HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 26TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II
THEME: Let Us Continue Keeping Our Faith Even In difficult Times.
BY: Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA
HOMILY FOR MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26 2022
*READINGS OF THE DAY*
Job 1:6-22
Psalm 16:1-3,6-7
Luke 9:46-50
*LITURGICAL COLOUR*
GREEN
*FROM OUR FIRST READING*
Today we begin to read from the Book of Job. In our reading, Job is portrayed as a man whose faith in God endures even when a whole succession of misfortunes befall him. Having lost his property, and, more significantly, his children, he remains a person who acknowledges God in prayer, ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord’. Job’s faith was put to the test but it didn’t weaken. Today’s reading dear friends, encourages us to keep the faith, even in our difficult moments. Job points ahead to Jesus who also kept faith in God even as he hung from the cross. The term ‘keeping the faith’ could imply that faith is something static to be safely preserved.
*FROM OUR GOSPEL READING*
Today’s gospel reading shows that the faith of the disciples was certainly in need of further growth. They were preoccupied with greatest, as the world understands it, the gaining of honour and renown for oneself. Jesus’ response to them shows us that a life of faith needs to have very different preoccupations. He identifies himself with a child, a symbol not of greatness but of weakness and vulnerability, and declares that the way to welcome himself and God his Father is through welcoming the frail and vulnerable among us, not trying to keep up with the highly regarded and influential.
*CONCLUSION*
The disciples, even though were people of little faith, they were a long way from having the mind of Christ. The life of faith is lived as a response to the Lord’s call to grow more fully into his mind, his outlook, his values and attitudes. it is a life-long journey into the mind of Christ. In our gospel reading, one of the disciples, John, was resentful of the good work that people who were not disciples of Jesus were doing. this was not the mind of Christ either. Jesus’ response to him shows that the workings of God’s grace beyond the community of the disciples is to be welcomed and celebrated. in so many ways, we can all have much growing up into Christ to do.
I wish you all a blessed week . The Lord be with You!