Homily for Tuesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle II
Theme: WOE TO ME? WOE TO TODAY’S WORLD?
By: Rev. Fr. Jacob Aondover ATSU
Homily for Tuesday July 14 2020
READINGS: ISAIAH 7:1-9, PSALM 48, MATTHEW 11:20-24
“But if you do not stand by me (God), you will not stand at all” (Isaiah 7:9). We may do well to stand with God through the visisitudes of life knowing in faith that he will attend to all our needs. Amen.
The Greek word for ‘woe’ translated as ‘alas’ is ‘ouai’; ‘ouia’ expresses ‘sorrowful pity’ and it is not an accent of one who is exasperated or one who feels insulted. It is the accent of one who is sorrowed or deeply pained given that his most precious gift is disregarded by those who should embrace it. Jesus’ condemnation of sin is holy anger borne from a broken heart and not from outraged pride.
A look at our contemporary society reveals that there is a proliferation of churches, houses of prayer, men and women of God and there accompanying followers. Against this backdrop we may afford to say that Jesus is known by ninety percent of the world’s populace. He has been preached, taught, he has been felt and he has blessed many. Why the prevalence of sin? Why satanism? Why the continuous unrighteousness? Why are we unrepentant and poised to continue sinning and rebelling against the very author of our being? I hear Christ saying: ‘woe to you Nigeria, for you persistently engage in bloodshed, injustice, corruption, oppression of the poor, apostasy, wickedness, avarice and so on.
Like Chorazin and Bethsaida, we have been privileged to have a great religious heritage; a heritage we have adamantly refused to translate into a spirituality. Christ would be sad over us because we are not responsible! Some nations of the world would be fully Christian if they are blessed with the heritage we have. Moreover, Christ will pity us because we are often times indifferent to the call of faith; we are just there, not persecuting Christ but simply disregarding him by our attitudes. This is terrible. NEGLECT CAN KILL AS MUCH AS PERSECUTION CAN says William Barclay. Simply put, it is also a sin to do nothing; INACTION IS ALSO SIN. Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum neither rejected Jesus nor persecute him; they simply ignored him. ‘I never did anything’ could lead us to hell like murder, theft, adultery etc. will.
I pray the spirit of God leads us out of indifference and neglect into positive action ad majorem Dei gloriam.
HELP THE NEEDY AROUND YOU