YEAR A: HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 24TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (1)
HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 24TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
HOMILY THEME: WE CAN REVAMP THE LIVES OF THE SUPPOSEDLY MISFITS OF SOCIETY
BY: Rev. Fr. Jacob Aondover ATSU
HOMILY: READINGS: 1TIMOTHY
I really do not know what it is you might be facing but I need you to understand that God thinks about you every single second. I need you to know that He loves you so much that He sent His own son to leave His glorious kingdom and come down to this murky world to die
YEAR A: HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 24TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
HOMILY THEME: WE CAN REVAMP THE LIVES OF THE SUPPOSEDLY MISFITS OF SOCIETY
BY: Rev. Fr. Jacob Aondover ATSU
HOMILY: READINGS: 1TIMOTHY 4:12-16, PSALM 111, LUKE 7:36-50
DO REMEMBER:
• If all our hidden evils are made public, those we consider having ‘bad names’ like the woman of our gospel today will seem saintly. We sure won’t be proud of the honours we have, the titles received, the awards and crowns showered us by men. Our priesthood, knighthood, kingship, and the holier than thou attitude we put up we be the very causes of our being SHAMED!
• Against this background therefore, I’d rather we be like Christ and never like the judgmental and condemnatory Scribes and Pharisees. So I propose we PITY our FRAIL and STRAYING brethren as we would the SICK and OLD! I further propose we TEACH and GUIDE them like we do the IGNORANT children.
• More so, I suggest we avoid DISPARAGING or VILIFYING those whom circumstances of life have rendered them BAD so to say. I pray we struggle consciously against DECIMATING their characters but through our AMIABLE lifestyles be EXAMPLES to them in our SPEECH and BEHAVIOUR as Paul charged Timothy to do (1Tim. 4:12).
• Moreover, I exhort us to revive the lives of the sinful and straying through our LOVE, FAITH and PURITY. We can TEACH and CATECHIZE and EVANGELIZE them too (1Tim. 4:12-13).
• Our ways of life, the nonchalant comments we make, our destructive criticisms, the insults and dehumanizing statements we utter to or about the supposed misfits can worsen their situations hence destroy them.
• JESUS’ approach towards sinners becomes our STANDARD as we relate with the frail, already condemned, frail or straying folk around us. His approach is to SEEK and SAVE the lost (Lk. 19:10). He would rather we forgave all at all times. He did not join the Pharisees in loathing the woman with a bad name but forgave her and gave new meaning to her life.
• Always remember how frail, sinful and mortal you are; never forget that you are susceptible to CONCUPISCENCE and stand the chance of falling too. That so, NEVER CONDEMN, ONLY CORRECT and FRATERNALLY too.
• LOVING WELCOME, FRATERNAL CORRECTION, FORGIVENESS and RE-INTEGRATION of sinners is Jesus’ pattern and we cannot not follow in his steps being the disciples of his that we are.
• Jesus is in no way justifying sinfulness; he is rather following his Fathers desire that not one of his children perishes for the death of the wicked does not please him (Eze. 18:23). This aligns rightly with Augustine’s position that we ” KILL THE ERRORS, YES, BUT LOVE THE ERRING”. Go out today and save a straying soul.
• Also, like the woman who was not taken aback by the loathing and intimidation of the ravenous scribes and Pharisees but courageously went to Jesus to be saved, may we forget about the hackneyed views of people about us and boldly approach Christ for redemption.
• REMEMBER what Paul told Timothy “Take great care about what you do and teach; always do this and you will be saving both yourself and your listeners” (1Tim. 4:16) or those you mentor.
• FEED ONE, EDUCATE ANOTHER!
ASIDE: Nobody Holy pass je! All na struggle mek we for mek heaven. If you no fit help broda, kuku struggle your struggle mek him ma face im own.
