Homily For The 29th Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year A.

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Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 67:2-3.5.7-8; Romans 10:9-18; Luke 24:44-53.

“BE MISSIONARY!”

By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide.

·       On this 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, the church celebrates this day as World Mission Sunday. The church is always missionary, but this day is set aside to pray for missions and missionaries around the world. Today’s celebration reminds each Christian that we have all been called and sent.

·       Every Christian is a product and a beneficiary of a missionary enterprise. Having benefited from that enterprise, we ought to keep it alive so that others can come to know the message of Christ and that the gospel may reach the ends of the earth.

·       With the various events going on around us and in our world today, the world needs to be re-evangelised again. And no one will do that unless we become missionaries of various degrees.

·       In the first reading (Isaiah 60:1-6), the Prophet Isaiah beckons us to “Arise and shine for your light has come.” This is not a time to remain timid or let our light be dimmed. We have been enlightened by Christ; hence, our light must shine brightly.

·       Our light can shine by being a missionary in our ways and our activities with ourselves and those we encounter. Our world is full of darkness and wickedness, and it is the responsibility of Christians to let their light shine to dispel every darkness of evil.

·       In the second reading (Romans 10:9-18), St. Paul makes it clear that it is not enough to answer the name, Christian. To be Christian means to live out Christian values and expectations. We must not be afraid to be missionaries and to make Christ known wherever we find ourselves because “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.”

·       St. Paul continued by asking some pertinent questions about how the gospel message can reach the ends of the earth if we do not have adequate missionaries to help disseminate the message of the gospel.

·       In the gospel reading (Luke 24:44-53), Jesus specifically prayed for his disciples who were his first collaborators in the mission of evangelisation. By praying for them, we are also prayed for, that we may be inspired to become bearers of the good news of Christ.

·       Dearly beloved, you cannot be a Christian and yet refuse to be a missionary. Today, kindly reflect on how much you may have contributed to the evangelisation mission of the church or how you have slowed the process down.

·       The world needs us as missionaries. The message of Christ ought to reach the ends of the earth. We are vehicles of that message; therefore, we must continue to pray for missionaries and for missions and do our part to ensure that we keep the gospel message alive.

·       The theme of this year’s Mission Sunday is “Hearts on fire, feet on the move.” (Luke 24:13-35). We pray that in all we do, our hearts will burn for God and with the zeal to be a missionary. Having been inflamed, move with our feet to spread the message of Christ to the ends of the earth.

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

·       Happy Sunday!!!

 


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