HOMILY FOR 31TH SUNDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B

HOMILY FOR 31TH SUNDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B

HOMILY THEME: The Key to Eternal Life is Love of God and Neighbour

BY: Fr. Celestine Muonwe

Deut. 6:2-6, Heb. 7:23-28, Mk. 12:28-34

In the first reading, Moses promises the people of Isreal long life and prosperity if they would fear the Lord by obeying His commandments. Obedience to the commandments and the word of God is manifested in a sincere act of love for God. Jesus said to His disciples, “if you love me, keep my commandments.” No one who loves another person would like to do anything that would bring harm to him or her. Love is at the centre of the commandments. Moses therefore, enjoins the people: “Listen, Isreal: the Lord our God is the one Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all our strength. Let these words I urge on you today be written on your heart.” This statement of Isreal’s relationship with God is known as “shema” Isreal, which is repeated by every Jew daily in the morning and evening. It is based primarily on the first three commandments of the Decalogue, which deals with love of God. The oneness of God, reminds the people always, that idolatry is not an option for any Jew. Today, Igboland we are battling with idolatry of nature worship, of money, of power, of sexual perversion and promiscuity. The “shema” Isreal needs to be written more firmly in our hearts today.

In the second reading, the Book of the Hebrews describes the nature of Christ’s own priesthood as different from the old priesthood of the ancient Isreal, in the sense that it is eternal and not inhibited by death. Jesus’s power of intercession is ever potent, and hence, such potency entailed that He, the ideal Priest should be holy, innocent and uncontaminated by the influence of sinners. In His priesthood, He does not need to offer sacrifices daily like other High priests because He has offered His, once and for all with His own life’s blood.

In the Gospel, one of the leading experts of the law of Moses, a scribe, wanted to find out the stand of Jesus with regard to traditional faith, the faith tradition of the ancestors, by throwing a theological question to Him: “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered by quoting the Old Testament and the Jewish tradition which the Pharisees respected so much: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”.

Though Jesus has great respect for the traditional faith, He is opposed to the traditional interpretation of the Pharisees. For the Jews, everyone was to love God, but with regard to neighbour, there was inequality. There were people who were to be shown love, and those who are to be loved less, or not to be loved at all, for instance, one’s enemies, the outcasts, sinners, tax collectors, Gentiles, Samaritans etc. The love of God and neighbour cannot be separated from each other. One who does not love God cannot truly love his neighbour, and vice versa. One who does not love the neighbour cannot think he loves God, love and truth go together.

Love is the most misunderstood word in our world today. When young people talk about love today, what readily comes to mind is sexual love or the eros; which is the love that exists between married couples, but is today heavily abused, and reduced to pursuit of pleasures, thereby resulting in numerous sins against purity: fornication, adultery, masturbation, pornography, homosexuality and the like. Jesus talks about the agape love, the love that we have for God, the true love that goes with commitment and sacrifice. It is usually known as vicarious love, an engagement in which one is ready to give one’s life for the neighbour.

Agape love is in short supply in Nigeria where there is pervasive greed for gain, rampant corruption, the exploitation of students in our higher institutions, and the like. We need a new civilization, a civilization of love, which would bring about the note of commitment to other people. It is this kind of love that is at the centre of every atom of development in the world today. It is this love that moves men to build great cities, to embark on scientific findings, that lead men to search for things that will bring peace to the world. According to Pope Benedict XVI: “Charity in truth, to which Jesus Christ bore witness by his earthly life and especially by his death and resurrection, is the principal driving force behind the authentic development of every person and of all humanity. Love — caritas — is an extraordinary force which leads people to opt for courageous and generous engagement in the field of justice and peace. It is a force that has its origin in God, Eternal Love and Absolute Truth” (Caritas in Veritate, 1)

According to the Pope Benedict XVI, for charity to be worth it, it must have its foundation in the truth, otherwise it ceases to be charity, but mere sentiments or feelings. In other words, truth is the foundation for love, whatever we claim to do for our neighbour that is not right, or founded on truth is not charity. I cannot steal in order to help a brother in need, neither can I kill in order avenge a wrong, or support anti-christian laws in the name of freedom of conscience.

Love moves us to go to the peripheries, to meet the poor wherever they are. According to Pope Francis, the peripheries is the centre of the Gospel message of Jesus; the Gospel that reaches the poor, both materially poor and the spiritually poor, that is, poor sinners. Jesus actually showed us this true love that touched the dumb, the deaf, the diseased, the disabled; the love for the Father that led Him to prayers all nights, which flowed out and welcomed poor sinners, warned the unrighteous Pharisees and scribes, wept and washed dirty feet. The love that told of a shepherd searching for a lost sheep, a Father rushing out to embrace and kiss his lost son as he welcomed him home. The love that turns the other cheek, and willingly walked that extra mile. The love that carried a cross — and died upon it! The love that welcomes each of us into God’s family, forgiving our sins in the water of Baptism.

Prayer
Lord, please teach us how to love You in our neighbour, and by Your grace, may we never depart from the right part, but come to the fullness of Your glory and eternal love in heaven.

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