Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily (2025)

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Sirach 27:4-7
Psalm 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16 (see 2a)
1 Corinthians 15:54-58
Luke 6:39-45
March 2, 2025

Lent starts in a few days.  Have you given much thought to what you will do for Lent?

Our readings today are selected based on the cycles of Ordinary Time.  Yet, they are very good readings for reflection as we start Lent.   We should ask ourselves what changes we need to make in our lives.

Sirach speaks of the sieve that is shaken to separate the husks from the grain.  Have you examined your conscience to see what good you have produced and what evil you have fallen into?

After all, when we speak of death, sin is the death that really matters.  Mortal sin causes us to be separated from God.  What “death” is worse than that?

Jesus points how we have a tendency to see the sins of our sisters and brothers, the splinters in their eyes, without seeing our own sins, that may be much bigger wooden beams in our own eyes. 

It is a Spiritual Work of Mercy to admonish the sinner.  God calls us to help others recognize their own sins (see Ezekiel 3:17-21).  This is a work of mercy if we do it as an act of love.  It is not an act of mercy when done as judgment.  One sign that we act in judgment is when we are motivated to judge by a desire to see them punished.  On the other hand, we do it with love when our goal is to make sure the person gets into Heaven.

The best place to start is by recognizing our own sins first.  When we recognize our own sins, we recognize how we need God’s mercy ourselves.  Then, we will treat the others with mercy. 

If we fail to recognize our own sins, then how we can we help others?  Remember what Jesus said, “Can a blind person guide a blind person?  Will not both fall into a pit?

We need to see as God sees.  Jesus’ words regarding the blind leading the blind are not a call to be silent about the sins of others.  It is a call to recognize our own sins so that, in turn, we can help other sinners. 

Really, what we need to do is help each other face our sins.

Facing sin and facing suffering is not easy.  Yet, “in tribulation is the test of the just.  The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had.”

Our response to tribulation can say a lot about our own faith.  A question on the test is does the way I respond to tribulation show me embracing my faith or does it say that I reject my faith or that my faith is weak?

One way we can see this is the words we speak.  Do our words show our faith?

What fruit do you produce?

Jesus says, “A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil.”

Does tribulation bring out the best in us or the worst in us?

I have to admit, it doesn’t always bring out the best in me.  For example, I begin to become frustrated when it seems people don’t listen.  I feel weak when I feel like I fail to get people to understand what I am saying.  Please note that I said “understand,” not agree.  I hope for agreement but I know not everyone will.  I only feel like a failure when I can’t get others to understand because helping them understand our faith is exactly what I feel I am called to do.  It is then that my words are not always what they should be.

The victory in the argument does not belong to me.  There is only victory when we all give ourselves over to God’s way.  It is Jesus Christ who is victorious over sin.

When we realize we have sinned, we need to give our sins over to God.  This is why our Lord has given us the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  It is his gift to us so that when we repent, we can confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness and mercy.

It is only in doing the Lord’s Will that we do not labor in vain.

And so we ask for the grace to “be firm, steadfast, always devoted to the work of the Lord.” Then God will bring us to victory.