Homily for Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Lent Year A
Theme: THE FOUR DISASTERS OF SIN
By: Rev Fr Igbodekwe Livinus C.
Homily for Tuesday March 10 2020
*Reading: Isaiah 1:10,16-20*
It must be established, the fact that God loves the sinner but hates sin. Sin is negative to His character that’s why 1Jn3:2 says that a sinner belongs to the devil and not to God. The life of God is the life of grace and love and sin is contrary to these. So when we sin we are endangered to facing certain disasters:
1. *Our worship becomes loathsome to God*: in today’s first reading, God couldn’t look upon the sacrifices of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah (Isaiah 1:10), because it lacks love. Hosea 6:6 says “I desire mercy not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6). Mercy for the weak and the oppressed.
2. *Our Virtues are Killed*: it takes grace to build virtue. Lack of sufficient grace would not produce a stable righteousness. This is why after falling into a particular sin for the first time, we become ever readily susceptible to it. We continue struggling with it.
3. *Darkens our Souls*: when God looks upon a sinner he sees him looking as dark as charcoal, and for those who shed blood they look as red as crimson. As a result, God cannot receive them that way without first of all calling on the sinner to make amends and to restore (Isaiah 1:16). This restoration involves quitting to do evil and learning to do good.
4. *Kills The Joy of Soul*: I haven’t seen a sad saint says one saint. The body may be bruised, the stomach empty, the body unclothed yet he looks happy. But the sinner may look buoyant and well but the soul is sick and sad for sin speaks to the sinner in the depth of his heart. But the saint is the one with the beatitudes. No wonder David prayed, “restore to me the joy of my salvation O Lord”. You can say the same prayers if you have lost your spiritual joy and peace.
God bless you!