HOMILY FOR THE 1ST SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR A.

Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7; Psalm 51:3-6.12-14.17; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11.

“THE BEAUTY OF BEGINNINGS”

By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide.

·      Today the church celebrates the first Sunday of Lent year A. In this season, we journey with Jesus in the wilderness. This journey in the wilderness is a moment for reflection, repentance, and renewal.

·       On this first Sunday, the reading of the day wants us to reflect on the beauty of beginnings. New beginnings are often met with resistance, suspicion, and doubts but once we have the courage to make the first move, it becomes our reference point all the way.

·      In our spiritual lives, we also have beginnings. These beginnings may be when we first received the faith, when we were baptised, when we received our first Holy communion, when we were confirmed, and when had our first life in the spirit seminar. This beginning can symbolise when we were closest to God.

·      Dearly beloved in Christ, what point in your life can you call your own beginning? This life you lived at the beginning and the one you are living now which one glorifies God more? If your earlier beginning was more, God calls us to return to base. To return to the place of original innocence.

·      We often hear people remember with nostalgia the earlier days of life with God when we were closer to God, when we were more sincere when we dare not commit certain sins. If you can remember those days, it means that we can retrace our steps and go back to that era of beginnings. This is what the Lenten season is about. This is what God is calling us to do today.

·      In the first reading (Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7), we read the story of the creation. Notice the initial plan of God. It was filled with beauty and goodness until sin struck. Notice the power of man to resist sin began when man started negotiating with sin (the serpent). If you negotiate with sin, you will always find reasons to commit it!

·      Friends man who is the highest beauty of God's creation fell into sin and lost the beauty intended and the beginning. The damage could have been salvaged if only knew to acknowledge our fault and to retrace our steps. 

·      Many of us today are still like our first parents. We are never wrong, something or somebody somewhere is always responsible for our mistakes and misdeeds. We are always trading blames and never accepting that we are wrong. 

·      Have you imagined how God would have been disarmed if our first parents had acknowledged their sins and confessed. The God who created them still possessed the power to restore what was damaged. He would have restored them to the beauty of beginnings.

·      St. Paul in the second reading (Romans 5:12-19), gives us a Ray of hope. Since sin came into the world through one man, the redemption of man must come from one man. Jesus the new Adam through his death on the Cross offers us a second chance. He is always willing to wipe clean the record of our transgressions and offer us a new beginning. Why not take this opportunity today?

·      The gospel reading (Matthew 4:1-11) gives an account of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. This temptation was hinged on three things: food, power, and fame. These are also the sources of our different sins and temptations.

·      Yes, food is necessary, power is good, but the ultimate power comes from God. For fame, we must realize that no fame can last outside God the creator. The bottom-line dear friends are that once we have set out with God in the wilderness during this season, temptations will arise from all corners. We must stand strong and apply the graces that we have received from God in the various sacraments.

·      The Lenten season is a period of 40 days, we may get but never stop, and we may fall by the wayside, but we must never lose focus, we may even fall into sin, but we must pick ourselves up. If we miss our way, we must be able to retrace our steps and go back to the beginning.

·      Have we always been perfect? No! Can we even be perfect? We are humans, we are prone to mistakes and wrongdoings. God is aware of that, but he still calls us to righteousness and saintly life. Many times, we may have fallen out of grace, but the mercy of God is always there to envelop us. That is why we must go to God pleading for mercy like the Psalmist and say, "Have mercy, O Lord, for we have sinned" (Ps. 51:3). 

·      Today the Lord has given us another opportunity for a new start and a new beginning. This news comes with a choice to choose between life or death, between good and evil. Let us choose good again and enter the peace and love of Christ. So that our Lenten observances may be pleasing to God.

·      May the good Lord bless his word in our hearts through Christ our Lord, Amen!

·      Happy Sunday!!!

·      N.B: Please kindly say a prayer for me next Sunday 5th March as I mark my birthday. God bless you!