Homily: October 25, 2023, Monday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time (Nothing is impossible for God )

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 “Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: 'All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD, the God of heaven, has given to me, and he has also charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.”

The Israelites had been exiled and taken captive in Babylon for many decades. Then the king of Persia, King Cyrus defeated and conquered Babylon. Instead of continuing to keep the Israelites captive, this king did the unexpected. He released the Isrealites and sent them on their way back to Jerusalem, to rebuild their homeland and their temple. No king had ever done that.

God heard His people’s cries and in His time, did the impossible. God's plans and actions often transcend human expectations and understanding.

From the passage we hear in the first reading, it also seems that King Cyrus, a pagan king, actually recognised that the kingdoms he had conquered and built were given by the God of heaven. And he believed that this God of the Israelites had commanded him to build a temple for Him.

That again is another impossible thing beyond human logic in those days. For a pagan king to acknowledge the power and authority of the God of the slaves in his captivity was unheard of.

And that is how God works. His power knows no bounds, and His ways are not always predictable or logical by human standards. Sometimes, God works through unexpected channels and unlikely individuals to fulfill His divine purposes.

Recall the words of Angel Gabriel to the blessed virgin Mary, "Nothing is impossible for God.”

Indeed, what happened with King Cyrus and the Isrealites is a powerful example of how God can inspire even those who may not seem to have a direct relationship with Him, to act in uncommon ways to accomplish His plans.

It's a reminder for us to remain open and to trust. It may not look possible, it may not make sense, it may not seem logical, but if it is from God, it will work. God’s will be done. Amen.


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Homily: February 13, 2022, Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

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