Homily
for July 26, 2017
Last weekend,
something rather disheartening happened in Edo State. It was the day fixed for
the Primary School leaving certificate examinations. The Governor of the State
decided to pay surprise visits to some of the centres.
Lo and
behold, the Governor caught some Teachers right inside the examination hall
copying answers to the children. In fact, in another centre, he saw parents
struggling to enter the hall by force to help their children copy.
How can a
whole father or mother go as far as accompanying their child to an examination
hall to ensure they assist the child to pass through examination malpractice? Is
it not shameful enough that a child could even conceive of malpractice? That parents
would now go all the way to “block,” even to jump fence on their children’s
behalf is just beyond comprehension.
This incidence
really calls to question the nature of parenting in our society today. How are
we bringing up our children? Do we realize that the future of our country depends
on the sound moral and spiritual foundation we lay in our kids?
If as
parents we now teach and encourage our children to commit malpractice in
examinations, how do we make them understand that kidnapping, prostitution,
bribery, armed robbery, telling of lies and other vices are wrong?
Today we
celebrate Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. That this
feast exists at all shows that no children can ever be successful without the cooperation
and assistance of good parents. Yes, Joachim and Anne brought up their daughter
very well such that God was so pleased with Mary and decided to make her his
own mother.
A child
who is well brought up is the glory of his parents. As our Gospel passage today
explains, the nature of the soil determines the nature of the harvest. Let us
bear in mind that our role as parents is to cultivate and constantly manure
good soils in the heart of our children so that God can work mightily through
them.
We should
never teach our children to complain and murmur like the Israelites did in our
first reading today. Instead, we should teach them how to pray for their needs
in humility with deep trust and faith in the power of God to provide.
Let us
pray: Lord Jesus, pour your grace out on parents everywhere. Amen.
St.
Joachim and Anne, pray for us.
Be Happy.
Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Wednesday of
the 16th week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Exodus 16:1-5.9-15 and
Matthew 13:1-9).
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