5TH SUNDAY HOMILY, LENT/YEAR B
THEME: God Glorifies Himself in Us
BY: Fr Anthony Chukwuebuka Ohaekwusi
Have you ever been in a situation where you have this feeling that you have experienced a particular thing before but you cannot tell how or when? It might be like a feeling of déjà vu. Or have you ever felt so sure about knowing the answer to a question but still able not to say it? Like something you remember and forget at the same time, looks simple and difficult altogether. This is always an interesting feeling. I remember in the first economics class I had in high school, when the teacher asked the question, “Who is a consumer?” And we all were acting like we wanted to answer, but never said a word. Of course we knew what the word “consumer” meant but we were trying to articulate a technical definition. Then one of my classmates said with an unconvincing voice, “I am a consumer.” To our great surprise, the teacher applauded this simple response to be correct. I marvelled at this answer not just because it was simple but because we felt we knew it at that moment, yet we kept searching it. We never looked within to see that this answer was in our everyday life because we often seek answers to situations in a blowing wind out there, even when it is lurking within us. Most difficult situations in life are resolved by simple available truths. The problem is in where we begin the search.
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God chose Israel to demonstrate His love to the world, but Israel never recognised this love for what it is. Israel broke God’s covenants through constant disobedience and negligence of the commandments. Maybe because they considered these love codes as external impositions that are not naturally deduced. They seem not to relate these guidelines to the flourishing of their lives, and so these commandments became burdens and obstructions to their free life. When we externalise good instructions on life they become obstructions to us. But God, in Jesus Christ, has demonstrated that the flourishing of life begins with the recognition that its meaning is found from within and expressed through our actions. For we, like planted seeds, cannot grow without crushing ourselves from within and following the reflection of God’s light. When we look inwards, we discover that this very law of Love, that seemed to be a burden from outside, is already in us and the strength to follow these guidelines comes from within. God has planted his love in our hearts making us capable of loving as Christ loved; by looking beyond the sufferings of obedience and looking up to Him who learnt obedience through suffering and has become for us, who obey, the source of eternal salvation. This is why the Father used the cross to glorify His son, to summarise the questions of life in this act of obedience which draws all people to God. Little wonder, the Greeks kept seeking Him in their quest for wisdom and sinners keep finding Him in their need for forgiveness. He has made God’s love available in our everyday life, and we are sure of His forgiveness whenever we ask because the answer is within and not an outside burden. He has shown us that life is not so complicated, for He was lifted up to draw all people, so that we live by obedience and rise by lifting others as He did.
Remain lifted and do have a great Sunday.
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