Homily for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C (5)

Homily for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

Theme: forgive them Father, especially those who hate me, curse me and those who say bad things about my life, even when have done nothing wrong to them, Help me to love them, for they do not know what they are doing.

By: Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA

Homily for Sunday February 20 2022

*READINGS OF THE DAY*
1 Sam 26:2,7-9,11-13,22-23
1 Corinthians 15:45-49
Luke 6:27-38

*INTRODUCTION*
Dear brethrens today is the seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time of Year C. And our liturgical readings of this day are talking about the need for all of us to show love in our lives, to be full of love and to be loving in all things, for the essence of being Christians is truly that of love. We cannot be Christians and we cannot call ourselves as such unless we truly have love in us, and show that same love in our actions and interactions.

*ABOUT OUR FIRST READING*
In our first reading of today, we heard how David had every right to kill Saul, especially after all that he had done to harm him and to persecute him, forcing him to live as an outcast away from the people of Israel. David spared Saul with great magnanimity, and when later on he showed Saul just how close he was to kill him and seized his throne there and then, and yet sparing him, David showed not just Saul but all of us as well what being a follower of God should be like.

*ABOUT THE GOSPEL READING*
In our Gospel passage of today, our Lord Jesus speaks to us as the disciples of today, He is telling us that, we must not only love those who love us and give us happiness, we must love even those who hate us and make our lives difficult, those who persecute us and humiliate us, and make us suffer in many things. We should not even revenge against them.

*ABOUT OUR SECOND READING*
St Paul, in our second reading today shows us that, Christ has become the New Adam, as compared to the old, first Adam, the progenitor of the entire human race. The disobedience and sins that the old, first Adam had brought into this world had been overcome by Christ, the New Adam. Therefore, through Christ, all of us have been brought into a new existence in God, a life of sanctity and purity, filled with love for God and for one another.

*THE CENTRAL MESSEGE OF TODAYS LITURGY*
Let us all make good use of the time, the opportunities, the many blessings and wonders that God had granted to us, all that He has provided for us so that we may find our way to Him, by leading a most faithful and dedicated, loving Christian life in our respective communities, in our families, among our relatives and friends, and even among strangers and even, as the Lord mentioned, amidst all those who despised us and in the plain sight of all those who have hated us and made our lives difficult. We are all challenged to be ever better Christians, first of all in loving God and then in loving our fellow human beings, even our enemies, genuinely from deep down our hearts.

*CONCLUSION*
May the Lord, our most loving, compassionate and forgiving God show us the way to be ever more loving, more filled with genuine love for our fellow brothers and sisters.
May God bless you and protect you all, In the Name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. Amen.

*SOURCES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS*
1.PeterCanisius Michael David Kang Daily Homilies.
2.Fr. Canice Chukwuemeka Njoku, C.S.Sp, GOD’S WORD FROM MY HEART TO MY LIPS, Year: 2022.