ignorance and hardened hearts. 

But Jesus wants them, and us, to live a full life, He wants to shine light into our dark areas, he wants to live with us in our hearts, this is why He came to this world.

Having Jesus in our lives, in our homes, in our hearts is the best thing ever. So let us daily welcome Jesus and beg Him to stay.

Fr. Nivin Scaria 


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Homily, Wednesday,January 5, 2022, Memorial of Saint John Neumann, Bishop

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