HOMILY OF THE 26TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
HOMILY OF THE 26TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: REPENTANCE AS THE KEY TO SALVATION
BY: Fr. Casmir Nkamuke
Ez 18:25-28; Ps 25:4-5.6-7.8-9; Phil 2:1-11; Mtt 21:28-32
Today, God reminds us that our acceptance of his call to repentance guarantees us the salvation he offers us.
Prophesying to the Israelites in exile, Ezekiel reminds us that everyone is responsible for his actions and inactions. An individual can neither simply rely on the good deeds of the past to receive his salvation, nor be condemned for past evil action. Each new day is a new opportunity to choose either to stand up for God and receive salvation, or against him and merit condemnation.
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In his epistle to the Philippians, St. Paul reminds us of the self-emptying of Christ and encourages us to model our lives according to it. As Christ spared nothing to offer us salvation, we ought to also work tirelessly to merit our own salvation.
In the gospel, Jesus condemns the Jewish leaders for taking pride in their past heritage while refusing to follow the footsteps of their ancestors. He reminds us that only those who accept the call to repentance are welcome in God´s kingdom.
Beloved in the Lord, there are many things we inherit from our heroes past, some good and some bad as well. While some inherit good values built on peace and unity, others inherit hatred and enmity. This heritage often affects our actions and inactions in the society. While there is nothing wrong with inheritance, it is important to emphasise that each person is responsible for his present action or inaction. The best way to take pride in the good deeds of our heroes past is to emulate the values they left for us. On the contrary, the only way to free ourselves from the consequences of the evil deeds of our past villains is to avoid toeing the same evil paths as theirs.
Today, God calls us to repentance. He reminds us that his greatest interest is in our accepting his offer of salvation and turning from our evil ways to a new life of righteousness and growth in virtues. Most importantly, he reminds us that our past sins are not stumbling blocks to our obtaining salvation, nor are our past righteous deeds shields against condemnation when we deviate from the right track to the track that leads to damnation. God is interested in our “now”. No matter what our past has been, his steadfastness and mercies are new every morning.
As we continue our journey towards our union with God, may he give us the grace not to be weighed down by our past iniquities nor take solace in our past righteous deeds. May he help us with the grace to seek him and to do his will each day of our lives until the very last moment. May our thoughts and deeds merit us a share of his kingdom of justice, love and peace in this life and in the life here after.
Happy Sunday!
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