HOMILY OF THE 5TH SUNDAY OF THE EASTER — YEAR C

HOMILY OF THE 5TH SUNDAY OF THE EASTER — YEAR C
HOMILY THEME: THE NEW COMMANDMENT!
BY: Fr. Casmir Nkamuke
Acts 14:21-27, Rev 21:1-5, John 13:31-35
Today, Christ reminds us of the priority and importance of Christlike love as the foundation of our Christian faith and practice.
In the first reading, Paul and Barnabas reminds the believers of the importance of endurance and sacrifice in our lives as God´s children. Their love for the Good News inspired them to extend their evangelization mission to pagan territories despite the hardship and persecution they faced.
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John was shown the vision of a new heaven and a new earth. This new city, where God lives among men, is characterized by joy and happiness. All the inhabitants are God´s beloved who always strive to illumine their activities with God´s ever abiding presence.
In the gospel, Christ gives us a new commandment. The old commandment was summarized as love of God and love of neighbour as oneself. In the new, the love of Christ is given as the model and logic of all love. Whether it is the love of God or the love of neighbour, it must be Christlike to worth the name.
Beloved in the Lord, the passion, death and resurrection is the highest expression of God´s love for humanity and the entire creature. God so loved the world that while he could not stand Abraham killing his only son, he did not spare his only begotten Son in his bid to save us and offer us a share of his divinity. This is the model of love Christ presents to us today. It is this love that motivated the apostles to preach the Good News in spite of stiff opposition and persecution as in the case of Paul and Barnabas. When such model of love exists, a new heaven and a new earth appears, a citadel where compassion and care conquers hatred and oppression. It is this model of love that gives us our Christian identity.
As we continue our striving as God children and citizens of his kingdom, may our logic of love align with the model given to us by Christ. May we love God, not just with all our heart and soul, but also because he loved us to the very end. May we love each other, not just as we love ourselves, but in the same selfless and sacrificial way that Christ loved us. May our activities be inspired by the desire to partake in and expand the joy and gladness that Christ won for us by his sacrificial death on the Cross. And may our world, inspired by this divine sacrifice work more to spread God´s love and checkmate hatred, oppression, violence, corruption and wars.
Happy Easter
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