Pentecost Time
Homily by His Excellency Archbishop Selim Sfeir
Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus
Luke 10, 21-24
4th Sunday of Pentecost
Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
- Jesus rejoices in the Spirit.
The disciples came back to Jesus and reported that even the evil spirits obeyed them in his name, and that devil had fallen from heaven like lightning. Jesus then confirms his disciples by giving them the power to crush snakes and scorpions and all the power of the enemy... However, Jesus tells them that their joy should consist in having their names written in heaven.
And at that moment, Jesus can rejoice in the Spirit, addressing the Father and giving thanks to Him. We see the unity of the Holy Trinity. The Son speaks in the Spirit to the Father to give Him thanks.
- God chooses the little ones.
The Father is the master of heaven and earth. He is pleased because, in His goodness, He has so willed to hide things from the wise and learned and revealed them to the simple. It is a complete reversal of the situation. If we remember the God’s gift of wisdom to King Solomon, we can see that it was given to the powerful. But here, it is not the case at all. Wisdom is revealed to the simple, and those who consider themselves powerful and intelligent won’t understand. And that’s what makes Jesus rejoices in the Spirit. To hide and reveal. This is the novelty of Jesus' message. This spirit of simplicity of understanding cuts off all pride and opens the way to the kingdom of heaven for the simple.
It is the beauty of the closeness between the persons of the Trinity. Simultaneously, it is the beauty of the closeness of Jesus with His disciples. It is the Father who knows the Son and who reveals this knowledge to those whom He desires to know it. That is why Jesus shares with them the beatitude of seeing what they see. The Trinity is present before their eyes, so that they can testify to the world. Yes, the disciples of Jesus are more fortunate than the prophets and kings who desired to see and hear what they see and hear but were not able to.
For us today, it is the same beatitude that reaches us through the great love of our God, so that we may see and hear, know and give thanks to God, the master of heaven and earth. Let us receive this beatitude from Jesus and share this desire to see it spread to all our contemporaries. Jesus will be able to rejoice in the Spirit and give thanks to the Father, together with all of us, for this is what He has desired in His great goodness.
Prayer
O Christ, I do not ask to understand everything or know everything. Help me to accept with simplicity and trust everything you want to do in me. I only want to grow in friendship with you, and I know that it means I must have unfailing trust in your infinite love for me. I want to allow you to love me and guide me according to your will.
† Selim Sfeir
Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus