HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK
THEME: TRUE FRIENDSHIP IS A GIFT: VALUE YOUR FRIENDS WHILE THEY ARE ALIVE.
BY: PADRE PIO NWANKWO, CMF.
HOMILY FOR MONDAY APRIL 11 2022
Isaiah 42:1-7. Ps 27:1-3, 13-14. John 12:1-11
Few years ago, a story went viral about a man who sent messages to all his friends on his Facebook list and contacts on phone about the urgent need to get 30,000 shillings to pay his rent. All gave excuses ranging from the mere banal to the ridiculous. The few who cared, sent little shillings that could not save him from being evicted. He wanders about the streets and was hit by a car and died. The same friends who had refused his request for help over 30,000 shillings raised 300,000 shillings for his burial and some wrote how they “loved him” while he was alive. This is a common scenario in our world today, we value the dead and show them “love” more than the living.
MARY’S CASE IS DIFFERENT: But this is not the case with Mary in the Gospel of today. She preferred to show her love to her Beloved while He was still alive. And Jesus appreciated the love and sacrifice of Mary and came to her defense when Judas Iscariot wanted to “run her down”. Jesus accepted the gift without question because in true friendship, what matters is LOVE. It does not matter whether the gift is small or big, cheap or costly. It is not based on a “DO ME, I DO YOU” system: “I buy Lunch, you buy me Dinner”, “I greet you, you greet me too”, “I liked your post and follow you on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc. you also liked and follow me”, etc. In fact, “Mary’s action was extravagant, but her motive justified it. However, Judas’ motive in suggesting the good action of helping the poor was selfish and impure, spoiling the action”.
THE ATTITUDES AND CHARACTERS IN THE GOSPEL: Dear child of God, the Gospel relates a simple episode six days before the crucifixion and death of Jesus; but with different intensity, divergent characters and interests. Jesus was invited for a dinner at the house of Lazarus whom had been raised from the dead. While Martha and Lazarus were busy with making the guests feel at home, Mary anointed Jesus with a costly ointment- a nard (a very costly perfume worth the wages of a laborer for 300 days). Judas Iscariot took offense; the chief priests intensified their plot to eliminate Jesus and Lazarus together. These are different attitudes of people towards Jesus. WHAT IS YOUR OWN ATTITUDE TOWARDS JESUS TODAY? Is your friendship with Jesus like that of Mary? Remember, that Jesus made us and called us his friends (John 15:15). In order to ascertain our friendship with Jesus, we have to ask ourselves how genuine is our friendship and relationship with our neighbours and other people, especially at this period of time in the world when we seem to approaching a point of no return in terms of Wars: violent wars, civil wars, moral wars against morality, religious wars against the teachings of the Christian religion? Because through these friendships with our neighbours and others, we meet Jesus! Lord, help me to be grateful for all you have done in my life and may I follow you in this Holy Week faithfully by becoming a good friend. Amen. God bless you and do have a grateful Monday and a good Holy Week.Blessings to you and to your family +. Please pray the HOLY ROSARY EVERYDAY for it is so powerful. “A CHRISTIAN IS NOT AN ORDINARY PERSON AND THE LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN IS A LIFE OF WARFARE”.
Padre Pio Nwankwo, CMF.