Homily for January 14, 2018.
“And the
LORD came and stood forth, calling as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And
Samuel said, ‘Speak, for thy servant hears.’” 1 Samuel 3:10.
On this
second Sunday of Ordinary time, our readings challenge us to reflect on our
Christian call which is also the source of our Christian identity. We are
Christians not simply because we attend Church but because we have been called
and because we were called, we took on a new identity. Today, we shall ask
ourselves: “Are we still responding to our calling?”
On the day
of our baptism, each of us was called by name. The voice of the priest at
baptism represents the voice of God himself calling us as he called Samuel in
our first reading. Even though some of us were still infants, we responded to
God’s call by saying “Yes” or “I do” to our baptismal promises.
Just as
Eli guided the young Samuel, our Parents and Godparents guided us in our
spiritual development. The question is: “How many of us parents are still
living up to our responsibility of showing good example and guiding the young
ones to God?” When last did I check on my God-son/daughter?
Again on
the day of our Confirmation, God called us again by name through the voice of
the Bishop and we were made soldiers of Christ. In Holy Matrimony, God calls us
by name through the voice of our spouse and we promised fidelity. On the day of
our ordination, our names were called out and we stood to answer: “Present” before
stepping up to the Sanctuary. In Penance and in the anointing of the sick, our
names are called indirectly as we prostrated ourselves before God asking for healing.
In the
Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, God calls each of us by name by speaking to us
during the Liturgy of the Word. That is why each reading ends with: “The word
of the Lord.” God also speaks to our heart directly in the homily. Afterward,
we immediately respond to God’s call in the Creed. This is why we stand during
the Creed. Like soldiers who have just been briefed by their commander, we rise
to say or sing our “Yes” “I Believe” “I accept” to all that God has told us.
In our
second reading today, God calls us to Purity. Speaking through St. Paul, God
says to us: “Shun immorality. … Do you not know that your body is a temple of
the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; so
glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:18-20.
I am
personally waiting for Operation Phyton Dance and Operation Crocodile Smiles on
the perpetrators of the Benue killers, but then, I know that even if the
President is just one man, the Presidency is made up of many people. So I call
on all Christians in Power, Christians in positions of authority, Christians
who can “do something” to act now. Let not the pursuit of money and comfort override
your basic duty as Confirmed Soldiers of Christ. From our Vice President (who
is also a Pastor) down to the cleaner in the Local Government who is a
Christian, I appeal to you to do everything possible to save our Faith.
Nonetheless,
as much as Christianity today suffers unprecedented attacks from outside, we
cannot close our eyes to the attacks emanating from within, amongst which
include: Christians who do not live up to the demands of their call by God;
Christians who do not believe their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit;
Christians who practically worship and adore money e.t.c. If we must fight for
the Christian Faith, the fight has to begin from within; from our hearts, from
our churches from our homes. Let us fight against sin; let us fight against immorality;
let us fight against insincerity, worldliness and hatred of one another.
In our
Gospel passage, Andrew is presented to us as an example of how God calls each
one of us and how we are to respond. First of all, Andrew positioned himself at
the right place. He was a seeker of righteousness and so he was drawn to follow
John the Baptist. When John the Baptist introduced him to Jesus as the Lamb of
God, Andrew and the other disciple went to Jesus. Andrew accepted Jesus’
invitation to “come and see”, he experienced Jesus by spending a whole night
with him, and he became convinced that Jesus is the Messiah.
The next
day, without wasting time at all, Andrew became a witness for Jesus. He started
telling people about Jesus and he brought his brother, Simon to Jesus. Simon
became the fruit of Andrew’s evangelisation. Dear friend, we must ask
ourselves: Have I really encountered Jesus? And if so, am I fully convinced about
Jesus? And if so, how many fruits have I borne? How many persons have I introduced
to Jesus? How many lives have been changed by my witnessing?
Let us
Pray: Lord Jesus, may my life be a positive response to your call. Amen
*Happy
Sunday. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. (Second Sunday in Ordinary Time: Year B. Bible
Study: 1 Samuel 3:3-10,19 and 1st Corinthians 6:13-20 and John 1:35-42).
No comments:
Post a Comment