HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 14TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II
THEME: MISSION DEFINED.
BY: Fr. Karabari Paul
HOMILY FOR FRIDAY JULY 8 2022
‘Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors…for my sake.’
You probably already know this, but choosing to follow Jesus doesn’t mean that everything is easy from that point forwards. In reality, living as a Christian can often have its own set of challenges. The Bible says: ‘Everyone who wants to live as God desires, in Christ Jesus, will be persecuted’ (2 Timothy 3:12).
Jesus in the Gospel of today (Matthew 10:16-23), announced and defined the nature of the mission the disciples were embarking on. The image of sheep encountering wolves and people being dragged in accusations before councils and kings are definitely fearful. He didn’t promise them that they would dine and drink wine in the field. The version of Christianity we now have where everything must go well with us is surely man-made. You know what He does? He supplies grace but won’t take away the wolves.
Whatever your situation is, staying close to God and confident in your faith is the answer. When talking about persecution, Jesus said: ‘But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved’ (Matthew 10:22). God sees you, loves you, and is walking with you to help you keep your resolve until the end. He doesn’t want you to be ashamed of Him, or afraid of sharing your faith. It can be difficult, but with a lot of prayer, it’s possible to remain in your circumstances and confidently share God’s love. Has someone told you the moment you accept Christ, you are going to be free from troubles? That is not of God. The promise is that He will be with you.
We can see this through Paul’s assurance in prison. From his cell, Paul wrote: ‘I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body’ (Philippians 1:18-20). Will you aim to let Christ be exalted in your life despite the troubles you may face? GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God have mercy on us, heal our country Nigeria, bless and protect us all through Christ Our Lord Amen. Good morning
Fr. Karabari Paul