Homily: March 10, 2023, Friday of the second week in Lent

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 “Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, their camels laden with gum, balm and resin to be taken down to Egypt.”

This incident in today’s first reading struck me. 

I don’t sing well but there is one old African-American hymn which I like very much and enjoy singing whenever I think of it. This is how it begins:

There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole. There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.

The words and melody of this song are beautiful and moving, it is often sung in funeral masses.

The balm in Gilead refers to a spiritual medicine to heal the Israelites from their sins, pointing to the Messiah. So how does God save and heal the Israelites?

In this first reading, we see how the brothers of Joseph, planning to kill him, decided to sell him to the Ishmaelites when they saw them coming. Who are the Ishmaelites?

They are the descendants of Ishmael, the son of Abraham, born from Hagar the servant girl. Sarah chased Hagar and her son out with nothing, they almost starved to death but God protected them and they became a great nation, through Ishmael.

Now after three generations, the Ishmaelites unknowingly rescued Abraham’s great grandson, Joseph. And it is through Joseph’s line that Jesus came to be born.

God saved Ishmael, and his descendants saved the descendants of Jacob. In this sense, the Ishmaelites saved the Israelites.

From this incident, we learn two things: first, God’s healing and protection is always available for us. Secondly, very often His saving grace may be very different from what we had expected.

Brother killing brother. We see that in humanity from the beginning of time when Cain killed Abel. The people thereafter continued to repeat the same sins, as we now see the murder plot of Joseph’s brothers.

Yet, God can turn the wrong doings of man into fulfilment of His plan, He can send graces through the wounds of souls, to heal and make whole again.

God heals and protects, God saves, in His way, in His time. Our wickedness can never destroy God’s plan. Our sinfulness can never dry up God’s mercy.

May we continue to have faith in his love and compassion, and may we always trust in his wonderful plan for our lives.

May God bless us and keep us always in his care. Amen.


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