A Reflection on Mt.11,25-30

Fr.James Mariakumar- Heede, N.Germany- Homily on 04.08.2017

A reflection on Lk.19.31

“The Lord needs it”.

Jesus sent two of His disciples saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied here a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it? just say this, ‘The Lord needs it’ (Lk.19.29-31). Jesus knew very well that He needs the colt for His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem because ‘all the things that are written about Himself in the Old Testament’ (L.24.27) had to be fulfilled (Mt.5 17).

Through Prophet Zechariah, who lived 500 years before the coming of Jesus, the Holy Spirit foretold about the coming Ruler of God’s people. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (9.9).

Let us just reflect on the phrase: “The Lord needs it”. As the Lord needed the colt (donkey) for His Jerusalem Entry, He needs all of us for a particular task. There was a lady, who from very young age, has been praying that she gets a husband of faith who can pray with her and go to church together. But she happened to get a husband who was not at all religious minded, and a drunkard too. Once she was asking her counselor Priest why God did this to her. The Priest told: “To whom else shall God entrust that person, if not to you who is so prayerful? God needs you to transform that person through your prayer and perseverance”. Thereafter she had no complaints to God for what He had permitted in her life.

Very often we feel that we go through difficult situations and live with difficult people. Seldom do we realize that God has a purpose in placing us in that situation and amidst such people. He needs us to change the situations and change the people with His Grace. If only we ‘have the mind of Christ’ (Phil. 2.5), we can see people and situations with His eyes, hear with His ears, speak with His mouth and love with His heart. As we are entering into the Passion Week, may we

become a blessing for others by letting our Lord use us according to His pleasure and purpose. Then we can join with Jesus in saying: “I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your presence” (Jn.17.4)

Mary Pereira