A homily on Luke 10: 1-9: Eat what is set before you (26-1-26)

 

A heart-touching homily on Luke 10:1-9 for the Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus, reflecting on suffering, contentment, and quiet trust.(26-1-26)

Praise be to Jesus Christ

Dear friends, one of the most touching instructions Jesus gives in today’s Gospel is this: “Eat and drink what is provided” (Luke 10:7). What a simple sentence, and yet how deep it is. It speaks not only about food on a table, but about life itself. In other words, eat what is set before you, receive life as it comes.

Once, one of my priest friends was visited by a woman carrying a heavy heart. She was sincere, prayerful, and deeply rooted in faith. Yet her story was painful. From the very beginning of her married life, troubles had followed one after another. One of her children suffered from an incurable illness. Financially, the family was struggling. Added to this were misunderstandings, exhaustion, and silent tears. She was not angry with God, but she was simply tired.

The priest listened carefully, but found himself without words. Advice felt empty, explanations felt cruel. So he prayed silently, opened the Bible, and his eyes fell on these words: “Eat what is set before you” (Luke 10:7). Slowly and gently, he shared with her that sometimes God does not change the plate, but gives the strength to eat what is given. Her pain did not disappear, but she left with a quiet courage to carry it.

Jesus speaks these words while sending out his disciples on mission. He knows their lives will not be smooth. Some will welcome them, others will reject them. Some days will be full and joyful, other days will be painfully empty. By giving this instruction, Jesus is teaching his disciples to accept life without constant complaint, to eat what is set before them. Because if we keep complaining, we will have time only for that, and no time to live, to love, or to hope.

The Old Testament teaches the same lesson. When the people of Israel walked through the desert, God gave them manna day by day (Exodus 16:4). They were not allowed to store it, not more, not less. When they complained, peace vanished. When they trusted, they survived. God was teaching them to depend daily and to eat what was set before them, not to control tomorrow.

The same spirit is seen in the life of Saint Alphonsus Liguori. Towards the end of his life, he was sick, weak, and almost forgotten. The great preacher was now given very simple food and lived without comfort. When someone felt sorry for him and said that he deserved better, Saint Alphonsus replied quietly that a servant of God does not choose what is placed before him. He receives it, whether it is comfort or suffering, because it comes through the hands of God.

Many today live with similar struggles. Some are not getting the jobs they expected. Some live with illness, loneliness, or unanswered prayers. In family life, this Gospel becomes very concrete. A wife may have to live with a husband who drinks too much. A husband may struggle with a wife who constantly misunderstands him. Parents may suffer because of irresponsible or ungrateful children. These situations are painful. Jesus is not saying that these are good or easy. He is inviting us, even there, to eat what is set before us with faith, not bitterness. Slowly, doubt enters the heart. We begin to think that the Lord who told us not to take purse or bag may not provide when we truly need him. At times, God seems completely absent.

Saint Paul knew this experience well. He speaks openly of imprisonments, beatings, hunger, sleepless nights, and constant danger (2 Corinthians 11:23–27). God did not remove his suffering. Yet Paul continued, not because life was easy, but because grace was real.

It may have been the same for Timothy and Titus, whose feast we celebrate today. They were young leaders placed in difficult and demanding situations. Paul reminds Timothy that suffering is part of faithful living (2 Timothy 3:12). Their holiness was not built on comfort, but on perseverance and trust, on learning to eat what was set before them.

Eat and drink what is provided” does not mean accepting injustice or loving suffering. It means refusing to lose faith when life becomes heavy. It is choosing trust over bitterness, hope over complaint and faith over fear. We trust God not because life treats us gently, but because God never abandons His people.

Lord, give us the grace to eat what is set before us. Amen.

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