HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 3RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - YEAR B

HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 3RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR B

SAINT OF THE DAY Memorial of Saint Vincent, Deacon and Martyr.

THEME: A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.

BY: Fr Deotacious Chikontwe SMA

READINGS OF THE DAY
2 Samuel 5:1-7,10
Psalm 88:20-22,25-26
Mark 3:22-30

LITURGICAL COLOUR
RED

INTRODUCTION
Good morning my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time of Year B. At the same time today we commemorate the memorial of Saint Vincent, Deacon and Martyr.

FROM OUR FIRST READING
In our first reading today we heard how the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the city of Jebus, later known as Jerusalem, mocked and ridiculed King David when he attempted to take and conquer the city. Eventually, David conquered Jerusalem and made it to be his capital, and thereafter, it becomes the centre of the Kingdom, and the spiritual centre of the Divine worship of God, as later on the Temple and House of God would be established there. God blessed David and strengthened his kingdom, allowing Israel to overcome many of its enemies which had pestered, oppressed and gave them much trouble and hardships over many years. It was also because the people of God were united and no longer divided among themselves that this golden era was possible. Later on, when the kingdom was split into the northern Israel and southern Judah halves, that golden era came to an end.

FROM OUR GOSPEL READING
In the gospel reading Jesus speaks of a kingdom divided against itself not being able to stand, and likewise a household divided against itself not being able to stand. He was refuting those who claimed that the power at work in his life was the power of Satan. How could Satan, he asked, be driving out Satan? Why would the kingdom of Satan seek to be divided against itself? That would be a recipe for its collapse. It is extraordinary to think that some people were of the opinion that the power at work in Jesus was the power of evil. Here was Jesus doing good, healing the sick, seeking the lost, feeding the hungry, proclaiming God’s mercy to sinners. It was the power of God that was at work through Jesus, not the power of Satan. The scribes who came down from Jerusalem and who accused Jesus of acting in the power of Satan were blind; they saw white and called it black.

CONCLUSION
It is easy for any of us to see what is not there or not to see what is there. We need ongoing healing of our blindness. We need to keep coming before the Lord with the prayer, ‘Lord, that I may see’. We ask to see as Jesus sees, to see with generous and compassionate eyes, recognizing the good that is in people even when it is hidden.

ABOUT THE SAINT OF THE DAY
Today, the Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Vincent, Martyr and Deacon, who was a truly great man of God and whose life and actions are great inspirations for all of us to follow at all times. He hailed from the region of Caesaraugusta, now known as Zaragoza in northeastern Spain today. He was an eloquent speaker, entrusted by the regional bishop to help him because of his impediments, in preaching to the people of God and others. When the local governor began launching an intense persecution against Christians in that area, arresting both the bishop, Valerius and St. Vincent, they were persecuted and tortured. St. Vincent refused to save his life by burning the Sacred Scriptures when such an offer was made to him.
And then, St. Vincent’s great faith and eloquence in proclaiming the truth of God angered the governor greatly, who ordered the former to be tortured with various sufferings, and eventually, in what he was well-known for, he was put on a grid-iron and tortured. Yet, St. Vincent remained firm in his faith and continued to proclaim the truth of God, even joking with his persecutors according to some tradition, when he said to them, asking them to turn him over because he was ‘done on that side’. St. Vincent eventually met his death in martyrdom, but his example of great courage and bravery, his exemplary and inspirational faith continue to become great inspiration for many Christians all throughout history.
Saint Vincent, Pray For Us.

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