HOMILY FOR THE 31ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C.Â
THEME: Rise above your fears.
BY: Fr. Ohaekwusi Anthony.
HOMILY FOR SUNDAY OCTOBER 30 2022
A young student was asked by his maths teacher what he would be in the future and he replied that he would be an engineer. Everyone burst out laughing because he was not good at maths. So how can he become an engineer without mathematics? The young man was good at mechanics and crafts, but mathematics was not his strong point. Everyone ridiculed him for not being clever. So he was determined to change the narrative in his final exams. He decided to study only past questions to predict the questions. When the results came in, he got the highest score to the surprise of everyone. His maths teacher asked how he had done it. He replied: We are all capable, it’s all about rising above your fears.
People are always interested in the outcome and care less about the process. They don’t know what you are going through, they only care about you achieving it. But someone cares about what you are going through – God. He understands where we are coming from. He just wants to be welcomed into your life, to put you on the path of glory. Think about how Jesus recognised and reached out to Zacchaeus, in the midst of huge crowds. Put yourself in the same situation and hear Jesus reach out to you and say: I will still be in your house today. How do you feel when you hear these words today as you seek and work for a better life.
Like Zacchaeus, each of us longs for something good in our lives. We go through many trials to achieve the good we desire. We make mistakes, fall into temptations and are condemned and stigmatised for them. In the midst of all this, one thing is indisputable – our weakness is not a hindrance. God does not condemn us for our weaknesses, He wants to meet us, to invite Himself into our lives and make us strong. We just need to accept His invitation and be determined to face our fears and rise from our weakness (Ps 113:7), for we cannot give the hand of grace if we refuse to take a decisive step and stretch out our own hands.
Our transformation is the same as it was for Zacchaeus.
Anticipate and be anxious.
Be one step ahead of others and be ready.
Commit to our resolutions.
(Be) Decisive and Disposed to give up weaknesses.
Grace is not far from us, it comes our way every time.
The big question is whether we are ready to welcome it.
Remain lifted and do have a great Sunday
