A Homily on Luke 10:21 – 24 :Joy Hidden in Smallness (2-12-25)

A homily on Luke 10:21 – 24 about the joy God reveals to humble hearts.(2-12-25)

Praise be to Jesus Christ 

There was a small nest on the branch of an old tree. A pair of birds lived there with their three tiny chicks. The nest was made of dry grass and a few soft feathers. When rain came, the wind shook the tree and the nest swayed. When summer arrived, the heat was strong. In the eyes of the world, that nest had almost nothing. But every evening, when the sun was going down, the little bird family gathered close. The parents brought the day’s food, they fed their young ones, they rested together, and they chirped softly to each other. There was no big shelter, no special comfort, yet if you watched them for a moment, you would feel something beautiful. In that small nest, there was peace. There was joy. There was warmth. They found happiness in the simple things God had given them.

This is the kind of joy Jesus speaks about in today’s Gospel. Jesus is filled with joy and lifts His heart to the Father. He is happy not because of miracles or crowds but because the Father has revealed His secrets to the little ones. To the humble. To the simple-hearted. God does not reveal Himself to those who feel too big, but to those who remain small enough to listen.

The bird family had almost nothing, but they had joy. Today there are many people with everything. Big houses, bright screens, comforts of every kind. Yet often we hear that they do not have peace, they do not talk, they do not feel close to each other. Happiness does not come from plenty. Happiness is born in simplicity. Happiness grows when hearts stay humble. Jesus praises exactly this in the Gospel. He rejoices because God’s light reaches the little ones first.

Jesus also tells His disciples that many prophets longed to see what they now see. This brings us to Isaiah in the first reading. Isaiah speaks of a shoot growing from the stump of Jesse. A tiny shoot, not a mighty tree. Something small, something that can easily be missed. Yet God places His Spirit on that small shoot. God’s great plan begins with something humble. This is the same lesson that the bird family teaches us. Joy, peace, hope, and love can live even in a small and shaking nest. Because God is close to the humble.

Christmas also teaches us this truth again and again. The Son of God did not choose a palace. He came to us in a manger. Surrounded not by royal guards but by simple shepherds. Heaven came down in the smallest and simplest way. What is small in the world’s eyes becomes great in God’s eyes.

This Advent, Jesus invites us to rediscover joy in our own homes and communities. A small prayer together. A simple meal shared with gratitude. A quiet conversation. A gentle smile. A moment of listening. These are the small branches where God builds His nest in our lives. When we welcome these simple moments, we allow God to reveal His joy to us. May our homes, like that little nest, become places where God’s joy rests  on each day.

Lord Jesus, give me a humble heart that finds You in the small and simple moments.