HOMILY FOR THE 5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR A. (3)
HOMILY FOR THE 5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR A.
THEME: SPIRITUAL ECONOMY.
BY: Fr Andrew Ekpenyong.
1. Joke and summary. A retiring usher of a church was instructing his young successor in the details of his office: “An
HOMILY FOR THE 5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR A.
THEME: SPIRITUAL ECONOMY.
BY: Fr Andrew Ekpenyong.
1. Joke and summary. A retiring usher of a church was instructing his young successor in the details of his office: “And remember, we have nothing but good, kind Christians in this church… until you try to put someone else in their pews”. Sisters and brothers, we ourselves know that there is a huge difference between who we are and who we ought to be. We seek holiness and perfection but, on this planet, we are not yet there. Which is why the church on earth is not perfect. Charles Spurgeon stated this common fact thus: “The day we find the perfect church, it becomes imperfect the moment we join it.” Billy Graham put it pointedly: “If you find a perfect church, don’t join it: you’d spoil it.” Today’s 1st reading (Acts 6:1-7) addresses frankly one of the imperfections of members of the early church, namely discrimination. It teaches us how to overcome discrimination both at the individual and institutional levels. The 2nd reading (1 Pt 2:4-9) reminds us that in spite of our imperfections, God has actually called us to holiness. And if you are worried, just as I am worried about the huge gap between who I am now and who I am called to be, then the Gospel reading (Jn 14:1-12) comes to our assistance where our Lord tells us: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Why not? Because, Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life (Jn 14:6), is perfect and equips us for the journey to perfection. I find today’s Scripture readings summarized in a statement about the Church, the 2nd Vatican Council: “While Christ, holy, innocent and undefiled [Heb 7:26] knew nothing of sin, but came to expiate only the sins of the people, the Church, embracing in its bosom sinners, at the same time holy and always in need of being purified, always follows the way of penance and renewal.” Lumen gentium, par. 8.
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2. Spiritual Economy. In today’s 2nd reading, there is an expression that serves as a metaphor for our journey to perfection: “let yourselves be built into a spiritual house” (2 Pt 2:5), where “spiritual house”, “oikos pneumatikos”, spiritual economy, captures the root word in economy. Economy comes from the Greek word “oikonomia”, meaning, “management of a household.” Hence, today’s 1st reading (Acts 6:1-7) relates one case of economic “mismanagement” in the early church in Jerusalem: “As the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.” (Act 6:1). Note that in this case of discrimination, the Hellenists and the Hebrews were both Jewish Christians. They were all Jews who had become Christians but Hellenists were born in diaspora in contrast with those born on home soil. Although faith was growing and love was present in the community, complaints erupted because injustice crept in. The solution revealed an essential connection between two economies: the human and the Divine. Our family economy, state economy, national economy or even the global economy are all human economies. Just as it occurred in the early Church, injustice, nepotism, tribalism, quarrels, mistrust, and other moral evils can hurt any human economy. But the “economy of salvation”, comes to the rescue of all human economies.
3. Economy of Salvation. “The economy of salvation…refers to God’s activity in creating and governing the world, particularly with regard to his plan for the salvation of the world in the person and work of Jesus Christ…” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC 258, 1066, 1076, 1093). The economy of salvation therefore describes how God is guiding all of creation, all of humanity, your life and my life, towards a perfect new and eternal reality, through the God-man, Jesus Christ. Do you wish to glance at how God is guiding your own life and those of your family and friends anytime? Then have a glance at the person of Jesus Christ. And today’s Gospel reading (Jn 14:1-12) gives a glimpse of Jesus Christ in His own words: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (Jn 14:6). Jesus Christ entered all human economies: our families, homes and societies. He healed the sick, raised the dead, preached a gospel of love, suffered the greatest consequence of our moral evil on the Cross, overcame it by His resurrection and invites us to a new life in Him, here and now, a new life that leads to eternal life. You have already responded to that invitation through Baptism and other Sacraments. That is the economy of salvation. It is a splendid economy that leads to victory over all evils, moral and physical. It is an economy that can never be shut down because it is run on the infinite grace and love of God. It is an economy in which no one can be jobless unless they choose to be, because there is always opportunity to do good. It is an economy in which we can all be heroes because Christ gives us the grace to do what He did. He said it explicitly in today’s Gospel reading: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do.” (Jn 14:12).
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