CYCLE II: HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 17TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (1)

CYCLE II : HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 17TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

HOMILY THEME: HAVE YOU UTTERLY REJECTED JUDAH?

BY: Fr. Benedict Agbo

HOMILY: * Jer 14: 17 – 22, Matt 13: 36 – 43.

‘Let my eyes run down with tears night and day and let them not cease’ says the Word of God, for the virgin daughter of my people in Nigeria is struck down with a grievous blow. People are being slaughtered in Nigeria like cows and business is going on as usual. People are being kidnapped and ransomed as daily business and people have accepted it as the new normal. The entire forests in the South East has been taken over by armed Fulani herdsmen while our politicians are busy with selfish power plays and our Church leaders seem confused on what exactly to do. Our leaders are embezzling public’s funds to a ridiculous scandalous level and pretending to faint when interrogated for fraud have become a melodrama/ normal joke in Nigeria.

Today’s 1st reading from the Prophet Jeremiah says that ‘Both priests and prophets ply their trade (like occupation instead of vocation) through the land and have no knowledge’. We have two dangerous enemies ; the threat of Islamization and neopaganism ; Both are characterized by barbaric hooliganism and animalistic brutality ; cutting human beings like animals and molesting men of God with gross impunity. While the Fulani herdsmen are striking from the North, the “Akatakpa boys” and the “Malaysian boys” are striking from the South. The fake pastors and prayer contractors with their usual fake visions are striking from the central terraces of people’s gullible faith. The children of God are bleeding in pains. Some few years ago, two priests from Nsukka diocese were thoroughly beaten by “Akatakpa boys” (native masquerades) and one of the priests was badly injured in one eye which has not healed till today. Yet the government still allows these boys to move about with impunity, robbing and molesting people in broad daylight. Is this country really a “zoo” as Nnamdi KANU and his fellow IPOBIANS will derisively put it?

The Word of God (represented by the parable of the weeds) gives us ample information in today’s gospel about the presence of evil in this world created by God with good intentions. We have a number of violent cult groups today operating under the guise of official State religions, such as Islam and a lot of business oriented churches. So many cult men have found their way into executive leadership positions and occupy them never wanting to relinquish power. God has allowed the good seed and the weeds to grow together till the final judgment day. But children of God must be wary. The effect of the weed on the good seed is always disastrous. Unless the children of God in Nigeria rally together in radical prayer followed by wise proactive action, I am afraid the worse may happen. God has not utterly abandoned “Judah”. It is only the presence of the weeds that seem to suppress the wheat.

May God bless you today!