YEAR A: HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 29TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (2)
YEAR A: HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 29TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
HOMILY THEME: BE SLAVES ONLY TO RIGHTEOUSNESS
BY: Rev. Fr. Jacob Aondover ATSU
HOMILY: READINGS
*** ALTERNATE CROPPING OF LDC105 *** Pope Benedict XVI, wearing sun glasses, and his personal secretary Georg Gaenswein, right, and his personal assistant Angelo Gugel, left, walk on a bridge of the Centro Cadore's lake in Domegge, Lorenzago di Cadore, near Belluno, Italy, Monday, July 23, 2007. Benedict arrived from his monastic-like vacation to bless the faithful at his secluded mountain retreat in Italy's Dolomite mountains. Benedict plans to stay in Lorenzago, near Italy's border with Austria, until July 27, when he moves to the papal summer retreat at Castel Gandolfo, in the hills south Rome. (AP Photo/Alessia Giuliani/Pool)
YEAR A: HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 29TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
HOMILY THEME: BE SLAVES ONLY TO RIGHTEOUSNESS
BY: Rev. Fr. Jacob Aondover ATSU
HOMILY: READINGS: ROMANS 6:19-23, PSALM 1, LUKE 12:49-53
Paul calls us to tilt more towards righteousness and sanctification since we have denounced slavery to sin and embraced slavery to God. This new form of slavery for Paul promises only a good life and blessing that is why the Psalmist 40:5a says: “Blessed is the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.” Beloved friends, to us who are freed from slavery to sin in faith through baptism and constantly strive to remain free; eternity awaits us and needless to say, we also elude the wages of sin, which is death. Today therefore is a call made by Paul to each and everyone of us to go on living as free beings: righteous, loving, peaceful, caring, avoiding all wickedness, evil and immorality.
This sanctification and subsequent eternity that Paul speaks about are born out of God’s love. This love is the fire spoken of by Jesus in the opening verse of our Gospel today. It is the love of God which has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us (Rom.5:5b). It is the love that ignites men’s hearts to live righteously, shun evil, avoid iniquity; liberate themselves from slavery to sin hence avoid it’s wages – death! I exhort us to understand Jesus’ statement from the background of someone who needed his followers to act with great urgency. Here was Jesus, preaching, healing, restoring lost lives and feeding the hungry everyday pursuant to the conversion of his followers. Sadly, his followers wallowed in serious disbelief, many were not even aware of his true identity and mission. Jesus wanted his purifying fire to be lit already.
To this day, Jesus approaches us with the same urgency. He desires that the fire of his love be fanned into a raging flame. A flame that dispels darkness, corrects error, enhances goodness, brings purity and virtue to our decadent and morally coarsened world. When this fire is fanned into a flame in us there is no way we’ll live like every other person; no way that we’d be welcomed and our lifestyles accepted by all. That so, we’ll rightly become causes of division and disparity. Then, our light will obviously oppose the darkness and evil of our brothers and sisters or even parents and colleagues. Then, our purity, our peace, our love, kindness, compassion and charity would naturally fight the immorality, the chaotic nature, the hate and animosity, the wickedness and selfishness of those living with us. For we shall be obviously different.
May I invite us to stay different as we spread the fire of Christ to all those who meet us. Fire can only stay lit if it is spread and constantly fanned; May we live worthy lives; lives that can inflame those of others. May our words, actions, and presence sparkle the purifying fire of Christ in those around us leading to love, sanctification and eternity at last. Amen.
BE SOMEONE’S SAVING GRACE TODAY
FEED IF YOU CAN
EDUCATE IF YOU’RE ABLE
CONSOLE AND COMFORT
BRING CHRIST TO HIM/HER
JAH BLESS YOU LOADS…
