CYCLE II: HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 17TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (1)
CYCLE II: HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 17TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
HOMILY THEME: MAN OUGHT NOT FORGET GOD WHO MADE HIM
BY: Rev. Fr. Jacob Aondover ATSU
HOMILY: READINGS JEREMIAH 13:1-11, PS. DEUTERONOMY 32, MATTHEW 13:31-35
The Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 27 expressly states: “The desire for God is written in the hearts of the human heart, because man is created by God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for.” And according to the Second Vatican Council (Gaudium et Spes no. 19), “The dignity of man rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion with God…For if man exists it is because God has created him through love, and through love continues to hold him in existence…” Man therefore realizes his being, purpose, dignity and end only so far as he is connected to his maker.
God made man to know him, to love him, and to serve him in this world, and to be happy with him forever in heaven. This sheds more light on the passage of Exodus 34:14 where it is stated, “…for the Lord, jealous is his name is a jealous God. Jealous because he loves us massively and would have us return same to him. Jeremiah 13:11 captures the mind of God about his people; “For as the loincloth clings to the man’s loins, so I made the whole house of Israel (Nigeria, Jacob, James, Regina, Clare) to cling to me, to be my people, my fame, my praise, my glory.” Man’s rebellion saddens God. Our sins and recalcitrance exasperates him. Our failure to acknowledge how much he loves and cares for us leaves him terribly disappointed. Imagine how you’d feel if your most cherished and beloved one turns his back on you, betrays and rebels against you.
Like the Israelites of old, we have persistently failed God through our recurrent sinning. We have not returned God’s love, we have rebelled against him through our evil, inhuman, wicked and unholy lifestyles. We pride ourselves in our sinfulness, we are never quick to return to God pleading for forgiveness whenever we sin. I fear the message of Jeremiah 13:9-10 is for us; “…So I will low the pride of Judah (Nigeria, Jacob, Hembafan, Wuese, Clare) to rot… This wicked people who refuse to obey my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts and follow other gods, serving and worshiping them, will be like this loincloth, good for nothing.”
O that today, you’d listen to his voice, harden not your hearts so says the Psalmist (95:7) else God’s wrath will be kindled against us and we’ll be rendered good for nothing. We may do well to allow the leaven of Christ’s word to permeate our hearts and make us outgrow our rebellious natures into the people of God, the fame of God, his praise and glory. May we never forget the God who gave us life this week an beyond (Deut. 32:18) Amen.
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