HOMILY FOR THE 12TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A.

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Jeremiah 20:10-13; Psalm 69:7-9.13.16.32-34; Romans 5:12-15, Matthew 10:26-33.

“DO NOT BE AFRAID!”

By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide.

·      Today the church celebrates the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. The Church returns to the Ordinary Season of the year in an extraordinary era where fear and anxiety have become the new normal with the beautiful theme “Do not be afraid!”

·      The readings of today call us to develop unreserved confidence in God knowing that if the Lord walks with us there is nothing to be afraid of. No harm will ever betide us, and we will surely reach our destination. No wonder scriptures say “If God is for us who can be against us” (Rom. 8:31).

·      When we are told not to be afraid, to be fearless and courageous, sometimes it sounds easier said than done. When we are confronted with real-life issues, it takes the grace of God for many not to shiver and give up. St. Peter in the episode of walking on the water, did that at the beginning, even with the presence of Jesus reassuring him not to be afraid when the reality of life dawned on him, he began to doubt hence he began to sink (Matt. 14:22-36).

·      In the first reading (Jeremiah 20:10-13), Jeremiah a prophet of God, who should ordinarily know better because of the promises of God in his life and his prophetic experience had to cry out when the reality of life dawned on him and the reality of Christian witnessing made things more difficult for him.

·      Dear friends in Christ, to stand with God is to stand alone, and to be a Christian is to swim against the tide on the standard of the world, and before taking our stand we must be prepared for it. In the business of Christianity, there is no seating on the fence, it is either you are for God or you are not.

·      The pain and trials of the Prophet Jeremiah were from within, those who should ordinarily support and encourage him, were the ones who sought for his downfall and laid traps for him.

·      We too as Christians of this era ought to also understand that once we have decided to follow God’s commandments without turning back, our lives become a challenge for others. Those who can accept it are converted, while those who are unable to accept it fight us.

·      The second part of the first reading assures us that we should have no reason to be afraid. If we are on the side of God, God will always be on our side. If God is on our side, those who oppose us will “stumble, mastered, confounded by their failure, everlasting, unforgettable disgrace will be theirs” (Jer. 20:11). We have to desist from fear and commit our cause to the Lord and let him fight our battle.

·      Friends in Christ, sometimes we do not understand why there are so much distrust and envy in the world. The second reading (Rom. 5:12-15) tries to answer the question by letting us know that it is a result of sin in the world. Wherever sin is, there is wickedness, hatred, and strive.

·      Yes, sin entered the world through one man from whom it has spread to the whole human race. All hope is not lost since the disobedience of man brought about sin and wickedness in the world, the obedience of one man will bring about sanity and the restoration of grace to the world.

·      If the coming of Jesus restores us to the life of grace, then we do not need to be afraid. And Jesus echoed this in the gospel reading (Matt. 10:26-33), he tells his disciples and by extension all of us not to be afraid. Sin and wickedness may thrive for a while, but everything hidden will surely be uncovered.

·      Dearly beloved in Christ, in our Christian witnessing, we should brace up for a series of challenges and frustrations. We must not let them dissuade or discourage us, we must not let fear make us offend God. If we must be afraid, then we must be afraid of he who can destroy both body and soul in hell and not he who can only destroy our bodies or frustrate us for a while.

·      Today is our decision-making day, we must decide on which side of the divide we stand on, those who stand for God or those who stand for the world. We should remember “If anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence of my father in heaven” (Matt.10:33).

·      Friends in Christ, when we stand strong and tall for God, then we can like the Psalmist, we can say, “In your great love, answer me, O Lord” (Ps. 69:13).

·      May God give us the grace to ward off all fears and be ready at all times to stand for him in spirit and truth and in all our dealings knowing that it is better to trust in God than to trust in man, through Christ our Lord, Amen!

·       Happy Sunday!!!

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