HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 23RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II
THEME: Jesus chooses his twelve apostles.
BY: Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA
HOMILY FOR TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 6 2022
*READINGS OF THE DAY*
1 Corinthians 6:1-11
Psalm 149:1-6,9
Luke 6:12-19
*LITURGICAL COLOUR*
GREEN
*FROM OUR FIRST READING*
In today’s first reading, Paul calls on us to be ‘rooted in’ Christ and to be ‘built on him’. He uses two images, one which is more rural, ‘rooted in’ and the other more urban, ‘built on’. Both images equally express the centrality and intimacy of our relationship with Christ. He is the soil in which we are rooted; he is the foundation on which we build our lives. He is to be the centre of our lives. Paul also declares in that reading why Christ is worthy to be the centre of our lives. It is because in him alone lives the fullness of divinity and in him we find our own fulfilment. He reveals God fully to us and, therefore, he can satisfy and fulfil the deepest longings of our heart.
*FROM THE GOSPEL READING*
the first part of today’s gospel reading, Jesus calls twelve from among the wider group of his disciples to be his closest companions, a kind of inner circle of disciples. The calling of this small group from among the larger group was such an important moment that, according to the gospel reading, he spent the whole night in prayer to God. Jesus felt the need of God’s sustaining and guiding presence as he made this momentous choice.
*CONCLUSION*
We can all feel the need to spend time with the Lord in prayer before we make an important decision. In prayer we try to open ourselves up more fully to what the Lord wants for our lives. We ask that his will be done and his kingdom come in and through the decision we make. We invite the Holy Spirit to guide and shape our discerning and decision making. Moments of decision are times when we tend to seek the Lord with greater focus and energy. Even though Jesus spent the night in prayer to God before choosing the twelve, one of them went on to betray him. Just because we bring our decision to the Lord in prayer doesn’t mean that everything afterwards will run smoothly for us. However, in opening ourselves to the Lord in prayer at such moments of decision we are allowing him to be at the heart of our decisions.
May God bless us all.