HOMILY FOR THE 27TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C
THEME:DO YOU HAVE FAITH IN GOD?
BY: FR. GODWIN ALKALI CSSp
HOMILY FOR SUNDAY OCTOBER 2 2022
READINGS:Hab 1:2-3.2,2-4; Ps:94: 2Tim 1:6-8.13-14; Lk 17: 5-19
The readings of this Sunday speak about faith and challenged us to live and walk by Faith that never Fails Us.
In the first reading Habakkuk despite his complaints wait with trust on the day God will fulfil His promise.
In the second reading Paul writes to Timothy, encouraging him and all of us to keep the faith we have received.
While in the Gospel, the disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith. They remind us to always pray for the increase of our Faith.
TAKE HOME LESSONS
1. Faith is the assurance of the things we are hoping for and the evidence of things we cannot see (Hebrew 11:1).
2. Evidently God has more faith in us than we have in our selves, and certainly more than we have in God.
3. If we have faith in God, faith in others, and faith in our selves then powerful things will happen within us.
4. Faith is something that we cannot earn, buy, save, or store away. We can only use it. Unless it is used it will wither away like any unused muscle in our bodies.
5. Jesus insists that faith is essential to our relationship with God. We are not giving God a big present by having faith in Him.
6. From Adam and Eve until now, human pride and human sin are the enemies of faith.
7. Human pride tries to control God and so a subtle feeling creeps in when we experience failure in our relationship with God.
8. God answers even before we finish praying (Isaiah 65:24). If we have faith, we need to be patient and wait for the Lord to act (Psalm 37:7) and that those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31).
9. Faith is one of the three things that last (1Cor.13:13). We need faith to worship God rightly, and “it is impossible to please God without faith” (Heb 11:6).
10. Often, we ride on the wings of doubt and fear more than that of faith. We ride on the wings of faith when we trust in the power of God and not leaning on our understanding (Prov. 3:5). We ride on the wings of faith when we leave every situation in God’s hands so that we can see God’s hands in everything.
11. FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real, but with FAITH, we Forward All Issue To Heaven.
12. Faith would not make things easy; it would instead make all things possible through the power of him who can do exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask or imagine (Eph.3.20).
13. Without faith, we see only the ugly and dark side of life. Without faith, we remain helpless and slaves to despair and hopelessness. Faith liberates us and helps us to see the power and love of God at work in our lives.
14. As human beings, at times in life we find ourselves in the shoes of the prophet Habakkuk. We simple find ourselves helpless, and everything goes dark and hope appears hopeless to us. It is part of the process of Christian growth and maturity.
15. We need faith in order to persevere in good works. We need it in order to remain steadfast during difficult moments in life. We need more faith in order to trust in God’s will and judgement.
Beloved brothers and sisters, we must humble ourselves each day to say: “Lord, increase our faith.”
PEACE BE WITH YOU.
FR. GODWIN ALKALI CSSp
