Fr. Ben’s homily for Wednesday of the 6th week in Ordinary Time Cycle II
Theme: PURE & UNSPOILT RELIGION!
By: Ben Agbo (Rev Fr)
Homily for Wednesday February 16 2022
*Js 1 : 19 – 27, Mk 8 : 22 – 26.
Faith must be exercised for religion to make sense. James says in today’s 1st reading that pure and unspoilt religion must be practical; people should exercise self control and love (fruits of the Spirit, Gal 5 : 22). Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger. Pure and undefiled religion is visiting the needs of the poor (orphans and widows) and keeping oneself unstained from the world. We must try to be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.
In the gospel, people exercised their faith by bringing their blind brother to Jesus for healing. It was a gradual, sacramental kind of healing. Taking him first out of the village for a special kind of ministration of the Word strengthened his faith in Jesus before the healing took place. Miracle is not the same as magic. Miracle is often a gradual process that usually depends on our faith or the faith of people around us. Miracle does not necessarily produce faith and salvation. It is rather the opposite. However, miracle can strengthen and confirm our faith onto our salvation. Let us try to make our faith practical and our religion undefiled.
May God bless you today.