CYCLE II: HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (2)

CYCLE II: HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

HOMILY THEME: I have loved you with an everlasting love; only be humble and persistent.

BY: Rev. Fr Callistus Emenyonu, CMF

 

HOMILY: READINGS: Jeremiah 31: 1-7, Res. Ps. Jer. 31: 10-13, Matthew 15: 21-28

Today the Church celebrates the Dedication of St Mary Major. The Council of Ephesus in 431 formally proclaimed the mother of Jesus as the Mother of God, and the church (basilica) of St Mary Major on the Esquiline Hill in Rome was built shortly afterwards to celebrate her motherhood. This is the oldest church in the West that is dedicated to Our Lady.

The title “Mother of God” may seem technical or even excessive; but it emphasises the central truth of the Incarnation, that Jesus Christ was not only a true man, but God also; and not only God, but man born of a woman. These revealed truth are ways God

God shows his merciful love to those he has made and was proud to declare that he has loved Israel with an everlasting love and have continued his faithfulness to them. Whenever God loves an individual or a nation he does not go back and does not allow the flaws and weakness of that individual or nation to stop the flow of his love. He shows merciful love on them; forgiving them their transgressions and allowing his compassion to meet them. When he chose David he declared that he has chosen David to be his servant and that even if he offends him, he will punish him but will never take away his faithful love from him. This Godly love is also seen in Jesus encounter with Peter when the scripture said that Jesus looked steadily at Peter and loved him. This type of everlasting love made God to pardon David his great iniquity and postponed the punishment to the generation after him. It made Jesus to overlook Peter’s weakness such that when he spoke against the will of God for Jesus to suffer and die, after calling him Satan, still he continued in love union and cooperation with him. Even after his denial he still met him and asked for his love trice and received him back by giving him the responsibility to shepherd his flock.

Beloved, we live and move till today because of his everlasting love; this is why he overlooks our iniquities and gives us care and love. Our being alive does not mean we deserve it but he gives it to us freely from the heart of love. Most often we delude ourselves thinking that if we have sinned gravely the Lord would have taken away our lives or would have punished us; this is a lie just the merciful love of God keeps us alive. This we must acknowledge and praise him. We must because of this work towards improving our life and repent so as to keep attracting this love from him. This must lead us to an act of thanksgiving and appreciation for this love. We are the luckiest of the people who benefit from this God of love.

This love made him give attention to a Canaanite woman who came to him in desperation. This woman may have been a sinful woman or not among those included in the everlasting merciful love of God. This is proved by the statements of Jesus: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. And also in his saying that: “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” In the case of this woman who needed help for the restoration of the daughter from the possession of the demon, faith and persistence was necessary for inclusion into the fold of the beneficiaries of the everlasting love of God.

Beloved, this woman did not allow the opportunity of inclusion to pass her by. She showed great virtue of humility and patience with Jesus. She resisted anger and overreaction. She employed calmness and penitence and acceptance of her sinful deprived state before Jesus. She proved that she was really in need and that it was only Jesus who could sort her out. She did not allow anger to reign in her heart but joy of expectation of miracle for she was convinced that the Jesus she met is not hardened of heart but merciful and considerate. She believed that no one who goes to him with a need goes back empty handed. She humbly accepted the insulting word from Jesus which was humiliating yet really truthful. Humility helps us to accept the truth about ourselves and helps us to go begging. This is like the disposition of the prodigal son when he returned; he was ready to accept any humiliation and position. The response of the woman that even dogs can be permitted to eat from the crumbs left Jesus convinced that this woman has great faith and needed to be included in the everlasting mercy of God for Jesus has said: O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you desire. This made her daughter to be instantly well; this is your challenge.

We pray that God would increase our faith which is very little and sustain it especially in moments of great test of our patience and belief. Let pride give way in our lives that humility may lead us on the path of faith which gives us a break through in all our problems. May the Lord gather us back to his faithful, Amen.

Rev. Fr Callistus Emenyonu, CMF

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