Cleaning Up the Mess

Homily for Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

The calendar works perfectly for us this year as it uses the two weeks prior to Ash Wednesday as an opportunity to review the first eleven chapters of the Book of Genesis. These eleven chapters describe the effects of sin which entered the world through the fall of Adam and Eve. If we were to create a chart that illustrated the downward fall of God’s created universe, we would readily see how humankind has thwarted God’s original intention for creation. Despite the fact that God ended each day of creation with the words, “This is good,” each of the ten chapters that follow show us another way in which humankind fails to obey their God.

Today we hear of the great flood. It is no accident that God intends to clean up the mess that humankind has got itself into by washing away all the creatures that inhabit the world. Much the same as we would do in cleaning up a mess, God uses water and a flood to wipe away the mess. Noah and his family and the animals that he brings into the ark are all that God saves.

What is it that saves Noah? As we read his story, it is impossible to miss the fact that Noah follows God’s instructions without question, without complaint, and with no doubts. His openness to God’s commands is unique and lays the groundwork for how God will respond after the flood.

It is, therefore, ironic that the Gospel passage for today presents us with a lack of understanding among the apostles. Just yesterday, Jesus faced the doubts and lack of understanding among the Pharisees. It is those doubts and that lack of understanding that are the leaven about which Jesus warns the apostles today. Even though they have just witnessed Jesus feeding 4,000 people with seven barley loaves, they are concerned about the fact that they have only one loaf of bread with them. You can hear the profound frustration inherent in Jesus’s words: “Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not here? And do you not remember…?”

Unfortunately, the same can be said about us when we spend time worrying about the future. Jesus has always been with us. Let us remember the times our prayers have been answered. Let us never forget the love he has for us. Let us open our eyes to see and our ears to hear the good news of the Gospel which we listen to every day.