Homily for Tuesday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time Year II
Theme: THE ADULT VS CHILD-LIKE SPIRIT!
By: Fr. Ben Agbo
Homily for Tuesday February 25 2020
* Js 4 : 1 – 10, Mk 9 : 30 – 37.
Holiness requires our becoming like God. It requires the subdueing of the human passions in us. St James makes it clear in today’s 1st reading that our passions , desires and worldly ambitions cause wars and fighting among us and fighting produces “negative supernaturals”. They lead us into wrong prayers which is never answered by God. He therefore recommends, if we want to be holy, that we learn to submit ourselves everyday to God. If you humble yourselves and draw near to God everyday, the devil will surely run away from you.
The adult spirit is the spirit of ambition and braggadocio but the child-like spirit is the spirit of humility and service. In today’s gospel the disciples were already manifesting the adult spirit and struggling for who should be the greatest among them when Jesus called them to order and presented them with the “servant – child-like – leader paradigm”. This paradigm is really not there among our leaders in Nigeria both secular and ecclesiastical. With this paradigm, everything changes ; governors, presidents, bishops, etc will not be worshipped like demigods. Our leaders will become simple servants like Christ recommended and the struggles for power and authority will reduce. Children of God should make effort to imitate Christ’s teachings as we gradually approach the Lenten season.
May God bless you today!