HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 5TH WEEK OF LENT.
THEME: THE LIGHT OF CHRIST.
BY: Fr Francis Onwunali.
The light of Christ dispels the darkness of sin and convicts us to repentance. This serves as the prevailing theme of today’s readings.
Today’s first reading (Dan 13: 1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62) – the account of the accussation of Susanna by two evil and corrupt Judges- is more than a story of good truimphing over evil. It is an old Testament preview of Baptism. When Susanna enters her bath (Dan 13: 17- 18), she is surrounded by powers of evil, as represented by two corrupt elders. Susanna is immersed in a dilemma of whether to save her life by yielding to evil or to cling to holiness and purity at the cost of her life. Susanna rises from her bath determined to trust God, saying to the evil judges, “it is better for me to fall into your power without guilt than to sin before the Lord” (Dan. 13: 23). Susanna rose from the waters of her bath free, pure, and victorious over the kingdom of darkness. As we are baptized, we emerge from the waters of Baptism redeemed and blameless (Rm. 8: 1).
RELATED: HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 5TH WEEK OF LENT.
Since most of us can not remember our own baptism, the Church in her wisdom therefore calls us to regularly renew our Baptism. This makes our Baptism new and alive for us and challenges us to rethink our own way of life just as Jesus made the Jewish leaders do in the gospel (John 8: 1-11) when they brought to Jesus a woman “caught in the very act of committing adultery”. They not only wanted to condemn the woman but also to trap and catch Jesus either going against Jewish law or have the woman stoned. Jesus called their way of life to question: “If there is one of you who have not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Dear friends, sin has much power in our human life, the power to destroy, but it can not be compared with the superior power of God’s love and forgiveness. So, no matter how endearing and pleasurable sin may present itself, it is better to be avoided and play safe in the hands of God who has the power to give new life.
I pray as we journey in life today, we will refuse to compromise with the kingdom of darkness in any way, even if you must endure persecution for holiness’ sake. May we choose to be pure as Jesus is pure (1Jn. 3:3). May the challenging situations of our lives not push us away from God, rather, may they bring out more, the faith in us. Have a renewed-full day!
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