Readings: Isaiah 48:17-19; psalm 1; Matthew 11:16-19
Whenever we offer prayers for those who are unwell, many of us immediately think of those in need of physical healing, those experiencing physical pains whether at home or hospital.
But those who are unwell are not just those in need of physical healing. So many people are physically strong but crumbling within. Many people are in dire need of spiritual and emotional healing.
Apart from people having mental health issues, many people are bottling up so much pain without knowing what to do with it. This could be the pain of rejection, failure or disappointment. It could be abuse -emotional, psychological, sexual and spiritual, neglect. People are dealing with the agony of regret, guilt, trauma, grief, etc.
Because many do not know how to transform their pain, they end up transmitting it. These deep-rooted illnesses sometimes manifest as bitterness, anger, self-hatred, lack of confidence, exaggerated humility, a desire to please everyone, deriving pleasure from the pains of others, a negative mentality, criticism of others and constant complaining.
In the Gospel of today, Jesus compared some of the people of His generation to children who found nothing satisfying, who found fault in everything and complained about everyone. This is a symptom of inner damage.
We have many Christians like this too. They find fault and complain about everyone, every occasion, everything. They always have negative things to say about every situation, about the Church, about the laws of God, even about God Himself. Again, this was the attitude of the people of Israel that the Prophet Isaiah chastised in today’s First Reading. They complained that God’s laws were oppressive and a limitation to their freedom. They did things their way and they ended up with regret and suffering.
Today, dear friends, let us be attentive to our lives. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to lead us to know the truth about who we are and to be sincere enough to face the truth about which areas of our lives need repair. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to fix us and to transform our pain into strength, so that we don’t end up transmitting pain or negative vibes to others and so that we may learn to build others up and help them to find healing.
Sermon preached by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami on December 10, 2021.