HOMILY FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A
HOMILY: See, I have come, Lord, to do your will
“See, I have come, Lord, to do your will.” What else could be the ambition of any true disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ if not to do the will of God after the example of Christ; the one and the only ‘Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’ May God conform us unto the likeness of Christ to do His will at all times; Amen.
Jesus made it clear that “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Mt 7:21). Living the will of God is our sole ticket to eternal life. One may ask; what is the will of God? We must know that the commandments of God contained in the Holy Bible, epitomized in the commands to love God and neighbor, summarize God’s entire will (CCC 2822). Jesus Christ did not only teach us in theory that living the will of God is the sole criterion of redemption but he also gave us the loudest example; “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38). The phrase “the Lamb of God” as we heard in the Gospel Reading of today (John 1:29-34) is one of the images used in the scriptures to describe this mission and identity of our Lord Jesus Christ; the one who executes the will of God even up to the foot of the cross “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). The identity “the lamb of God” is most meaningful on the Cross of Calvary.
Humanly speaking, the agony on the Cross is a testimony that the will of God is not always as rosy for one to desire. But also the victory of the Cross is an enigmatic representation of the fact that irrespective of how stupid the will of God may seem to us or how good an obstacle they may look like, they are the surest path to our actualization of our real selves; that which God wants for us. One trait of our vocation as Christians is to teach others to learn and do the will of God.
The Prophecy in the First Reading of today (Isaiah 49:3, 5-6) ended with this note; “I will give you as a light to the nations that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” This light can only shine to others through the lived witness of those who do the will of God. Failure to teach others by example to do the will of God is counter-evangelization. Those, in the word of the Second Reading (I Cor 1:1-3) who have been “sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be saints” must be living witnesses of the prayer of Jesus “not my will, but yours be done.” Saint Paul has shown us by his life that this example, epitomized in Jesus Christ, is possible.
May the ever sufficient grace of God lead us constantly to pray like Jesus our Master; Your will be done; Amen. Happy Sunday;
-Fr Cyril Unachukwu CCE
