CYCLE II: HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 10TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (1)

CYCLE II: HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 10TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

HOMILY THEME: Blessed are you when men revile you; be sure you are on the path of God.

BY: Rev. Fr. Callistus Emenyonu, cmf

HOMILY: READINGS: 1 Kings. 17: 1-6, Ps. 121, Mat. 5: 1-12

From the beginning of creation, light has battled with darkness, good with evil and Satan against God and his agents. In human affairs and Democracy number is the decider and so they say that majority takes the vote but in spiritual and divine affairs the reverse is the case because one with God is the majority and gets all. Forces may be many that go after you, people, kings and rulers and even nations can gather against you but if you are on the track of God and with divine presence you have nothing to fear. You may have wounds in the fight and may be knocked down but would not be killed. The suffering of the just may be very heavy and seemingly unbearable yet when God takes over, the music changes for the good of the godly person. This was what happened in the first reading between Elijah and King Ahab.

Beloved, often time people boast of evil powers and devilish authority under their care and think they can keep unleashing terrors on the innocent and messengers of God. Often too, it looks as if God is silent and in the cooler as if compromising. This is never the case because many times, God allows the evil one to finish doing his worst for the best of God to be manifest. King Ahab believed that all authority was his and allowed the wicked wife to control him and lead him on the path of evil and Baalism. They had the power to kill all the prophets of God and made mouth. It was only the lucky Elijah left and who is him to challenge their evil authority, they may have said? But when their time was over and God was to begin, he used only one instrument- Prophet Elijah to make a prophetic curse on the evil land which made the land not to experience any rain and great famine fell on them. They have had control of power that was limited but God has unlimited powers especially on what keeps the world going necessarily like Air, Rain, vegetation, fertility of the land for food and even life itself. Surprisingly is that God protects his own people who are on his righteous path for he has good plans for them for he has said that his plans for us is not disaster but blessing. While the people were languishing in the effect of the anger of God unleashed on them, Elijah was provided for by God who has a good plan for him. God even used lower creatures to serve his prophet. He was directed to a place of safety and the ravens were commanded to serve and provide for Elijah and so it was.

Beloved, in the gospel God made us know that if we remain in and with him, we may have to suffer many things but blessings are in stock for us, and so, in the Beatitudes he released blessings for those who suffer many things in the world for his sake. You may be mourning for too many things because human forces and powers have put you in that predicament which God never planned for you; God promised you divine comfort as he did for Elijah. Your meekness may bring you insults and many deprivations God has good inheritance for you if not on this material earth but in the spiritual one. You may have been fighting for righteousness and thirst for it to be entrenched on our land and that all may benefit from it, yet powers of this world may frustrate you. They are not the final arbiter but God who said that he must see that you receive it and be satisfied in your longing. When you show mercy to people and they take it for your weakness and suffer you with wicked hearts, keep on doing that for at the right time, Mercy shall be given to you. When your heart is pure and not mingled with evil you may suffer greatly from those of impure hearts and demonic agents, be consoled for God shall meet you and become your portion. Keep making peace and living in peace and sowing the seed of peace and leave those who beat the war drums for you are indeed the son of God and this you would see on the day of reckoning. You may fall into the category of the prophets like Elijah who is persecuted for seeking what is right and asking for your right and due; every evil ends here on earth but yours is the kingdom of heaven. The worldly people may persecute you, tell lies against you, crucify you and bring a lot of evils against you, Jesus asks you to begin rejoicing because your heavenly reward shall actually start here. See that all these happened to the prophets but the Beatitudes were for them.

Beloved, let us remember that our help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth and not from humans and authorities. Let God be our holy mountain where we must in all circumstances lift us our eyes of faith and hope. Let us pray that in all that we suffer, the Lord would keep our feet from stumbling because he is our guide and guard who does not sleep nor slumber but keenly watches life’s events. He shall guide us from every evil and would not allow the sun to smite us by the day or the moon in the night; he will guard us from every evil during our time of going and coming till we arrive safely at the place of rest, Amen.

Rev. Fr. Callistus Emenyonu, cmf