HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A.
THEME: OUR STRUGGLE AGAINST SIN AND DEATH!
BY: Benedict Agbo (Rev Fr)
* Heb 12: 1 – 4, Mk 5: 21 – 43.
We have two major struggles that embarrass us on earth; the struggle against sin and struggle against sickness /death. The latter often preoccupies us more but the former is even more dangerous. Today’s 1st reading says we must set aside every weight of sin that clings so closely to our bodies, eg habitual sins of immorality. We should run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking up to Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith who endured the cross so that you may not grow weary and faint-hearted. It reminds us that in our struggle against sin, we have not yet resisted to the point of martyrdom as many of our Christian ancestors did.
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When conscious of our sinfulness and sorrow, we hold out our hand to touch Jesus and our faith unleashes his healing power now in the sacraments, even as Christ did it then for the woman of haemorrhage and for Jairus’ daughter. In the two situations, we only need to apply our faith, especially sacramental faith as they did. Indeed, no theology book can give us a better idea of how sacraments work than in today’s gospel.
Jesus proves today that he has power over prolonged sicknesses, terribly habitual sins (like alcoholism and immorality) and even death itself. He makes impossibilities possible; he makes a blind man see, a woman of 12 – year haemorrhage healed, a dead girl rise, a celibate able to stay without sex, a widow /widower able to remain chaste. Only faith in him can lead us to where we cannot walk. Let’s stop rationalizing unnecessarily. According to Vima Dasan, ‘Reason has never been a mountain climber, but faith is’. May God bless you today!
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