HOMILY FOR THE 6TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C.

-




Jeremiah 17:5-8; Psalm 1:1-4,6 1 Corinthians 15:12,16-20; Luke 6:17,20-26.

 

“I TRUST IN YOU!”

By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide.

 

·      Today we celebrate the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C. Today we celebrate the gift of life and providence of God upon our lives. When we thank the Lord for the favors received, he will do more.

·      Today the Lord invites us to cast all our worries upon him and he will never let us down. Given our present situation in the country, many of us are asking like the Psalmist, “From where shall come my help.” “Our help shall come from the Lord who made heaven and earth.

·      Jesus invites us to trust him with our hopes, fears, and anxieties. The promise of God to those who place their trust in him is that he will never forsake them. When the trouble of the world seems bigger than us, we must remember that the God who called us to trust him is bigger than any problem in the world.

·      In the first reading (Jeremiah 17:5-8), the prophet Jeremiah reminds us of the consequence of placing our trust in man as against placing our trust in God. Trust in man will bring about frustration and disappointment.

·      How can we place our trust in a man who is finite and therefore can only offer things that are finite and material? Every man has an allotted time here on earth. Hence no matter what is promised by man; it cannot last forever.

·      On the other hand, trust in God means total reliance on the God who is eternal, and therefore his gift is eternal. Where the ability of man stops, the strength and omnipotence of God are brought to the fore.

·      Those who place their trust in God are like trees planted by the riverside. We shall flourish and blossom wherever we are planted. No harm will ever befall us, and we shall never seize to bear fruits.

·      Those who put their trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion that can never be shaken (Ps. 125:1). This in other words speaks to the fact that; to trust God is to live a life of blessedness. To live a life on earth and yet be intent upon heaven.

·      The gospel reading (Luke 6:17,20-26), which is on the beatitudes interchanges “happiness” with “blessedness”. True happiness comes from God alone. And that is why St. Augustine opines, “O Lord, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

·      “Happy are the poor in spirit…” this does not necessarily speak to material poverty. It is a call to a life of detachment and contentment. This helps us to realize that everything we own comes from God and should be used in the service of God. Wealth is not an end. Our end and goal are to gain heaven. Hence we must use our wealth to gain heaven.

·      “Happy you who are hungry…” Our hunger must go beyond material food and needs to sincere hunger for God. Hunger is borne out of trust that the God who went about doing good: feeding the hungry and clothing the naked will never leave us unattended.

·      “Happy you who weep now…” Followership comes with a great prize. Sometimes, we can lose friends, prized possessions, jobs, and the like. These realities bring us great sorrow, but when we place our trust in God it will end in praise and we shall laugh.

·      “Happy are you when people hate you…” following Jesus comes with a great prize. Sometimes we stand the risk of losing friends and family members. We are called unprintable names and made to face all kinds of ridicule. The encouragement is that we are called and set apart. We are not supposed to conform to the standard of the world. In all of it, if we endure, we shall be handsomely rewarded.

·      Today, we are called to develop an “attitude” that leads to blessedness which is what is referred to as “beatitudes”. It is the life and attitude that guarantee us eternal life with God. 

·      Saint Paul in the second reading (1 Corinthians 15:12,16-20), confirms the fact that Christ is the resurrection and the life. Hence if we die in Christ, we shall surely rise with him. If Christ will raise us up to enjoy blessedness with him, why then should we be afraid to live the life that is expected of us as Christians?

·      Dear friends, we must choose on what side of the divide to stand; to trust God or to trust a man. The benefits of trusting God are enormous, and the consequence of trusting man is also clear for the blind to see. The psalmist gives us a clue on what choice to make; “Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord”.

·      May God give us the grace to trust God above all else and seek to always do his will, knowing that through it we are assured of blessedness in God through Christ our Lord, Amen!

·      Happy Sunday!!!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Homily For The 8th Sunday In Ordinary Time Year C.

-
Image
Ecclesiasticus 27:5-8; Psalm 91:2-3,13-16; 1 Corinthians 15:54-58; Luke 6:39-45. “ BE LIKE YOUR TEACHER! ” By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide. ·        Today’s readings throw a personal challenge of introspection to every Christian who desires to grow in faith and holiness. The model for that introspection is no man but God, through his son, who is a good teacher. ·        The theme for our reflection this Sunday is “Be like your teacher.” The temptation is to think that the priest or your classroom teacher is the “teacher” here. No! The teacher here is the teacher par excellence – Jesus Christ, the son of God.  ·        The reason your priest or your classroom teacher cannot be your excellent guide is due to human weakness. They may desire to lead you to perfection, but they will often fail due to human limitations and weaknesses. This is not to say that we should never aspire to perfection....
Read more

Homily For The 2nd Sunday Of Lent, Year C.

-
Image
  Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18; Psalm 27:1, 7-9, 13-14; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 9:28-36. “LENT: A TIME TO DISFIGURE TO TRANSFIGURE AND TO CONFIGURE!” By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide ·        Like a joke, dear friends in Christ, our Lenten experience is more than a week spent. I hope we are using this opportunity of grace and renewal to tame our excesses, discipline our bodies, and train them to be transfigured into the glorified body of Christ. ·        Apart from being a time for fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, the Lenten season is a special reminder that we are citizens of a special place, and all we do and say should be geared toward granting us admission into that special place. These 40 days of grace become a special opportunity to prepare adequately. ·        When we disfigure our mortal bodies through bodily discipline and mortification, then our eyes will open enough to s...
Read more

Homily For The 5th Sunday In Ordinary Time Year C.

-
Image
  Isaiah 6:1-2,3-8; Psalm 137:1-5,7-8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11. “ THE AWESOME CALL FROM AN AWESOME GOD! ”   By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide. ·        Reflecting on today's readings fills me with awe about the awesome God we serve! The readings bring back nostalgic memories of being ‘called and sent’ by God together with 15 other classmates of mine. This month of February precisely on the 7 th  of February, will be 10 years of accepting the profound vocation and privilege to SERVE as PRIESTS of the Most High God. ·        It is an opportunity for me today, to reflect deeply on this call handed on to me, how much I have felt, the high and the low moments, but in all, the confidence that has kept me going is that in ALL THINGS the grace of God is sufficient for me! ·        The truth is that God continues to elect men and women in all works of life for service in his vine...
Read more