Homily For The 3rd Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year A.

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 Isaiah 8:23-9:3; Psalm 26:1.4.13-14; 1Corinthians 1:10-13, 17; Matthew 4:12-23

“I BELONG TO GOD!”

By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide.

·       For the past few days, the church has been celebrating the week of Christian Unity, where we as Catholics are enjoined to pray for Christian unity in the world. And this is beautifully captured in our readings today.

·       The second reading (1Corinthians 1:10-13, 17) sets the tone for today’s reflection. The reading talks about the crisis that engulfed the early Corinthian community. A church which once had a vision is now plunged into division.

·       This Corinthian church witnessed tremendous growth and an increase in faith. Great preachers had arisen among them, calling them to return to God. However, at some point, self-projection set in, and people now formed a personality cult around these preachers whom they liked. They focused on the preachers rather than on God.

·       It is in this situation that we hear comments like “I am for Apollos”, “I am for Cephas”, and “I am for Paul”. Regrettably, we Christians of today are not different from the Corinthian community. When we label some priests as “Charismatic Priests”, “Marian Priests”, “Social Priests”, etc., we choose priests whose masses are ‘sweet’ and those whose masses are ‘bitter’.

·       Today, St. Paul calls us to order, that we all ultimately belong to God, because he, as Paul planted, Apollos watered, but God himself gave the growth (1 Cor. 3:6).

·       Dear friends in Christ, we must all realise that we belong to God and he has made us for himself. So if we must form a personality cult, it must be formed around God, who has the power to do all things and in him is our salvation assured.

·       We must stop dividing the church and pray for Christian unity. We must stop breaking or dividing the body of Christ, which is the Church, for our selfish gains. The Catholic Charismatic Renewal do not want to see eye to eye with Legion of Mary, C.W.O do not want to see the Catholic Daughters of Mary, members of the Association of Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary do not want to see members of the Apostleship of Prayer League of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Knights of St. John do not want to hear about or see members of the knights of St. Mulumba.

·       Today, the Lord calls us to unity of purpose that we are all companions on the journey of salvation, and we must see each other as partners in progress in the business of making heaven.

·       Today is a day of great insight. The first reading (Isaiah 8:23-9:3) tells us that those who sit in darkness have seen a great light (Is. 9:2). This is a light of divine illumination, a light that unites rather than divides, a light that elucidates faith.

·       Dear beloved, we stand to gain a lot if we allow that light of God to shine in our lives; our gladness will be greater, joy will increase, and we shall reap a bumper harvest.

·       The gospel re-echoes the opening words of the first reading as a fulfilment of an Old Testament prophecy. “Those who sit in darkness have seen a great light” (Matt. 4:16). Christ is seen as the fulfilment of that promise because before birth and death, man was engulfed in the darkness of sin.

·       Dear friends, having been illumined and empowered by the light of Christ, he calls each of us to mission the same way he called Paul, Cephas, Apollos and other Apostles, not as agents of division but agents of unity. He calls each of us by name, while reminding us to “repent for the kingdom of God is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). It is only when we ourselves have repented of our sins that we can bring repentance to others, thereby becoming their shining light.

·       God calls each of us from every work of life to be his disciples, to be with him, to belong to him, to work for him, to stop all divisive tendencies and bring about unity wherever we find ourselves. He calls us to become fishers of men through our shining and exemplary lives.

·        For the call to be properly heeded, we must be ready to make some sacrifice, we must be ready to be detached to be attached to God, we must be ready to travel light to travel faster, as symbolised in the leaving of the boats, family and nets behind by James and John and the other Apostles.

·        The psalmist tells us that “the Lord is my light and my salvation” (Ps. 27:1). To belong to God is to belong to the light, and being in the light means living a life that is Holy and that guarantees salvation. To be saved is to belong to God and no other.

·        My dear brothers and sisters, God has made us for himself, and we belong to him. We must therefore leave all divisive tendencies and have him at the centre of our mission, to bring about unity not division, peace not war, justice not injustice, love not hate, righteousness not unrighteousness, reconciliation not malice.

·        May the Lord unite us to be his authentic witnesses, knowing that they belong to him through Christ our Lord, Amen!

·        Happy Sunday!!!


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