Homily for Friday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle II
Theme: Return to the Lord and bear the required fruits.
By: Rev. Fr. Callistus Emenyonu, cmf
Homily for Friday July 24 2020
READINGS: Jeremiah 3: 14-17, Res. Ps. Jer. 31: 10-13, Matt. 13: 18-23
In life everything follows its type and root. For the chicks to get enough food it has to follow its mother hen and for the little goat/sheep to get good grazing it must follow the mother and for the object to cast a shadow, it must follow light directions. This shows that there is law in nature and when adhered, everything achieves its aim and optimum. Man is not removed from this same law. Human beings are from the stock of God and have God as their source of being and origin and as Jesus said concerning himself as the Holy Vine: Cut off from me you will weather. Often time condition and events of life make man to cut himself off from God. Whenever human beings walk out of their God thinking they are living and making gains they discover later that they are like snail in the fire spitting as if it is quenching the fire but cooking itself. God as a merciful and loving Father would always call man to return back to him.
Beloved, in the course of history according to Jeremiah in the first reading the people of Israel left God in their scheme of things. God seeing their predicaments decided to call them to return back to him and he promised to sort out their problems. He promises to bring them to a place of rest Zion which they long for and cannot take themselves there. God would do the impossible for them when they return. The wicked and evil rulers (bad shepherds) he will remove and give them good ones who will lead them to greener pasture.
God promises to feed them with knowledge and understanding when they come back to him. He will give them increase in all that they need and bring them to the land of milk and honey. They shall not miss the presence of the Lord. The physical material Ark of the Covenant would no more be the case but the spiritual Ark which is the presence of God (Shekinah glory) would follow them. They shall become a reference and a rallying point to others. People will associate with them to receive their blessing. When they return to the Lord he would stop them from following their evil heart but give them the right spirit.
Beloved, God spoke to the people of Israel of old and gave them their relevant word and for them it was a seed sown and they are to allow it grow and produce seeds. Each day the Lord through his words sows seeds in our lives and expects its appropriate fruits. The explanation of the Parable of the Sower explains various dispositions of Christians towards the gospel message sown in our lives. It further speaks about various classes of human persons and the way they behave towards the reception and living out the word of God. We must find out where we belong and if there are things that rub us the fruition of the word.
We must remember that attentive and faithful implementation of the gospel values helps us to produce fruits and this can only happen when we return to the Lord with all our hearts and minds.
We pray that the Lord would keep us as a shepherd gathers and keeps his flock, protect us, direct us and feed us with his graces to produce good fruits. May we rejoice and dance for joy for what great deeds the Lord has done in our lives by bringing us back to himself, Amen.
Rev. Fr. Callistus Emenyonu, cmf