YEAR A: HOMILY/REFLECTION FOR SATURDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (2)

YEAR A: HOMILY/REFLECTION FOR SATURDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

HOMILY THEME: TAKE A BREAK OR YOU BREAK DOWN

BY: REV FR IGBOD

YEAR A: HOMILY/REFLECTION FOR SATURDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

HOMILY THEME: TAKE A BREAK OR YOU BREAK DOWN

BY: REV FR IGBODEKWE LIVINUS C

 

HOMILY: Rest is a necessity for the body just as a car that is overused breaks up easily. The generator that is overused wears out easily. There’s this story of two men who bet on who would chop more firewood more than the other. One stayed restful while he sharpened his axe while the other worked nonstop. At the end of the day the restful one chopped more woods than the other. According to William Barclay, “life is a marathon not a sprint”.

Jesus understood rest: though the Bible seemed to be a book of deeds. It is also prominently a book of rest. God in chapter three of Genesis declared the Sabbath Day Holy on which all must rest. God knows that rest is necessary for our spiritual and physical rest. Jesus in the Gospel today took his disciples to a lonely place to rest awhile. In Jn 9:4 Jesus emphasises work but here he recommends rest. In Ps 46:10 says “be still and know that I am God.” Jesus knew that when we get expended we need to refill. Before he began his ministry he went to a desert and stayed out of work only listening to God. To really live a life of prayer we need to listen to hear from God. How many times do you listen to hear from God? At one time we were told that Jesus was sleeping in a boat. He knew rest.

Still he feels compassion: though Christ recommends rest for his ministers, he makes a space for compassion. Some ministers sleep a lot and ask their boys to tell a parishioner who came on an emergency that he is not around. Compassion must not be sacrificed on the altar of rest. Though Jesus wanted rest for his disciples, he as well felt a need to minister to the needy people. Let us therefore not be strict at working because we may break down and let us not be strict on resting because we may break a needy soul!

Happy Saturday!

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