Homily For The Third Sunday Of Easter Year B.


Acts 3:13-15. 17-19; Psalm 4:2.4.7.9; 1 John 2:1-5; Luke 24:35-48.

“BE COURAGEOUS WITNESSES!”

By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide.

·      Today the church celebrates the third Sunday of Easter year B. We continue to learn and reflect on the gradual increase in the faith of the Apostles and the early Christian community. They moved from doubt to faith, from fear to courage, from hiding to courageous witnesses.

·      Many of us who have followed the post-resurrection story, may have noticed that as soon as the apostles and disciples of Jesus were able to verify and ascertain that truly Jesus had risen from the dead, their commitment to the gospel message was renewed and their hope restored.

·      The courage we see the apostles and disciples of Jesus exhibit emanates from the fact and conviction of the resurrection of Jesus. Since Christ died and rose again from the dead, then for sure, there will be a resurrection for the apostles and disciples too if they die for the faith they professed.

·      Friends in Christ, as soon as the early Christian community came to that realization, they were prepared to go all the way to witness to their faith in Christ Jesus, no matter the cost or the consequences, they were ever ready even to the point of shedding their blood for the faith.

·      In the first reading (Acts 3:13-15. 17-19), Peter presents us what it means to be a people of the resurrection. He showed us the classical courage of Christians which is to be able to stand strong and tall to defend the faith and always speak the truth.

·      Saint Peter was not afraid to directly tell those present of their various roles in ensuring that the author of life was condemned and put to death instead of a murderous criminal. However, God raised Jesus to prove that for those who believe that after the earthly life, life is not ended but transformed.

·      Dearly beloved in Christ, Peter could point out to the people that they may have acted in ignorance. Today, God gives them another opportunity to make amends and turn their lives around to become authentic witnesses.

·      Like the people of Jesus’ time, there have been times we acted in ignorance, there were times we refused to obey God’s commandments, there were times we were not proud to profess our faith or pretended to be what we are not, for all the times we did that, we were not different from those who conspired against Jesus. Today, Jesus offers us an opportunity for repentance so that our sins will be blotted out. After we have repented, we must then take up the responsibility to be true witnesses to the resurrection and commandments of God.

·      In the second reading (1 John 2:1-5), Saint John warns that yes, we may fall short of the glory of God through sin, even while we sin, we have an advocate who is the son of God who died to save us all. His death was sacrificial, he died that we might live and in gratitude, renounce sin forever.

·      Friends in Christ, there is no better way to show gratitude for the fact Christ died for our sins than to obey his commandments and to always seek to do his will. How can we say we know God and yet find it difficult to obey his commandments and to keep his word? We must constantly seek to meditate on the mysteries of Christ’s sacrifice and be truly repentant.

·      The gospel reading (Luke 24:35-48), echoes the fact that after the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, he did not leave us guessing or looking abashed, but he constantly appeared to his disciples to confirm to them the fact that his resurrection was not make-believe but a fact in history. He showed them his hands, side, and feet, he ate with them and greeted them with the gift of peace.

·      Christ came to die for the salvation of mankind, he offered his life as a ransom for many and to reconcile the world to the Father. After dying, he rose from the dead to confirm our faith in him, and he commanded us to be witnesses to these events. He wants us to be courageous witnesses wherever we find ourselves.

·      We too as Christians of this era, must rise to the occasion and make our belief in God be felt by those who encounter us, in the way we talk, do business, do our work, and relate with each other. What is Christianity if it is not lived out in concrete terms?

·      In so many ways, we have allowed ourselves to be intimidated by the world, and we have not lived up to the true meaning of our calling as Christians, like the psalmist, we must ask the Lord for strength while making a sincere resolution to live a better life by saying “Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord” (Ps. 4:7).

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

·      Happy Sunday!!!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

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

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

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