HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF 14TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME. (1)

HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF 14TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME.

THEME: WISE AS SERPENTS, INNOCENT AS DOVES!

BY: Benedict Agbo (Rev Fr).

* Gen 46: 1 – 30, Matt 10: 16 – 23.

Providential movements and migrations from one place to another characterized the children of Abraham. Often times, their exodus from one place to another was for the purpose of survival and flight from enemies and persecutions. But the spiritual motive was even more important – the vocation to leave an old way of life to a new was recurrent in Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and all the children of God. To leave is not easy because to leave is to die a little. Abraham, in obedience to God’s Word moved from his original country home of Ur ( of the Chaldean tribe) to Egypt. Later he moved from Egypt back to Bethel in Canaan. Jacob was later to move through Bethel to Padan – Aram. He later moved from there back to his birthplace, Sheckem in Canaan. From Sheckem he settled in Bethel and in today’s 1st reading, we are told the long story of how his whole family ended up in Egypt – a place where they were favoured for a time and oppressed for a time until they were rescued (under the leadership of Moses) for the final journey back to the promised land.

RELATED: HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF 14TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME.

The gospel lets us know that the children of God are required to carry along with them two important qualities as they migrate from place to place: They must be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. The vigilance of serpents is its most striking quality. They have no eye lid. The snake’s eyes are always open even when it appears to be sleeping. Its yearly renewal of its skin makes it gain more strength and vigour. The innocence of doves is another striking quality recommended of believers – the breastplate of righteousness is the greatest weapon of spiritual warfare according to St Paul, Eph 6: 14. These two qualities are also required of every Christian. As we sojourn through life’s vicissitudes and as we migrate through different locations for survival, we need these two spiritual qualities of all children of Abraham in order to be safe from our enemies. May God bless you today!

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