YEAR II: HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 6TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (2)
YEAR II: HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 6TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
HOMILY THEME: GOD AIN’T A ‘SHOW MAN’; THE WISE KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE
BY: Rev. Fr. Jacob Aondover ATSU
HOMILY: READINGS: JAMES 1:1-11,
YEAR II: HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 6TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
HOMILY THEME: GOD AIN’T A ‘SHOW MAN’; THE WISE KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE
BY: Rev. Fr. Jacob Aondover ATSU
HOMILY: READINGS: JAMES 1:1-11, PSALM 119, MARK 8:11-13
Man, God’s ultimate creature cannot explain how he comes into being, how he sleeps and wakes up; how he survives perilous times, life threatening ailments etc. Indeed, man’s life is a mystery and God alone understands it fully. Against this background, we can afford to say that the phenomenon, man, is a ‘Daily Miracle’. Man’s insatiability, his crave for more even needless things propels him to the search for miracles (non-existent ones too). Jesus calls us to see God everywhere and find his hand at work in all our daily activities. The truly Christian sees his or her existence as miracle enough to believe in God. I insist, ‘the daily miracle of night and day and the daily splendour of our existence are signs enough’. Man therefore needs no special sign from God to believe in him.
How different is our generation from Christ’s, where people demanded for signs before believing God? False prophets arose in Jesus’ time and in order to woo patronage and followers, they promised them mighty signs from nature. Many of such prophets had followers for a time before losing them due to their falsehood. The Pharisees wanted to place Jesus in that category of prophets but as usual he outsmarted them. The many General Overseers, prophets, self-ordained bishops, pastors and false wonder workers we have around are evident to the fact that PEOPLE SEEK MIRACLES MORE THAN THEY DESIRE TO HAVE GOD IN THEIR LIVES.
God is not a ‘show man’ working miracles or signs to satisfy our curiosity or evoke our faith in him. It is sad how many of us have chosen to doubt God because he has not granted our requests of children, spouses, jobs, admission into school, healing and so on. Beloved of God, may I ask us these questions: “Must God prove his omnipotence to us by extraordinary signs?” Has he not done enough already? While are we so blind to the many miracles of God in our lives? Why are we so ungrateful? Why are we doubting God? Can we truly consider our periodic sufferings as reason enough to doubt God?
The apostle James offers us some needful considerations. He tasks us to “Consider it all joy, when we encounter trials” (Jas 1:2). Should we be confused and lost thinking God has not favoured us, he charges us to “ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly for WISDOM. Wisdom enables us to see God at work in our daily lives; it helps us stay focused on God with an undivided heart “since a man of two minds, unstable in his ways receives nothing from God” (Jas. 1:7&8).
Moreover, wisdom makes us realize our nothingness hence stay humble before God. It helps us guide against unruly desires and selfish clamouring for possessions given that we are like grass and flowers whose beauty vanishes when the scorching sun hits them. Indeed, lovely friends, wisdom helps us realize that ‘OUR LIVES ARE MIRACLES ENOUGH’ to be pondered.
FEED AND EDUCATE ONE
