Homily – Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

A pilgrimage to our Mother Church, St Patrick’s Cathedral, from the Basilica on foot came to mind on my day off last week, and the journey began around 3.00 p.m.  After opening Google Maps, I saw that the distance was 8.4 kilometres and that it would take about 1 hour and 57 minutes to walk.  Thanks to technology!

Walking down Burke Road for a short distance, I turned onto Camberwell Road, and it did not take long before I reached Burwood Road.  I continued walking along that road for a while without checking the time.  As my body warmed up and I was about to break a sweat, the high-rise buildings of the city began to appear in the distance.

As soon as I saw them, I thought, “Oh, it’s not that far.  I’m nearly there.  After all, walking 8.4 kilometres isn’t that difficult.”  I stopped, took the water bottle from my backpack for a sip, and checked the time on my phone.  To my surprise, I had just walked for less than half an hour, and there were still more than 6 kilometres to go – about another hour and a half.

After marching on for a while longer, my legs began to feel a little heavy, and my calves started to tire.  I checked the time again and realised I had only gained another half hour of walking, even though the high-rise buildings were still right in front of me.

Needless to say, my body became heavier with every step.  Interestingly, the more exhausted you become, the more often you are tempted to check the time and distance.  You also begin to realise that although you can clearly see the high-rise buildings ahead, suggesting that the destination is not far away, appearances can be deceptive.  What you see does not necessarily correspond to reality.

Temptation also entered my thoughts.  As I walked past Hawthorn Station, a question came to mind: “Why don’t I just take the train into the city?  It would be easier, faster, and more convenient.”  I wrestled with the thought for only a brief moment before dismissing it and continuing the journey.

After another hour of steady walking towards the Cathedral, I finally reached my destination.  Sitting on the front steps of the Cathedral with another beautiful sip of warm water, a deep sense of fulfilment and gratitude washed over me.  It was one of those moments when positive thoughts completely filled the mind: “It was absolutely worth the effort.”

After resting on the Cathedral steps, I went inside to spend time with the Eucharist.  Those moments were filled with peace and serenity.  Thank God for the opportunity, and thank God for the inspiration that led me on this journey.

This little pilgrimage led me to reflect more deeply on our Christian life.  Perhaps when we first heard about Jesus – His life and His mission – we were inspired and thought it would be wonderful to follow Him, without seriously considering the cost of discipleship until we actually began to live it out.

The high-rise buildings, which symbolised the destination, gave me the impression that the journey would be easy because the goal looked so close.  Yet we must not fall into the trap of appearances.  The destination may seem near, but the actual distance can be much greater than we expect.  Once the body grows tired, once the true demands of the journey become apparent, temptations arise everywhere.

The Gospel for this week reminds us that the cost of discipleship can sometimes feel overwhelming.  It may even challenge us to choose between God and our closest human relationships – even our own family.

What this little pilgrimage helped me to ponder and encouraged me to remember is this: let us never lose sight of our destination.  The journey towards it requires perseverance, consistency, and taking one small step at a time.  Success in the Christian life is not necessarily about accomplishing great or extraordinary things.  Rather, it is about remaining faithful to the Gospel in the ordinary moments of everyday life.  It is the accumulation of countless small acts of kindness and love.

Jesus says it very clearly in the Gospel: “If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42).

May we continue this earthly pilgrimage each day without losing sight of the destination to which the Lord invites us.  And may we always be able to recognise and savour the quiet yet beautiful moments in which His love and mercy are revealed through our words and actions.

By Fr Sang Ho