YEAR B: HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 21ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (3)
YEAR B: HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 21ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME. MEMORIAL OF ST AUGUSTINE OF
HIPPO
HOMILY THEME: STAND FIRM
BY: Rev Fr Joseph Nyarko Asare
(2 Thes 2:1-3, 14-17/Ps 96:10-13/Mt 23:23-26)
It is very dangerous to think that you are beyond falling back or backsliding. We must be hopeful but never over-confident. Again, let us not be too discouraged as if there is no hope for our lives and conditions. Paul motivates the people of God to stand firm. It is a call to be strong, to master weakness and surrender, at every moment, to the will of the Lord.
Jesus condemns the Scribes and Pharisees because they could not stand firm to the end. Like Solomon, their good intentions and initial beginnings never ended gloriously. It was an unfortunate situation and remains same in our generation. Great leaders fall and mighty trees collapse. It is never the will of God that his faithful people end their day in spiritual or moral disaster.
Powerful people of God, priests and faithful alike, at times, end so disastrous that we wonder if their initial stages were just pretentions. To put it directly, judgement is never our role in the lives of such persons. We can and must pray for them and keep motivating them to repent and get back to God. The apostles, interestingly, never condemned the scribes and Pharisees. Only Jesus could do so because He was God. It is good to admit that evil is evil. Our duty towards sinners is not that of condemnation but of correction, re-evangelisation and prayer support.
On our part, let us be firm and strong. If we do not kill our weaknesses, they will kill us. Let us learn to remain quiet and humble, doing much and talking little. One day at a time, we journey towards God with eternity in view. Let us not roam on the ground after each fall. Let us swallow our pride and repent now for no one died swallowing pride. May God be our help.
PRAYER POINTS
~For the grace of repentance for all erring ministers of God
~That we will never “enjoy” the fruits of our weaknesses
~For the courage to be good in all situations
(Rev Fr Joseph Nyarko Asare of the Catholic Diocese of Obuasi)
