Homily for Thursday of the 4th Week of Easter
Theme: Count your blessings by tracing back God’s interventions in your life.
By: Rev. Fr. Callistus Emenyonu, cmf
Homily for Thursday
READINGS: Acts 13: 13-25, Ps. 89, John 13: 16-25
It is often the attitude of humans to recollect evil things that happened to them and it determines their mood. Human beings are in the habit of recording wrongs done them by others and those bad things that they never desired but God allowed them to happen to them. This attitude is what makes man to lose faith in God or feel that God is not on their side. It is very difficult to see human beings remembering and counting their blessings. It is hard for people to remember good things others have done for them or the ones they have received from God. It is a good habit for people to sit down and recollect and put in memory the good things that they have received from God and man. The speech of St Peter in the first reading challenges us to do things right. It is good to observe that the brethren at Antioch in Pisidia recognized the person of Peter and saw the need that someone who knows more than them is in their presence and that a higher authority should be regarded highly and respected and should be called upon to admonish them. Some people in their empty pride will pretend not to see the authority and feel they are equal or even know better. Many people are so allergic to authority and to those who know better than them. If they did not beckon on Peter to address them, Peter would have nothing to lose but the brethren will have. Pride and arrogance can deprive us of many helps we could have in humility and respect received. It was the respect they accorded Peter that made him teach them from the richness of his wisdom and inspiration. If they neglected him, he would keep his wise counsel and knowledge to himself. It is the humble and the respectful that enriches himself.
Peter used the opportunity to recount the goodness of the Lord. He traced the love of God in the lives of the Israelites from their ancestors. He did not pretend to forget all the mighty works of God that saved them. He recalled how God destroyed other nations in order to save them and recued them from the evil plans of enemy nations. Peter traced the salvation plan of God and how he chose David and from his tribe chose to give the world a Saviour in the person of Jesus Christ. He recalled how John announced his majesty and coming that is not rivalled by any even him John. His speech became a reminder of God’s love and plan for man. His speech would make any reasonable person to know that no one can be greater than his master. It shows that Jesus Christ is the master of the world that God gave us and so everyone must humble himself under his authority. It is important for us to know that the fate of Judas is regrettable and should not be repeated in the life of any of us. No one who has associated with Christ or eaten his meal should rise up against him or his Church.
Let us pray that we may learn to appreciate and recall the goodness of the Lord and cherish his love in our lives. We pray that we may change the habit of counting wrongs but keep in memory the good things we have received from God and man, Amen.
Rev. Fr. Callistus Emenyonu, cmf
FOR A SIMILAR HOMILY, CLICK HERE>>>>>