Homily for Monday of Holy Week Year A
Theme: IT’S HOLY WEEK; FOSTER JUSTICE IN AN UNJUST WORLD
By: Rev. Fr. Jacob Aondover ATSU
Homily for Monday April 6 2020
READINGS: ISAIAH 42:1-7, PSALM 27, JOHN 12:1-11
The prophecy of Isaiah has some interesting passages foretelling the mission of the Messiah. Isaiah 42:1 says, “Behold my servant whom I uphold…he will bring forth JUSTICE to the nations”. Also, the prophet in 49:3 says this servant is the one THROUGH WHOM GOD WILL SHOW HIS GLORY. And according to Isaiah 49:6, God’s servant is the one to RESTORE THE SURVIVORS OF ISRAEL AND BRING SALVATION TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. These passages prefigure the life and mission of Christ as captured in Matthew 12:18 “Behold my chosen servant, my beloved in whom I delight…he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles…” This servant, Isaiah 42:4 says will neither FAIL NOR BE DISCOURAGED UNTIL HE BRINGS JUSTICE TO THE WORLD. We’re sure that our saviour will lead us onto the right path hence we should FOLLOW WHEREVER HE LEADS.
When he finally came, Christ gave his mission statement: “The spirit of the Lord is upon me…to bring GLAD TIDINGS to the poor, LIBERTY to captives, and SIGHT to the blind, FREEDOM to the oppressed…” These he did throughout his life here on earth: he gave life to Lazarus, showing him as Lord of life; liberated Mary from her possession and sin and made himself a friend to their family. He’d do same for us all when we show him how completely dependent we are on him. Isaiah’s prophecy we may remember was given to an exiled Israel whose condition was simply parlous. They were suffering untold hardships at their captors’ hands and waited patiently for their liberator.
We too, suffer peril today occasioned by the many hardships: economic, health, spiritual and otherwise. Covid19 has hit us hard and is man has had his fill of pain, misery and hopelessness these past months. Terrorists are protected and sponsored; workers are starved and unjustly retrenched without due remuneration, corrupt but rich people are celebrated and adored while the righteous but poor are maltreated and dehumanized. Injustice rages, evil and vice are normalized. We are sick, hungry, exiled in various ways and sometimes hunted by the wiles of the evil one. etc. That we need a Jesus kinda saviour need not be gainsaid.
Today’s message should therefore mean more to us than it meant for the exiles of old: a message of liberation, one of justice and a message of hope; HOPE BUILT FIRMLY ON THE BELIEF THAT THE SERVANT OF GOD WOULD NEITHER FAIL NOR BE DISCOURAGED UNTIL HE FULFILLS HIS MISSION.
FEED AND EDUCATE ONE POOR