HOMILY
Disabilities Mass – 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 9, 2025
Today’s scripture passages are united to offer us a very simple yet profound lesson. Each passage presents the call stories of biblical heroes – Isaiah, Paul and Peter. And in each story, the individuals called by God resist, asserting that they are too sinful or too ill-equipped to offer much of anything in God’s saving plan.
At prayer in the temple, Isaiah has a vision of God and senses God’s call to be his messenger to the people of Israel. In response, Isaiah attempts to dissuade God’s intent to engage him and cries out, “Woe is me, for I am doomed. I am a man of unclean lips.” … Paul, the great apostle of the Gentiles, shares Isaiah’s recognition of his unworthiness, as he asserts, “I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted church of God.” … And Peter, who in so many ways throughout the gospels exhibits his own flawed character, responds to Jesus’ call by falling at his knees and begging him, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
Yet, God prevails, doesn’t he? And he uses Isaiah, Paul and Peter to proclaim his saving grace and to give hope to our Church and our world.
More than we might realize or be willing to admit, we are all far more similar to these three prophetic individuals than not. Like them, we’re called to engage life with the gifts that God has entrusted to us, no matter how reluctant or unable we may be to recognize and appreciate their presence in our lives. We’re called to use these gifts generously, lest we miss out on the life that God offers us. As such, this means that we need to let go of any past hesitations to share our gifts and move into a generous future, a holy future, and a heroic future, however uncertain that future may be.
In the face of such uncertainty, Pope Francis, in proclaiming the great Jubilee Year of Hope in which we find ourselves these days, shared these encouraging remarks, especially directed to “those affected by illnesses or disabilities.” He stated, “Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring. … Even so, often we find people who are discouraged and pessimistic about the future, as if nothing could possibly bring them happiness. … But God’s word helps us find reasons for that hope.”
And the word of God today, brothers and sisters, is clear in reminding us that we all have a role to play in the building up of God’s kingdom and in conveying the love and mercy of God to our corner of the world. From Isaiah to Paul to Peter – to me and to you – every one of you – we are all recipients of God’s mercy, and we are all called to holiness and mission as God’s beloved children.
Not sure about this assertion? Let me share a story with you that speaks to all of us about what I’ve just shared. … A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on either end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to his master’s house, the cracked pot always arrived only half full. For two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water. The poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and dismayed that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. The water bearer felt sorry for the old, cracked pot, and in his compassion, he said to the pot, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path. Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walked back from the stream, you watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, those flowers would not have graced his house.
That’s a wonderful story, isn’t it? I hope and pray that you understand and believe its message with all your hearts.
A few years ago in remarks for the International Day for Persons with Disabilities, Pope Francis noted, “In the Church – with regard to the disabled – there can be no us and them, but a single us, with Jesus Christ at the center, where each person brings his or her own gifts and limitations. This awareness, founded on the fact that we are all part of the same vulnerable humanity assumed and sanctified by Christ, eliminates arbitrary distinctions and opens the door to the participation of each baptized member in the life of the Church.”
My brothers and sisters with developmental disabilities, more than you realize, your unwavering trust in God and your example of acceptance, forgiveness, gratitude and selfless love provide us all with priceless lessons for how best to live as disciples of Jesus. Simply put, you teach us that like Isaiah, Paul and Peter, we are all a part of God’s plan. Each of us is treasured by God, for being just the way we are. And each of us is more than well equipped to give witness to God’s merciful presence among us and to bring hope and peace to our corner of God’s world.