HOMILY FOR THE 21ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C (9)

HOMILY FOR THE 21ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C

THEME: For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.

BY: Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA

HOMILY FOR SUNDAY AUGUST 21 2022

*READINGS OF THE DAY*
Isaiah 66:18-21
Hebrews 12:5-7,11-13
Luke 13:22-30

*LITURGICAL COLOUR*
GREEN

*INTRODUCTION*
Dear Friends in Christ, today we celebrate the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time of Year C.

*ABOUT OUR FIRST READING*
In our first reading today taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard the Lord mentioning to Isaiah how He would call His people from among the nations, from the foreign lands far and distant from the land of Israel, from the different nations and origins, and the Lord also mentioned how He would even call His priests and the Levites from among the people of those nations. This is a premonition of God’s calling which He made to all the nations, to all the people of all races and origins, that His people and kingdom is no longer limited to just the descendants of the Israelites, but extending to the whole entire world.

*ABOUT OUR SECOND READING*
Our secong reading from the letter to the Hebrew talks about, the discipline and the well being of every child of God. It saying that “My son, when the Lord corrects you, do not treat it lightly; but do not get discouraged when he reprimands you. For the Lord trains the ones that he loves and he punishes all those that he acknowledges as his sons”. Suffering is part of your training; God is treating you as his sons

*ABOUT OUR GOSPEL READING*
Jesus stated, once again, that the first will be last and the last will be first. He breaks our schemes, inviting us to an even deeper awareness of our interior motives and intentions as we live our faith. Do we walk with false security in our salvation, putting ourselves in first place in God’s eyes? Or are we aware that salvation is an undeserved gift? We are in dire need of God’s mercy, and we wait at the end of the line, aware that entry is for those who have humbled themselves.

*CONCLUSION*
All of us must remember that in the end, our every actions and deeds, our contributions and commitments, whether great or small will be held for us or against us. Our every lack and failure to act whenever we are able to, will also be held against us on the Day of Judgment, and in the end, those who are righteous and faithful will receive the fullness of God’s promises and the eternal life and glory that will be ours forever, while those who fail to be faithful and continue to walk in the path of sin will fall into eternal damnation and suffering unless we change our ways for the better.
May God Bless us all in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA