3RD SUNDAY HOMILY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR B

3RD SUNDAY HOMILY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR B

BY: Fr Andrew Ekpenyong

1. No Joke. Last Sunday, Jan 14th, 2024, the US News and World Report, had an article titled, “No Joke: Feds Are Banning Humorous Electronic Messages on Highways.” Indeed, the U.S. Federal Highway Administration has given all states two years to implement the new rules, stating: “electronic signs with obscure meanings, references to pop culture or those intended to be funny will be banned in 2026 because they can be misunderstood or distracting to drivers.” Examples of messages that will be banned include: “Visiting in-laws? Slow down, get there late,” from Ohio; “Hocus pocus, drive with focus” from New Jersey; and “Hands on the wheel, not your meal” from Arizona. “Slow Down, You’re already in Texas”, will just be “Slow Down”. The agency added that road signs should be “simple, direct, brief, legible and clear” and only be used for important information. Based on today’s 1st reading (Jonah 3: 1-5, 10), we recommend that Jonah becomes the patron saint of the US Fed. Highway Admin.! Why? Jonah’s message was simple, direct, brief, clear, with important information: “40 days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed”.

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2. Breaking News. The reaction of the people to this simple, direct, brief message of Jonah was incredible. It was definitely breaking news. Nineveh was the largest city in the world for about fifty years until 612 BC. The repentance of all the people in Nineveh could be announced as breaking news with the following sub-captions: “Largest city in the world repents!”. “Over 120,000 mass conversion in Nineveh today”. “Megacity converted to City of God”. It must have also been breaking news in Heaven. The angels of God rejoice over one repentant sinner (Luke 15:10). Guess what they did over 120,000 people who repented in Nineveh (Jonah 4:11). They must have sang “Holy, Holy, Holy” in harmonious and joyful polyphony! The 1st reading illustrates God as both a just Judge and a merciful Father. It also demonstrates that human beings have a God-given capacity for conversion. The conversion here can be described as fundamental conversion. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, using Scripture, explains what fundamental conversion entails: “In the Church’s preaching this call is addressed first to those who do not yet know Christ and his Gospel. Also, Baptism is the principal place for the first and fundamental conversion.” (CCC #1427). Interestingly, in today’s Gospel reading (Mk 1:14-20) our Lord preached fundamental conversion, in a simple, direct, brief, and clear manner: “The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (v.15). He then called his disciples to join in spreading this message: not only by word of mouth but by the example of their lives. Jesus called Andrew, Simon Peter, James and John and made them fishers of men. “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (v.17). Having become a disciple of Christ through fundament conversion, the next step, namely, living as a Christian, entails a second conversion.

3. 2nd Conversion. Dear sisters and brothers, all of us, followers of Christ, need this second conversion. The Catechism explains: “Christ’s call to conversion continues to resound in the lives of Christians. This second conversion is an uninterrupted task for the whole Church who, ‘clasping sinners to her bosom, is at once holy and always in need of purification and follows constantly the path of penance and renewal.’ This endeavor of conversion is not just a human work. It is the movement of a ‘contrite heart,’ drawn and moved by grace to respond to the merciful love of God who loved us first.” (CCC #1428). A concrete example of 2nd conversion is St Peter after denying Christ three times. He wept bitterly in contrition (Lk 22:62). It was for this 2nd conversion that our Lord instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation (John 20:22-23). A contemporary example is Toni McFadden, now a prolife activist and author of the book “Redeemed: My Journey After Abortion.” St Ambrose writes about the two conversions that, in the Church, “there are water and tears: the water of Baptism and the tears of repentance.” 2nd conversion deepens our love for God and neighbor and sharpens us for mission to the world. Each 2nd conversion leads to a deeper 2nd conversion because we increasingly realize God’s ways, as described in today’s Psalm 25. Our examination of conscience gets deeper. We not only avoid sin but avoid occasions of sin, thereby overcoming temptations more. We become more conscious of sins of omission, and more charitable. Following 2nd conversion, the Christian lives as described in today’s 2nd reading (1 Cor 7:29-31). Repentance becomes immediate preparation for eternity, because “the world in its present form” is passing away. More practically, my life in its present form, is passing away and I’m getting set for eternity. And just like our starting joke had to do with road signs, a road sign sums up today’s message of conversion and holiness: “Keep right”.

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