Homily: February 1, 2025, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (SEEK)

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“Seek the LORD, all you humble of the earth… seek justice, seek humility.”

Let me begin with a simple but important question:

What are you seeking in your life right now?

It does not matter how old you are. It does not matter what stage of life you are in.

What do you seek? What do you wish to have?

According to the Gospel of John, the very first question Jesus asked when He started His public ministry was exactly this: “What are you looking for?”

It is a simple, yet important question. Jesus asked his first disciples, He is also asking us today.

A job? A promotion, a home, a family, children, a spouse, good health? A new direction, a decision, an explanation?

Our concerns are very real, very human.

Yet today, through the prophet Zephaniah, God gently redirects our hearts: “Seek the LORD.”

Not one thing among many — but the one thing that makes everything else fall into place.

If you have God in your life, you have everything you need.

If you do not, nothing else will ever fully satisfy you.

This week we celebrated the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the greatest theologians in the history of the Church. He did a lot of good work for the faith, for the church. Toward the end of his life, after a profound mystical experience, Jesus appeared to him and asked: “What do you want as a reward for all that you have done for me?”

Thomas answered with four simple words: “Nothing but You, Lord.”

That is the heart of today’s message.

Is Jesus truly in your life, or is He just as an idea, a religious concept, a philosophical phenomenon?

Do you celebrate Jesus because of tradition, or because he is your Saviour, your Master, your friend?

Do you have a relationship with Jesus?

Are you seeking to have a relationship with Him, or do you seek Him only when you need answers to your questions, or when you need a miracle to your problems?

The truth is, Jesus is the answer. He is the miracle.

So if you seek Him earnestly, then when you find Him, everything in life becomes clear, you will discover the purpose and meaning of life, you will be able to see clearly your mission and calling.

So, seek Him because He is also seeking you.

Jesus longs for our friendship, but we keep moving away from Him, always getting distracted with what we think we need, but which are all just attractions and distractions.

We miss the real thing when we keep looking at the fake stuff. So what do we do to find the Lord and build a good strong relationship with Him?

Follow the Beatitudes.

The Beatitudes are not a to-do list. They are not rules to follow in order to become holy. They are the fruits of a life that has found Jesus.

If you are living close to Him:

• You will become a person of peace

• You will be poor in spirit — always hungry for God

• You will thirst for righteousness

• You will grow in humility and meekness

• Your heart will become clean and free

These are not achievements. They are signs of intimacy. If we live according to the beatitudes, we will one day realize that Jesus has been so close. When we live according to the beatitudes, we are living the way Jesus lived, living with His presence always in our life.

Because as we take one small step toward Jesus, and He will take two steps toward you.

Last Sunday I asked you to spend fifteen minutes in silence with Jesus. Someone honestly told me, “Father, I fell asleep.” And that is okay. Keep at it, don’t give up.

And so this week - no homework!

Let us just practice some quiet moments with Jesus. Please close your eyes and we shall seek Jesus together.

And in the silence of your heart, let us pray:

Jesus, I love You. You loved me with infinite love. Long before I was formed in my mother’s womb, You knew me and You chose me. I ask Your pardon for the moments I ran away from You. I have since gotten lost while You were looking for me. Today, You find me, and I find You. I give You complete authority over my life. Do with me what You will. I desire intimacy with You. I desire Nothing but You, Lord. Nothing but You.

Amen.


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