Homily for Friday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle II
Theme: FAITH IN GOD IS KEY
By: Rev. Fr. Jacob Aondover ATSU
Homily for Friday October 8 2020
READINGS: GALATIANS 3:7-14, PSALM 111, LUKE 11:15-26
CAN THE LAW SAVE US? The way of faith is the saving way.
Beloved friends, Paul argues against the law quoting Deuteronomy 27:26, ‘CURSED BE ANYONE WHO DOES NOT KEEP THE WHOLE LAW’ whilst stressing the all important fact that FAITH IN GOD is the primordial requisite needed for our saving. To buttress this claim, he further quotes the prophecy of Habakkuk 2:4b where Scriptures opines; “THE JUST ONE WHO IS RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE OF FAITH SHALL LIVE”. Jesus freed us from the curse of the law when he accepted to be hung on a tree for Deuteronomy 21:23 asserts, ‘everyone who is hanged on a tree is under the curse of God’. CHRIST BECAME ACCURSED SO THAT THROUGH OUR FAITH IN HIM, WE ALL MIGHT BE SAVED.
FAITH IS KEY: Beloved in Christ, when it comes to Christianity, FAITH IS NEVER AN OPTION; IT IS A NECESSITY. Our worship of God is real to the extent that our faith in him is strong.
FAITH RESTS ON GOD, RESPONDS TO GOD, RELIES ON GOD, AND REJOICES IN GOD WHILST REPRODUCING GODLINESS IN US. Indeed when we have faith in him we are blessed like Abraham was (Gal. 3:9). Jesus expects us to have a strong faith in him and always trust in his superiority over the powers that be in the world. We notice a malicious slander in the accusation put up against him in (Lk. 11:15). There were many exorcists in Jesus’ time in Palestine who the Church historian and writer Josephus traces their power back to Solomon. When Jesus, the stronger man came and conquered them rendering useless their armory (Lk. 11:21-22), they wanted to fight him through baseless slander.
SLANDER IS THE CHILD OF JEALOUSY: This passage teaches us that people who consider others as threats to their fame or progress could result to malicious slander against them. Beloved, there is nothing as cruel as slander; it sticks aptly to the mind that tends to think the worst about others while the ear prefers to hear the derogatory tales of others rather than the compliments. How often do we utter evil baseless statements and deliberately impute low motives to those we dislike?
WE CAN’T BE NEUTRAL: The passage also teaches us that there is no room for NEUTRALITY in the Christian life; we either with Christ or we are without him. Many of us today play double standards, we operate on middle grounds even as we sway here and there; we are neither cold nor hot. Be guided my dear brethren, standing aloof from the good cause automatically translates to helping the evil one.
ENGAGE YOUR SOUL: Lastly, the passage exhorts us to guide against the ‘PERIL OF AN EMPTY SOUL’. Exorcism is not always enough children of God. Securing the exorcised soul is of paramount importance. Luke 11:24-26 relates to us the danger an empty soul faces. Many of those who suffer recurrent ‘invasion of evil’ do so because of their failure to ‘…to be filled with the Holy Spirit’ (Eph. 5:18). Christ wants us not just to avoid evil and relax; indeed he wants us to avoid evil and go on doing good, that so, no reserve will be left for ‘later evil’.
HELP THE NEEDY POOR THIS WEEKEND