Homily For The 3rd Sunday In Ordinary Time Year B.

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Jonah 3:1-5.10; Psalm 25:4-9; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20.

“GOD WANTS YOUR EFFORT!”

By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide.

·      Today the church celebrates the third Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B. The year is considerably still young, we are still strategizing and making plans to make this year our best year ever. We have mapped out roadmaps and timelines to achieve these plans.

·      Most times these plans and aspirations are centered around how to achieve financial stability without spiritual intimacy. We have made targets for the year, how much we want to make by the end of the year, how many cars we want to buy, and how many more houses we want to build. In all these plans, there is no place for God who supplies the wisdom and the strength.

·      Our today’s readings come as a challenge to us Christians to take the things of God more seriously, and to show more commitment. As we plan, we must plan with God if we must succeed. We must learn to give God the driver’s seat. We must let him lead while we follow.

·      In the first reading (Jonah 3:1-5.10), God pointed out the sins of the Ninevites through his servant Jonah, he announced the displeasure of the Lord concerning their sins, and rather than rationalise or argue with the prophet, the whole city including animals repented of their sins and proclaimed a fast as a sign of remorse.

·      Nineveh is a great city, renowned for its economic viability. It enjoyed so many blessings from God and many of its occupants were merchants since it was a coastal city. The challenge was that in the bit to maximise profit and make more money, they relegated God to the background.

·      Friends in Christ, how can Nineveh enjoy so much favour from God and yet abandon God? It takes consciousness and the grace of God for many of us to remain saintly and affluent at the same time. The Ninevites forgot the God who blessed them.

·      Notice that as soon as Jonah announced the message of the Lord, he stung them to consciousness and they repented of their sins. And God relented when he saw their efforts. 

·      Christianity is a journey of constant efforts to be better than your yesterday. Yes! There may be various points of failures and failings on the way, but the Lord wants to see us make an effort to live a holy life. God relented when he saw the efforts of the Ninevites, why will he not relent when he sees your efforts too?

·      The second reading (1 Corinthians 7:29-31), reminds us not to be deceived that we have time. The danger of modern-day Christianity is procrastination. I will repent but not now, I will keep my body holy and chaste but not now, I will stop stealing but not now. The second reading tells us that the appointed time is close at hand, we do not have time anymore, so the best time to repent of our sins is now!

·      We must ward off every attachment that leads us to sin, anything that constantly predisposes us to sin, that is why those who have wives must now live as though they have none because the call to salvation is serious and it takes a committed and focused mind to answer that call.

·      Jonah announced forty days to the Ninevites and they repented and sat on sack clothes. We do not know how many days we have left, but there is an urgent need for us to repent and enter into God’s mercy. It is not easy because we are humans but God wants to see our efforts towards repentance and holiness just like the Ninevites.

·      In the gospel reading (Mark 1:14-20), which is the call of the first few apostles of Jesus. Today the Lord calls you out of your sins into his mercy to come to be his disciple, to come to work for him, to come be an agent of conversion in the world.

·      The response of the Apostles was prompt and immediate because there was no time. They left their boats, fishing nets and even their father behind to follow Jesus. What they left behind became evidence of their commitment and effort to serve Jesus.

·      Dearly beloved in Christ, what commitment are you ready to make towards your relationship with Jesus today? What are you leaving behind to come to follow him? The Lord earnestly seeks you and therefore you must jettison all obstacles and respond to his call. He wants to see you make an effort, he wants you to answer his call.

·      We may be unworthy but the call of God makes us worthy because those he calls, he qualifies them for the mission (1 Cor. 1:27-29), so when we respond to God’s call, we must daily seek to be better persons so like the Psalmist we must constantly say “O Lord, make me know your ways” (Ps. 25:4).

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

·      Happy Sunday!!!