Homily for March 11, 2018.
“For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come
to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does what is true
comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been
wrought in God.” John 3:20-21.
Modern man is obsessed with darkness. Even when we know
something is just not right, there is this feeling of excitement associated
with doing it. Why is evil more attractive than good? In his 2018 Lenten
Pastoral, “Where is Your Brother?” Archbishop Akubeze explains this ancient
phenomenon:
“In the book of Genesis… Adam and Eve violated the commandment
to love God above everything else when they preferred themselves and listened
to Satan in disobedience to God. In that singular act of disobedience, we see
their rebellion against God. Thus, they passed on their offspring a corrupted
human nature, one that is always at war with God.”
From the time of our first parents to this very day, our human
nature (the flesh) is corrupt; it is always at war with God and his laws. As
St. Paul points out, our flesh is at war with our spirit. “For I delight in the
law of God, in my inmost self, but I see
in my members another law at war with the law of my mind and making me captive
to the law of sin which dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will
deliver me from this body of death?” Romans 7:22-24.
Dear friends, we carry within us, in our flesh a law of sin
which always opts for darkness such that as Jesus said to Nicodemus, even when
light has come into the world (in the person of Jesus Christ), we continue to
“love darkness rather than light, because our deeds are evil.” Even to this
day, we continue to do what the book of Chronicles describes: “…the people
added infidelity to infidelity, practicing the abominations of the nations and
polluting the Lord’s temple.” 2 Chron. 36:14.
To this day, evil remains the preferred human choice. Even
amongst us Christians, we would rather hide to commit evil than come out openly
to do what is right, commendable and worthy of praise. Role models have
disappeared in our society; as the book of Chronicles says, even the priests
(pastors; men and women of God) who should lead us to God have been “exceedingly
unfaithful.” Last Sunday, we read how Jesus cleansed the temple that had been
polluted by the business activities of the chief priests and religious leaders
of the people.
In the midst of all these, God could have simply decided to
destroy the world. The fact that we are still alive today is a testimony to the
mercy of God. Hence St. Paul says in our second reading today: “God, who is
rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead
in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ.” Ephesians 2:4-5. The
attitude of God towards our corrupt human nature is not an attitude of
condemnation but compassion. Jesus said to Nicodemus: “For God sent the Son in
the world not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through
him.” John 3:17.
Every day, God continues to wait for us like the father in the
story of the Prodigal Son. God awaits our return eagerly. We have not only
sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, we have been too used to sin that we
prefer to remain in darkness rather than come to the light. Unlike the Prodigal
Son who came to his senses and decided to return to the Father, we have
remained stuck in darkness, we have continued to hide our faces from God like
Adam and Eve who hid themselves upon hearing the voice of God.
We cannot continue to make the same mistake of Adam of Eve
continuously. We cannot continue to pretend by hiding our sins and making
everyone believe we are holy. Whatever is exposed to the light becomes part of
the light.
Put an end to the darkness in your life today. Say to yourself: “No
more pretence. No more living a double life, no more secrets. If I must hide to
do it, if I must sneak out to do it, if I must hide my identity to it, if I
must switch to “private mode” to check it, if it is something I will be ashamed
of if people get to know, then I should not do it at all.” Embrace the light.
Love the light. Live your life as a candle, shine out goodness, don’t copy the
darkness you see around you.
Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, teach me constantly reject sin that my life may
be to your glory. Amen.
Happy
Sunday. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God
bless you. (Fourth Sunday of Lent. Year
B. Bible Study: 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23. Ephesians 2:4-10 and John 3:4-10).
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