SUNDAY HOMILY OF 11TH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME – YEAR B
SUNDAY HOMILY OF 11TH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME – YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: FROM THE HIGHEST BRANCH I WILL TAKE A SHOOT AND PLANT IT MYSELF
BY: Fr Cyril Unachukwu CCE
Ezekiel 17:22-24; 2 Corinthians 5:6-10; Mark 4:26-34
It is totally against our nature and contrary to the will of God for us to be devoid of growth and fruitfulness. God created us to positively grow in all ramifications and that this process of growth may also bring about the maturation of many fruits that will serve the purpose of revealing our inmost dignity as sons and daughters of God, and for the edification of the human family and of the whole Order of Creation in view of the full manifestation of the Kingdom of God at the end of time. May we positively grow and may the Kingdom of God reign in our hearts; Amen.
ALSO RECOMMENDED: SUNDAY HOMILY OF 11TH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME – YEAR B
One central theme in the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ was the reality of the Kingdom of God. Being a divine entity, the Kingdom of God is ontologically stable and indestructible. The Kingdom of God is unstoppable! But also being a reality lived by human beings within the limits of human existence and history, the Kingdom of God is also on the move; it grows and blossoms in anticipation of its full manifestation at the end of time. These two dimensions of the Kingdom of God greatly depict its mysterious nature. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the Gospel Reading of today (Mark 4:26-34), through the use of parables explained this mysterious nature of God’s Kingdom to His disciples; “this is what the kingdom of God is like. A man throws seed on the land. Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know… It is like a mustard seed which at the time of its sowing in the soil is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.” One thing that is certain about the unfolding of the Kingdom of God in our midst is the fact that no power can undermine or obstruct its manifestation and flourishing. The power of the Kingdom of God to flourish is innate, borne out of its identity as a divine reality. This identity of the Kingdom of God is naturally rooted in the very essence of God, Who is the Eternal King of this Eternal Kingdom. It is possible, however, that we can be obstructed or even dissociated from fruitfully and positively experiencing the powerful presence of God’s Kingdom in our midst. This obstruction and dissociation depends greatly on us because, even though God created us to constitute part of this Kingdom, He never forces us to belong to it. He only makes known to us the beauty and splendour of His Kingdom and allows us to decide and to freely choose to be part of it.
To be obstructed or dissociated from the flourishing process and effects of the Kingdom of God is one of the most destructive catastrophes that can befall anybody. It is like wandering aimlessly away from home without any purpose and without hope. Fortunately, as we read in the First Reading (Ezekiel 17:22-24); God has given us everything we need to grow and flourish along with the blossoming and gracious manifestation of His Kingdom here on earth; “from the highest branch I will take a shoot and plant it myself on a very high mountain. I will plant it on the high mountain of Israel. It will sprout branches and bear fruit, and become a noble cedar.” We all have something unique with which to grow and flourish in the Kingdom of God here on earth. The fruits we bear through our good works, words, actions and choices constitute the decorative elements of this most beautiful Kingdom. These fruits proclaim the beauty of God’s Kingdom! These fruits explain the mystery of God’s Kingdom! These fruits attract many more people into the Kingdom of God! These fruits will certainly speak for us before the Eternal King of this Kingdom at the end of time! The utmost reward for bearing these fruits is eternal membership in this Kingdom; partaking of its glory and splendour and fully inheriting all of its promises. Achieving this utmost reward is a great possibility, most especially when we are assisted by God’s grace. Hence, Saint Paul reminds us in the Second Reading (2 Cor 5:6-10) that we must “be exiled from the body and make our home with the Lord. Whether we are living in the body or exiled from it, we are intent on pleasing Him.” We please the Lord most when we allow the loads of graces He constantly gives us to bear fruits in us and through us. Through the manifestations of these fruits, God is glorified, His Kingdom is most beautifully adorned, the Church and the whole world are transformed into spheres of integral human development, and our dignity as human beings created in the image and likeness of God becomes most glaring!
Lord of Heaven and Earth, it is Your eternal will and plan that all of Your children should flourish in Your Kingdom. Help us by Your grace to conform ourselves to this will of Yours and to dispose ourselves to be part of this eternal plan; Amen. Happy Sunday.
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