Homily: Nothing is impossible for God.

How can Elijah walk for forty days without eating?  That’s impossible, right?  He would’ve become hungry after a few hours of walking.

How can Jesus be the living bread that comes down from heaven?  Sounds impossible!  Even those who heard him say this asked one another, “is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother?”

Is it possible to remove all bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, reviling and malice from us, as Saint Paul writes?   That’s tough.

It is possible to be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven us?  That’s even tougher.

All these things presented to us in the Scripture passages today are impossible to accomplish.  Yet, the Scriptures are filled with passages reminding us that nothing is impossible for God.

The Angel Gabriel said to the Virgin Mary after she inquired how she would conceive a son, “nothingwill be impossible with God” (Luke 1,37).

Saint Paul announces in his letter to the Philippians, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” and Job in the Old Testament finds consolation saying to God, “I know that you can do all things.”

When Jesus reveals to his disciples how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of heaven and they protest, “who then can be saved?” Jesus answers, “With man it is impossible, but not with God.  For all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10,27)

Just one more, because I could keep going on for a good bit, the well-known words of Jesus, “If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17,20).

Our ways are not God’s ways, and our thoughts not God’s thoughts – where we see limitations and closed doors, God sees greater potential for us to trust in Him.  He sees moments where He can remind us of His power.

Last week, a parishioner approached me after Mass, he was quite distressed because he had suddenly lost completely his hearing in one ear.  His doctor had given him little hopes for a full recovery.  We spoke briefly, and I prayed for him, laying my hands over him, praying for the healing of his hearing.

One morning this week, he stopped by the church and was waiting for me as I finished an appointment.  His eyes were teary, I figured he either had very good news, or very bad news.  I was so happy to hear that he had gone to the doctor that morning, and that his hearing had been restored.  He is convinced that God intervened in a powerful way, and I believe, that his life will not remain the same.

Where there was a limitation and a closed door, the loss of hearing of this young man, God saw an opportunity to manifest his power, for nothing is impossible for God.  The greater faith we place in our loving God, the more He is able to bless us.

Just as God has the power to transform the gifts of bread and wine that we offer at every Mass into his body and blood, He has the power to transform our hearts.  As Catholics, oftentimes we are quicker to assent to the Holy Spirit’s power to transform bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus, than to believe that the same Holy Spirit has the power to transform our bodies, minds and hearts.

Saint Paul’s exhortation appears quite impossible: remove all bitterness, fury, anger, shouting and reviling, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another.

How often have you tried to calm your temper?  How often have you tried to respond with a smile instead of biting back with hurtful words?  How often have you failed to show compassion or forgiveness, choosing rather to hold on to grudges and wishing others ill?

We have all failed time after time.  It’s easy to just give up.  But, nothing is impossible for God.

We’ve been watching the Olympics these days.  How did these athletes get to the Olympics?  They did so by failing hundreds, maybe thousands of times, but eventually they got it right.  Even when they’re the best at their sport, they still sometimes miss the mark, but they don’t give up.  They keep trying.

How much more so us, who are not left to our own devices to try again.  Jesus gives us his grace and strength so that we can get things right with the Father.  On our own, it is impossible, but it is God who allows us to remove all bitterness, fury, anger, and malice, and allows us to be compassionate and forgiving.

We pray today, that we may trust that God the Father has the power to transform us, and help us get things right.  We may fall hundreds of times, but He continues to give us an opportunity to get things right.  May we never become frustrated or disheartened, because we know that nothing is impossible for God.

Picture is not mind, Creative Commons.