Homily for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

A man from India named Sundar converted to Christianity and stayed in India to bear witness to Jesus. Late one day, he was traveling on foot high in the Himalayas with a Buddhist monk. It was freezing and nearly dark. The monk warned they would freeze to death if they did not reach the monastery before dark.

As they passed by a steep cliff, they heard a cry for help. Deep down in the ravine, a man had fallen and broken his leg. The monk warned Sundar, "Do not stop. God brought him to his fate. He must work it out by himself. That is the tradition. Let us hurry on before we perish."

But Sundar replied, "It is my tradition that God put me here to help my brother: I cannot abandon him." So the monk set off through the snow, which had started to fall heavily.

Sundar climbed down to the man, hoisted him on his back, and started the long, dangerous climb out of the ravine. He found the path and headed toward the monastery in the heavy snow and darkness. The man seemed to grow heavier as they traveled, and sweat began to pour forth from Sundar's body.

Finally, Sundar saw the lights of the monastery. Just then, he fell over something in the snow. He uncovered it and found the body of the monk with whom he had been traveling. He died from the cold only steps from the monastery, while the heat generated by his burden kept Sundar alive. The words of Jesus immediately came to his mind: "For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it." He understood what Jesus meant and was glad he decided to risk losing his life for another.

Years later, when Sundar had his own disciples, they asked him, "Master, what is life's most difficult task?" And he replied, "To have no burden to carry." [1]

Today’s readings speak of burdens, of having things to do. Everyone in our readings has some purpose or task they are about. In the Book of Job, the speaker is lamenting his life's labors. St. Paul speaks of the burden of preaching the Gospel that has been "imposed" on him. Finally, we see Jesus laboring for the health and salvation of others.

Our readings speak of weary people. Even Jesus goes off for rest and prayer after preaching and healing all day, and when his disciples tell him, "Everyone is looking for you," He responds wearily, "Let us go… that I may preach. For this purpose have I come."

Anything worthwhile in life can take a lot of effort and can be hard. But if we understand why we are doing it and what we will have at the end of our labors, this keeps us going. 

We are called to labor in spreading the Good News of God’s kingdom to others. It is daunting, especially when people don't want to hear it. Without seeing much in the way of results, it can seem burdensome. But it is for this purpose that we have come to where we are today. It is for this purpose that we celebrate Mass, that we call ourselves Catholic and Christian, that we live.

Burdens often point to that which we value most in life. As we contemplate today's readings and the burdens we carry, let us be mindful of the call that God has given to each of us to preach the Gospel of love and life. May we accept this burden with excitement and with our hearts set on fulfilling the purpose for which we have come into the world.

[1] Bausch, William J., A World of Stories for Preachers and Teachers, Twenty-third Publications, Mystic. CT, 1999, pp. 323-324.