HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 21ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II
THEME: STAY AWKE ALWAYS
BY: Fr. Justin Nzekwe
HOMILY FOR THURSDAY AUGUST 25 2022
The most difficult challenge we have in our journey as Christians is that we do not know the time Our Saviour Jesus Christ will come again to reward the righteous. Many prominent people in the past have tried to predict the exact date when Jesus will come again, but none of them could successfully predict the correct date. There were people who were thinking they will be alive to experience the second coming of Jesus, but they didn’t live to see the day. The mystery of the second coming of Jesus has made some people to lose patience waiting, such that they decided to live their life as though God does not exist anymore. If we know the exact time Jesus will be coming again, we may simply live our lives the way we want, only to repent when it is almost time.
Jesus in the gospel reading of today says: “if the landlord knew at what time of night the thief was coming, he would keep watch and would not let his house be broken into.” Jesus will take us unaware in order to taste our faithfulness towards him. The secret of waiting for Christ is simply by staying awake always. Do not give the devil opportunity in your life to lead you into sin. Stay faithful to your Christian calling. Live a good life, because it is good to be good. Love God and your fellow human being. Be that trustworthy servant that takes good care of other servants while their master is away. Because the good servant will be rewarded generously anytime his master returns. But for the wicked servant who says in his heart: “My master is late,” and starts beating his companions and eating and drinking with drunkards, that servant’s master will come a day when he doesn’t expect it and an hour that he does not know, he will severely punish him and inflict on him the fate that the hypocrites deserve.” We all are given the opportunity each day to choose between being a good servant and being a bad one. And any choice we make has some consequences. We pray in this holy mass for the grace to remain faithful always without being distracted by the things of this world, so that we will be ready at any time Jesus will come again.