19TH THURSDAY HOMILY IN THE ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
19TH THURSDAY HOMILY IN THE ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: A REFLECTION ON FORGIVENESS AND LOVE
BY: Fr Deotacious Chikontwe SMA
My dear beloved friends in Christ,
Today we celebrate a special day. It’s the feast day of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, a man who showed us what true forgiveness and love look like. The readings we heard today help us understand his amazing life.
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FROM OUR FIRST READING
Our first reading from the book of Joshua tells us about the Israelites crossing the Jordan River. It was a big moment for them, a new beginning. They had a new leader, Joshua, and God promised to be with him just as He had been with Moses. This story reminds us that with God’s help, we can also cross from old ways into new, better ways of living.
FROM OUR GOSPEL READING
The Gospel today gives us a very important lesson about forgiveness. Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, how many times should I forgive someone? Seven times?” And Jesus’s answer is clear: “Not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” This doesn’t mean we have to count. It means we should always be ready to forgive, without limit.
Jesus then tells a story about a servant who was forgiven a huge debt by his master. But that same servant refused to forgive a small debt owed to him by a friend. The master was angry and said, “You should have had mercy on your friend, just as I had mercy on you.” Jesus ends the story by saying that our heavenly Father will treat us the same way if we don’t forgive others from our hearts.
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THE READINGS OF TODAY INLINE WITH THE LIFE OF SAINT MAXIMILLIAN KOLBE?
This is where Saint Maximilian Kolbe’s life becomes so powerful. He was a priest who was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. It was a place of terrible hatred and suffering. One day, a man escaped from the camp. To punish the others, the guards picked ten men to be starved to death. One of those men cried out, “My wife! My children!”
In that moment, Saint Maximilian Kolbe did something incredible. He stepped forward and offered to take the man’s place. The guards were shocked, but they let him. Saint Maximilian went into the starvation bunker, where he prayed and sang with the other men, giving them hope. He was the last one to die.
Saint Maximilian Kolbe’s act was a perfect example of what Jesus taught. In a place of hate, he chose to love. In a place of despair, he chose to give hope. He didn’t just forgive from his heart; he gave his life for someone he barely knew. He showed us that there is no greater love than to lay down your life for a friend.
CONCLUSION
Today, let’s think about our own lives. Is there someone we need to forgive? Are we holding onto anger or grudges? Saint Maximilian Kolbe’s life shows us that we can choose love over hate, and forgiveness over anger. Let’s ask God to help us be more like him, to have a heart that is always ready to forgive and to love.
May God grant us the grace to forgive as He has forgiven us always.
Saint Maximillian Kolbe ! Pray for Us !
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