Homily For The 2nd Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year C.

 Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 96:1-2a.2b-3.7-8.9-10a.c. R/ v.3; 1Corinthians 12:4-11; John 2:1-11

“O LORD REASON MY MATTER”

By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide.

·      Today the church celebrates the second Sunday in ordinary Time Year C.

·      The year has fully started, the holiday is over, schools are resuming, shops are opening, and offices are returning to full gear. Now the struggle is continuing.

·      It is against this backdrop that the readings of the day are full of reassuring hope and promises for us. On the eve of this year, many of us made a lot of prophetic declarations about our affairs this new year; we can’t wait to see them realized.

·      Some of us are becoming impatient already – like my friend who had prayed for something yet to be realized, put on his display picture (DP) “O Lord reason my matter”. This is also the cry of the groom at the wedding at Cana who was on the verge of facing the embarrassment of his life. Notice that he said this without knowing what to do and how to save himself from an impending shame.

·      And like my friend and the couple at Cana, we have gathered here to ask God to ‘reason our matter’. Through the graces of this Mass may the Lord reason our matter in Jesus’ name, Amen!

·      There are conditions for God to reason our matter. The second reading tells us that if we observe, there is no one is born without a gift, and God generously bestows his gifts upon us all for the benefit of all and our salvation.

·      If all these gifts are properly harnessed and contributed to the common good, then our world will lack nothing, our country will lack nothing: our community will lack nothing, our church will lack nothing, and our families will lack nothing; because there is one spirit guiding all these gifts - which is the spirit of God.

·      If the Lord must ‘reason our matter’, we must use our gifts for a good purpose. To those with the gift of preaching, we must preach the good news of Christ and not man’s news, nor what people want to hear. To those with the gift of faith, we must make our faith exemplary and effective to others in the spirit of love and charity. To those with the gift of healing, we must bring healing to our broken world, reconcile hatred, and pain, and become instruments of peace. To those with the gift of a miracle, we must be a miracle ourselves, by possessing the gift, yet remaining humble; and using it for the service of all. To those with the gift of discernment, we must always listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to be able to do our work well. To those with the gift of tongues, we must realise that God is not a God of confusion, and his gifts are not to bring confusion to the church but peace, growth, and harmony.

·      The gospel reading gives us another condition for God to ‘reason our matter’: if God must ‘reason our matter’, we must invite Jesus to our matter. He does not answer ‘present’ where he is not called. The fact remains that Jesus can only save those who have invited him to come into their situations and circumstances. If Jesus were not invited to the wedding, the account of a miracle at a wedding in Cana would not have been a reality. 

·       Secondly, we must be ready to do whatever he tells us to do no matter how difficult, challenging, senseless, and irrational it may seem. Doing whatever he tells us entails obedience to the commandments of God, doing the will of God and not the will of man, or our own will. It comes with a lot of patience, discipline, and waiting for the right hour for God; because God’s time is the best!

·      Doing ‘whatever he tells us to do’, makes us like the psalmist to ‘proclaim his wonders among all the peoples’.

·      When we do ‘whatever he tells us to do’ then, the Lord will ‘reason our matter’ in the following ways and more:

-       He saves us from shame and embarrassment.

-       We move from lack to abundance.

-       Our story is turned from bitterness to sweetness.

-       Disappointment to appointment.

-       From disgrace to being in his grace.

-       From harassment to enchantment.

-       From bad news to good news.

-       He puts a new song in our mouth.

·      When the Lord ‘reasons our matter’ and we do ‘whatever, he tells us’, then the prophecy of Isaiah in the first reading is fulfilled in our lives:

-       Like Zion, the Lord will not be silent in our case. Amen!

-       Like Jerusalem, he will not be tired of pleading our course. Amen!

-       In him, our salvation is assured. Amen!

-       People shall marvel at our integrity and glory. Amen!

-       The Lord will give us a new name to match our new status. Amen!

-       We will never be termed forsaken or abandoned. Amen!

-       We shall be the delight of God and He will wipe our tears. Amen!

·      Dear friends, we must submit ourselves to God, for him to accomplish his promises in our lives; by always doing whatever he tells us.

·      May the Lord give us the grace to do his will so that he may ‘reason our matter’ in his time and according to his will. Amen!

·      Happy Sunday!!!