FR. BEN’S HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 20TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II (1)

FR. BEN’S HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 20TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II

THEME: THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED!

BY: Ben Agbo (Rev Fr)

HOMILY FOR THURSDAY AUGUST 18 2022

*Ezek 36: 23 – 28, Matt 22: 1 – 14.

*Grace is activated by faith. Faith begins with interest*. The Bible says that ‘Faith cometh by hearing the Word of God’, Rom 10: 17. *Showing interest in the Word of God is the first step to salvation*. The Bible recorded that when the short man Zacheus showed maximum interest in wanting to see Jesus by climbing the Sycamore tree, the next thing he heard from Jesus was: ‘Today, salvation has come to this house’, Lk 19: 9. ‘The heart, not the head’, says Plummer, ‘is the seat of the gospel’. The heart is the seat of love, interest, passion, faith and every apparachitk of spiritual relationship with God.

Today’s gospel shows us that *God does not force his love on us*. He has invited all of us to the banquet feast of the Lamb of God (The Holy Eucharist). *We have been given the wedding garment of baptism and confirmation and the wash hand basin of the sacrament of reconciliation to help us tidy up ourselves when the chips are down*. The only problem now is interest.

Some will want to make heaven without the wedding garment of faith and purity. But its not gonno be possible. Bouncers will embarrass you on the last day: ‘Hei, there! How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?’ Yes, many are called but few are chosen. We need a new heart and new spirit which has been given to us in baptism. Just activate your interest card by renewing your subscription for the Eucharistic banquet – and make it cleaner this time around through a perfect act of contrition!

May God bless you today!