HOMILY OF 31ST THURSDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B
HOMILY OF 31ST THURSDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: “There will be more rejoicing in heaven among the angels of God over one repentant sinner.”
BY: Bishop Anthony Ewherido
Phil 3:3-8; Psalm 104(105):2-7; Luke 15:1-10
Jesus is the Holy One of God. It was therefore very difficult for the righteous to see how this holy man could mingle with sinners and criminals. Yet, the Lord insisted that that was exactly the goal of the Incarnation. Humanity lost her dignity as Image of God, but God himself, in Christ, came amongst us to restore it, by identifying with human lowliness, infirmity and vulnerability. While Jesus spent time in company of sinners, he never condoned sin, neither was he ever immersed in sin.
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Loving the sinner and hating the sin is a very challenging missionary endeavor in Christian witness. The adage: “You do not throw out the baby with the bath water,” must be taken seriously here. Like Jesus, who identifies with us in our sinfulness in order to bring us to repentance and healing, without himself being defiled, we must identify with sinners for the purpose of reconciling them to God, without us joining them in sinfulness, but rather remaining undefiled. Today’s readings demonstrate God’s extraordinary love for the sinner and His fierce and passionate desire for their salvation. Indeed, God does not will the death of a sinner but that he may repent and be saved. While we remain thankful for His mercy and compassion, God also invites us to have the same passion and desire for the salvation of sinners. Consequently, we must avoid all forms of self-righteousness; if not, we are not different from the scribes and Pharisees. Without the grace of God and Christ’s redemptive sacrifice, we would be no better than the sinner either, as St. Paul affirmed in today’s first reading.
Lord, make our hearts like unto yours, with compassion and love. Amen.
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