YEAR A: HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 34TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (2)

YEAR A: HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 34TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

HOMILY THEME: PRIDE IS UNHEALTHY; IT PRECEDES FAILURE

BY: Rev. Fr. Jacob Aondover ATSU

HOMILY: READINGS: DANIEL 5:1-6.13-14.16-17.23-28, PSALM DAN. 3, LUKE 21:12-19

Scripture states clearly my dear friends that the Lord opposes the proud but gives his grace to the humble (Jas 4:6). Many a great man fell because of his over exaggerated notion of self. Pride is an incurable malady and when man because so powerful as to forget the source of his might; doom looms. Belshazzar’s reign ended courtesy of his pride and because he insulted God by desecrating the sacred vessels. In Daniel 5:18-21, we see how God made Nebuchadnezzar father of Belshazzar a great king but when his heart became proud and his spirit hardened by insolence, God relegated him massively into the wild. It was only wise for his son to take caution and humbly submit to God; however, since power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, he followed his father’s steps. God visits him today.

Beloved in Christ, we should dread pride, all of us by now should have learnt to give God the desired glory for his favours in our lives. All of us ought to be reminded of the Pauline thought provoking question; “What do we possess that is not given?” (1Cor. 4:7). Like Antiochus Epiphanes of Maccabees who plundered Jerusalem, desecrated the Temple and looted its treasuries; Nebuchadnezzar returned with the sacred vessels of the Jerusalem temple to Babylon and his Swas feasting with them, an insult to God. These forgot that God made them kings and bestowed them with power and might. Antiochus fell pitiably and so would Belshazzar.

Sons and daughters of God, ours too is a world where pride is gradually eating deep into the very fabric of society. Ours is a world where the powerful, influential or Aristocrats flaunt their wealth with utmost extravagance. Not just that, they seem boastful, bashful, oppressive, domineering and so on. These tend to forget God or prioritize their possessions well over him. God numbered the years of Belshazzar and divided his kingdom as a punishment for his arrogance, desecration of holy items and failure to accord God his due honour. He’ll not fail do same in our days for he still opposes the proud. Those in power, the rich and influential and indeed all of us may want to go about our activities conscious of the fact that God is in charge; he who favours may also curse.

Finally brethren, it is better to befriend God and be at enmity with man. Indeed it is best to be hated by men for being Christian and loved by Christ than to be loved by men and despised in eternity. Come what may therefore, through the storms, roses, joys and sorrows of life, we may do well to stay on track by remaining committed to Christ. This is because ‘by our endurance we will gain our lives’ (Lk. 21:19). May God bless his words in our hearts…

FEED AND EDUCATE ONE…