Homily for Thursday of the 1st Week of Advent
Theme: ARE YOU FOLLOWING CHRIST WITH A FAITHFUL AND SINCERE HEART?
By: Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA
Homily for Thursday December 2 2021
*READINGS OF THE DAY*
Isaiah 26:1-6
Ps 117:1,8-9,19-21,25-27
Matthew 7:21,24-27
*INTRODUCTION*
In the gospel, Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
*A STORY IS TOLD*
Dear brethrens, I do not own the story am going to share, but i know for sure that it will help us understand the Gospel reading of today.
There is a story about an old man who was always at church, he attends Mass, and he was always present during novena prayers. However, he also has this domineering attitude, he thinks highly of himself and he treats everyone in the church as someone who is not within his level.
After a few years he died, Therefore, he was expecting a smooth passage to heaven but Saint Peter did not allow him to enter the pearly gates. So he asked: “Why are you not allowing me to gain entry to heaven, I was always at church leading the novena prayers, I was always at Mass!” Saint Peter replied: “Yes you were always in the church but you did not change your ways, it was all for show.”
*OUR TODAY’S CENTRAL MESSAGE*
A lot of us are like the old man, we are active in the church, we attend Holy Mass but we refuse to let go of our boorish behavior, we think highly of ourselves simply because many of us are rich and educated. Then we carry over these domineering behaviors into our home and our workplace.
*CONCLUSION*
Could we gain entry into heaven with this behavior? Can we be compared to the wise man in the gospel who built his house upon a sturdy rock? Not certainly, to become the wise man who built his house on a solid rock we need to walk our talk and we need to live what we preach.
Jesus warns us against a religion where God only becomes Lord of our life in the temple, where God is glorified only inside and during worship done in the Church.
THE LORD BE WITH YOU!
Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA